Industry Panel: Leading the Screen Industry - SWAN Perth International Women in Film Festival 2026

What does it take to build an industry that lasts?

Join us as we talk with together women working across different corners of the screen sector, this panel looks at the bigger picture of funding, finance, leadership, business, industry structures and the realities of getting work made. We’ll explore what makes a screen career or company sustainable, where the industry is succeeding, where it’s falling short, and what needs to change for the screen industry to thrive.

When: Saturday, 17th October 2026

Where: The Backlot, West Perth

Who:

Dale Fairbairn - Dale Fairbairn is a producer and screen-industry strategist with more than 30 years’ experience across production, industry development and international festivals. During 20 years at Screen Australia, she built partnerships with leading international festivals and markets and advised Australian filmmakers on festival, marketing and career strategy. Now based in Fremantle, Dale has established Blue Skies Films to develop Western Australian stories with international resonance.

Bec Bignell - Bec Bignell is a WA based writer, director, producer whose work champions women and regional Australia. Bec recently participated in the 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival Accelerator Lab. She co-wrote and directed the short film STITCH UP which recently won Best Screenplay, Best Dramatic Film and Best Film at the 2026 Australian Women’s Film Festival. Her debut feature, PROVENANCE, was selected for Screenwest’s 2025 Feature Navigator Program, and received development funding, which included script mentoring from Alex White (BABYTEETH). PROVENANCE was recently shortlist for the 2026 Screenwest West Coast Visions Initiative and is produced by Brooke Thomas (THE SKELETON TREE), and supported by executive producers Robert Patterson (Arenamedia) and Liz Kearney (MEMOIR OF A SNAIL).

Bec’s screen credits include co-producing the comedy web series FIVE MINUTE CALL in partnership with Arenamedia, to be released on a major SVOD in October 2026, producing and script producing the internationally distributed series 600 BOTTLES OF WINE (BBC, CBC, Netflix ANZ); creating the Screenwest supported regional series HOMESPUN (STAN/ABC iView); she's Executive Producer of Danielle Stamoulos’ scripted web series CURSE OF THE VIRGIN, and also serves as an EP on the feature documentary HARD AS PUCK, which was developed through her production company COCKATO CO.LAB, and premiered at the 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice award. She’s the writer/director/producer of the animated short FANGS ON THE FARM (2024) a project that explores the first aid challenges encountered by rural, remote, and regional children across Australia and was the associate producer of VISIBLE FARMER, the 15-part documentary web series spotlighting female farmers funded by Screen Australia and Screenwest; and associate producer of Arenamedia’s feature film BLUEBACK. Bec’s performance credits include BLACK COMEDY (ABC), RUBEN GUTHRIE and HOMESPUN (ABC iView/STAN).

A former Senior International Partnerships Executive at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation her leadership has been recognised through achievements including selection in the AFR 100 Women of Influence, the 2019 AMP Tomorrow Makers, Curtin University Young Alumni of the Year, and participation in the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, the Asialink Leaders Program and the ABC Advanced Leaders Development Program. Bec also served as the Western Australian Ambassador for the Alliance Française French Film Festival in 2023 and 2024.

Apurva Gupta - Apurva Gupta is a multi-platform visual artist based in Boorloo, Perth. With her roots in the North of India, she now pursues her passion for filmmaking and storytelling in Australia focusing genre-blending stories with women and other under-represented communities.

With a specialisation in Direction, she has a Master of Arts in Screen Arts from Curtin University alongside a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology from India. This enables her to create stories about identity, autonomy, and our larger place in the world. Working as a Freelance Creative at the start of her career to her subsequent full-time employment at Limitless Studios, Apurva’s experience ranges from non-fiction and commercial content, documentaries, to fictional films, TVCs, theatre and a lot more.

Over her 7+ years of working in the industry she has a keen interest in new production technologies and efficiencies as a Producer, Director and Cinematographer at Limitless Studios and plays a key role in advising, testing and filming for virtual production with local independent and funded features, shorts, and commercial content. Apurva frequently devotes time to education and community engagement within film and arts. She is a part of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and Women in Film and Television (WIFT) as an individual and a committee member.

What: SWAN - Perth International Women In Film Festival. West Australia’s own film festival dedicated to celebrating powerful women in film from all over Australia and around the world!  Come for a fun night of networking and showcasing WA talent, supporting women in filmmaking, and sharing the love for all things film.

We’re all about celebrating the female perspective and creating a positive environment for interaction between legendary female filmmakers. We love to support emerging and indie filmmakers, especially nurturing Western Australia’s growing film industry.r