There was a wet welcome to springtime in Aotearoa at Orākei Marae for local and international filmmakers on Wednesday ahead of the two day Power of Inclusion Summit.
The Auckland event features 70 speakers and 700 delegates, all poised to immerse themselves in the conversation around diversity and inclusion in the screen industry.
- Kath and Kim star Magda Szubanski in NZ for Power of Inclusion
- Thelma and Louise star Geena Davis to speak at Power of Inclusion
Among them is Franklin Leonard.
"I think we're in a moment in the world historically where the notion of a culture - which represents the entire world - is critically important," he tells Newshub.
"So to be able to gather with a bunch of people who feel the same way in a place as extraordinary as New Zealand, yeah, it feels important."
Leonard's day job is reading movie scripts. He's the founder of The Black List, an incredibly influential annual survey of Hollywood screenplays for films which perhaps buck the usual trends of conventional storytelling and are yet to be produced.
Many have gone on to win Oscars, like Slumdog Millionaire, Spotlight and The King's Speech.
And lest we forget one little film which is currently on the Oscars radar: Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit.
Alongside Leonard on the podium this week is Whale Rider and Mulan director Niki Caro, Australian actor and activist Magda Szubanski and headlining the summit, actor and women's advocate, Geena Davis.
The Oscar-winner will be on a mission to inspire this 700 strong of local and international storytellers and change-makers to do just that, effect lasting change in the screen industry.
Newshub.
