You might not recognise the writers’ names, but you’ll almost certainly know some of their work: The Narrow Road to the Deep North, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Penguin Bloom, The Circuit, Snowtown and The Black Balloon.
Behind every compelling screen story are decisions about character, dialogue, structure and what to leave unsaid. So how do writers turn an idea into something we want to watch? What makes a story work on screen and how different is the process from writing a novel or short story?
Join us for From Page to Screen, a conversation with acclaimed screenwriters Kelly Lefever and Shaun Grant, moderated by award-winning writer and director Tadji Ulrich.
Together, they’ll explore the art and practice of screenwriting, from what makes a good screen story to the different demands of feature films, television, short films and online content. They’ll also discuss the various pathways into a screenwriting career.
Whether you’re a writer curious about a different form, an aspiring filmmaker, or someone who loves a good film and wants to understand how it came together, there’s plenty to draw you into this conversation.
Meet The People Behind The Screen
Kelly Lefever
With more than 650 hours of television and feature films to her name as a writer, script producer and script editor, Kelly brings an extraordinary breadth of experience to the panel.
Her credits include The Code, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Mr. and Mrs. Murder, City Homicide, The Black Balloon, Prisoner, The Merger and Under the Vines. She also co-created two seasons of the SBS series The Circuit, which received two Chicago Film Festival HUGO Awards for Best Miniseries and the Human Rights Reconciliation Award.
A multiple award winner and nominee, Kelly received the Foxtel Fellowship in 2014, recognising an outstanding and significant body of work.
As her biography puts it: “She is often quite tired.” And with this much creative output we’re not surprised!
Shaun Grant
Shaun’s screenwriting has taken Australian stories to Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. His six feature films include Snowtown, True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram, and he was one of the writers of Penguin Bloom.
More recently, he was the co-creator and sole writer of the 2025 television adaptation of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which went on to win nine AACTA Awards.
His work offers plenty to explore in a discussion about adapting stories, writing for different screen formats, and building a career in the industry.
Your Moderator: Tadji Ulrich
Based in Naarm/Melbourne, Tadji is a multi-award-winning writer and director whose films blend genre elements with drama to explore love, loss and healing.
His 2025 short film The Wake earned him the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year award at the Byron Bay International Film Festival. His earlier projects have also won the top prize in Tropfest’s youth section and the inaugural Emerging Filmmaker Award at North Bellarine Film Festival.
See The Writing Come To Life
The panel will be followed by a free screening of Penguin Bloom, co-written by Shaun Grant and starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver, which is a perfect opportunity to watch the film with fresh insight into the craft behind it.
From Page To Screen
When: Saturday 10 October | 4.30 – 5.30pm
Where: Belgrave Community Hub
Tickets: $25 / $22