Editor

In a new twist to the traditional Big Pitch session at the Small Screen BIG
PICTURE Television Conference, "The Small Pitch" has been incorporated
as part of the conference to give local documentary producers the opportunity
to collect $6,000 towards the development of their program.

The Small Screen BIG PICTURE Television Conference 2002, which is hosted by
ScreenWest, attracts international and national speakers and delegates and provides
an international perspective as well as networking and business opportunities
for the Western Australian and Australian film and television industries. It
will be held in Fremantle from February 28 to March 2.

The Small Pitch is jointly sponsored by ScreenWest, SBS Independent and local
production house Storyteller Productions. It'll be run in conjunction with The
Big Pitch, which is being sponsored by ScreenWest and the ABC and which will
give aspiring filmmakers to opportunity to collect $20,000 in development funding
for a telemovie, as well as the opportunity to have their program aired on the
ABC.

Managing Director of Storyteller Productions Mike Searle said, "The Big
Pitch gives the drama sector a terrific opportunity to realise a dream, but
the documentary makers were missing out this year," Mike said. "Because
our industry in Western Australia is documentary driven, it seemed like a good
opportunity to give some encouragement to developing documentary makers."

The winning pitch will have the opportunity to have their program aired on
SBS, and concepts should be tailored to the Masterpiece and Cutting Edge programs.
The program concept should be a stand-alone 52-minute proposal, and only registered
delegates can enter.

Entries close on February 22, and will need to include a one-page synopsis,
development treatment and full budget.

Guidelines and application forms are available on the website at

http://www.screenwest.com.au/ssbp.

This year's Small Screen BIG PICTURE Television Conference, which will be chaired
by Southern Star Productions corporate general manager and Australian Film Commission
chair Maureen Barron, has attracted an array of national and international speakers.

International speakers will include British producer Verity Lambert (Cazalet
Chronicles, Jonathon Creek, Rumpole of the Bailey, Edward and Mrs Simpson, Dr
Who); Lilla Hurst, head of acquisitions at London-based RDF International; Maurice
Paleau, Vice President, Development and Production at Discovery Networks International;
John Drury, Head of Factual Programming at Granada Media International; Rolf
Ernst from RTV Family Entertainment AG (Germany); John Lindsay from Oregon Public
Broadcasting (USA); Pat Ferns from Banff Television Festival in Canada; Koh
Tin Fook, Deputy CEO and Director of Industry Development at the Singapore Broadcasting
Authority and international production and distribution executive Brian Harris
(USA).

Panellists will include commissioning editors from the ABC, SBS, Network Ten
and the Seven Network.

Other speakers include screenwriters Ian David (Blue Murder), Doug Mclead (Full
Frontal, Fast Forward), Peter Herbert (The Big Schmooze, Comedy Company) and
The Secret Life of Us producer and co-creator Amanda Higgs.

The conference theme this year will be "Lifting the Game" and will
focus on issues including the changing marketplace for Australian drama and
documentaries, opportunities in education, new technologies and children's television
and the potential of the Singapore market.