A Grief Encounter
Special Guests
James Ashley McLaren is a screenwriter and director in Gadigal/Sydney. A proud Kamilaroi man, storytelling is in his blood. He was shortlisted for the prestigious Emerging Writers’ Award by the Australian Writers’ Guild in 2024. James graduated from the University of Technology Sydney, where he studied Media Arts and Production. After a decade and a half as a director and editor in commercial media to pay the bills, James is happy to be back pursuing his passion of making movies, focusing on crafting powerful stories that resonate with audiences.
Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
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