Big Screen Symposium has named the first of its international guests, in the shape of Causeway Films founders Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton. They’ll talk about the company, the decisions, partnerships and creative instincts that shaped its trajectory, and how a distinctive company identity can inform everything from talent development and project selection to long-term sustainability and growth.
Causeway’s films include Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, and the Philippou’s Talk To Me and Bring Her Back, and the soon-to-arrive Leviticus.
Jennings and Ceyton were also EPs on The Weed Eaters, which is just finishing up its theatrical runa fter premiering last year in the NZIFF.
In a second session Jennings and Ceyton will join the Weed Eaters creative team, to focus on trans-Tasman collaboration from grassroots creative partnerships to the realities and possibilities of working across the Tasman. From production and financing through to distribution and discoverability, the conversation examines what each partner brought to the table and how their collaboration expanded the project’s potential. They’ll also address practical challenges, shared benefits and lessons learned, offering insights into how trans-Tasman partnerships can help projects expand their reach, build resilience and connect with wider audiences.
Paloma Schneideman’s debut feature Big Girls Don’t Cry, recently named as this year’s NZIFF opener, had its world premiere at Sundance and has also played SXSW and BFI Flare. Paloma, with the film’s producers Thomas Coppell and Vicky Pope, will look back beyond the premieres to the pathway that made it possible. They’ll trace the project’s evolution from its earliest beginnings through to festival screenings, reflecting on the years of development, collaboration and persistence that shaped the work, including the key decisions, partnerships and moments that helped move it forward. The conversation explores how talent is nurtured over time, how individual development opportunities are recognised and built upon, and how creative teams can actively support and empower one another.
BSS 2026 runs 3 & 4 July, in Auckland. Tix are now available.
