SAExREV: Beyond the Myths: Intimacy Coordination for Powerful Storytelling

Intimacy coordination is still often misunderstood in Australia. Too often, myths about killing chemistry, restricting creative freedom or making intimate scenes feel clinical stop filmmakers from accessing support that can actually help them create more authentic, impactful work.

In this session, intimacy coordinator Michelle Ezzy gets past the misconceptions and breaks down what an IC really does on set. From kissing and nudity to simulated sex, sexual violence, coercion and complex power dynamics, intimacy coordination provides the structures that allow filmmakers to create intimate content that feels authentic, intentional and story-driven, while supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of cast and crew.

This session is for directors, producers, performers and screen practitioners who want to approach intimate storytelling with more confidence, more care and more creative freedom.

Michelle Ezzy is one of Boorloo’s leading intimacy professionals, working across screen, theatre and education. With over 200 hours of specialist training and more than 40 production credits, Michelle is a key advocate for consent-forward, artistically rigorous intimacy practice in Western Australia. Her work includes upcoming screen work on Netflix’s Breakers, alongside independent film, theatre and education projects.