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Creativity shapes culture — and nowhere is that more powerful than in music, games and screen.
At SXSW Sydney, our Creative Industries tracks bring together the artists, innovators and storytellers pushing these worlds forward. From boundary-breaking game design to the future of film and the next wave of music, this is where creative energy takes centre stage.
Through sessions, panels and workshops, we’ll dive into how these industries fuel culture, spark innovation and set the pace for what’s next.
Whether you’re a filmmaker, game developer, music professional or simply curious about the creative forces shaping tomorrow, SXSW Sydney’s Creative Industries programming delivers the ideas, insights and connections that matter.
Here’s what’s on the agenda in Creative Industries:
Paul Feig Keynote
Celebrated filmmaker, producer and storyteller Paul Feig takes the SXSW Sydney stage to share insights from a career that’s redefined comedy and culture on screen.
Brennan Lee Mulligan Keynote
Renowned Game Master, writer and performer Brennan Lee Mulligan brings his sharp wit and boundless creativity to SXSW Sydney, exploring the art of storytelling and imagination.
Next-Gen AI Music Creation Workshop
Koup Music and Brand Music share how artists can harness AI by fine-tuning their own music models, blending music tech innovation with sonic branding.
Adaptation Sickness or: How To Write True Stories For TV Without Being Sued
Sam Strauss and Anya Beyersdorf, moderated by Dr Benjamin Law, discuss the challenges of adapting true stories for screen while balancing accuracy, humanity, and legal risks.
How To Crack the Code of Creator-Led Music Marketing
Harry Prior, Unice Wani, Alison Bremner (GROUP SPEED), and moderator Daphne Berry unpack how artists can use social media effectively to build audiences and drive music promotion.
Breaking out of your Geobubble
Jono Harrison, John Watson, Kirsty Rivers, and moderator Zan Rowe explore Australia’s music “Geobubble,” examining why local artists struggle for visibility and how they can break through global barriers.
Date with Tait - LIVE
Tait McGregor’s Date With Tait brings her hit online dating show to a live stage, interviewing beloved artists in an intimate first-date setting that blends career, music, and personal stories.
Merch or Die: How Merch Became Music’s Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Jim Sewell (Merch Jungle) and industry experts explore the future of music merch, from sustainable production to NFTs and AR, showing how it drives both revenue and deeper fan connections.
Building Global Superfans: How Artists Can Use Direct-To-Fan Engagement To Break Into New Global Markets
A panel unpacks how artists can leverage superfan engagement and 1:1 fan relationships to expand globally, turning their most loyal followers into a launchpad for international growth.
From Virtual Pets to Real-World Phenomenon: Neopets Comeback Playbook
Neopets CEO Dominic Law shares how the iconic platform reignited engagement, diversified its IP, and built a thriving community, offering a blueprint for brand reinvention in the digital age.
Finding Fan Archetypes: The Secret Side of Digital
Marketing specialists reveal how to reverse engineer fan engagement by building audience archetypes, tapping into psychology, and crafting strategies to reach niche markets worldwide.
GestureSync: Bridging Emotions and Motion in Virtual Reality Through Interactive Non-Verbal Communication
A research project using Meta Quest 3 VR and motion capture examines how gestures, environments, and nonverbal communication shape authentic, emotionally engaging virtual interactions.
From Streams to Stages: Breaking Artists into Global Markets
Accredited managers and strategists share frameworks for taking artists from online buzz to sustainable international careers, while honoring diverse cultures and markets worldwide.
Hating and Loving Ourselves: The Impact of What we Consume
The Hating and Loving Ourselves panel explores how authentic representation in media impacts self-worth and identity, and how creators can make shifts toward more inclusive storytelling.
Independent Distribution - A hitch-hikers guide to cinema distribution in the post-covid world.
A filmmaker reveals how a low-budget indie feature with no stars or studio backing achieved a global theatrical release and award recognition, offering lessons for anyone navigating post-COVID film distribution.
Overcoming Procrastination: A Workshop for Creatives
Dr Ash King (Support Act) leads an interactive workshop on overcoming procrastination, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome, with strategies to boost resilience, productivity, and creative confidence.
AI is Here to Stay, So How Do Artists Stay Ahead?
A panel examines AI’s disruption of the music industry, from ownership and copyright to the financial stakes for artists, labels, and platforms as machine-made music floods streaming services.
Innovators meetup for Music Tech and Music enterprises attending SXSW Sydney
The BPI’s Insight & Innovation team hosts a networking session for APAC innovators with B2B music tech solutions, connecting them with the UK recorded music industry.
Indie Filmmaker Meet Up
Made in the West’s Indie Filmmaker Meetup brings emerging and established filmmakers together to network, collaborate, and celebrate Western Sydney’s indie film scene.
Put your game face on: How to choose an art direction for your game
Art directors Anastasia Simone and Kostia Liakhov trace 20 years of video game art direction and share practical tools indie studios and solo devs can use to sharpen their visual design.
Designing for joy: Creating gender euphoria in games
Associate Professor Phoebe Toups Dugas explores how gender euphoria in games can transform design, highlighting how mechanics, representation, and player agency can create affirming, joyful experiences.
From Niche to Mainstream: How Gaming is Shaping the Future of Global Brands
Explore how global brands can authentically connect with gaming audiences, from esports sponsorships to metaverse activations, and learn strategies to leverage gaming’s cultural and economic influence.
Who killed videogames?
Morgan Jaffit (EA, Ubisoft, Weta, Defiant) gives an insider’s look at the gaming industry’s rise, collapse, and how it might recover.
The Power of Partnership: Navigating the Creative Journey Together
Epoch Music’s Rory Chenoweth and Sam Marks share how partnership, pro bono work, and collaboration built their award-nominated composing career.
Making Personal Games
Gamemakers show how personal experiences, from nursing to cultural identity, can drive deeply expressive, unconventional games.
BRUTAL Game Development: Without an Engine
RocketWerkz explains why they built their own BRUTAL engine, revealing how tech tools shape creative direction and game design.
Designing for the Unknown - Practical Strategies for Innovating Beyond Today's Tech
Emerson Phillips (Tetra Studios) shares how to design for bleeding-edge XR, turning uncertainty and creativity into world-first innovations that shape the future.
The State of XR
XR experts Jack O’Shea (xReality Group), Emerson Phillips (Tetra Studios), Marell Bito (UTS) and Matt Cabanag (UNSW) reveal the breakthroughs, challenges and real-world applications shaping VR/AR/XR today.
Power Her Up: Breaking Tech Barriers and Rewriting the Future
Onnie Chan (WiCT), Kat Bell, Kirsty Parkin (Supaglue) and Dr. Lauren Woolbright (Flinders University) showcase how women in South Australia are breaking barriers, driving inclusivity and leading in creative tech.
Play SmellScape- A tabletop game for your nose!
SmellScape, created by Jocelyn Fullerton, Cat Jones, Natalie Torren and Tammy Burnstock, is an interactive game that uses scent, memory and storytelling to spark creativity and playful connection.
Discover the ideas, stories and creative forces shaping tomorrow at SXSW Sydney. Secure your pass today and explore more of the SXSW Sydney line up via the app or online here.
