We’re extremely excited to welcome former Melbourne WebFest alumni and juror Warwick Holt to the MWF Advisory Board.
We first met Holt in 2016 after he launched his online series BRUCE, co-written by Mat Blackwell and directed by Tony Rogers (Wilfred). A black sitcom about Australia’s first convicts, the series won more than 20 awards worldwide including IAWTV Awards for Best Comedy Series and Best Writing (Comedy), as well as Best Screenplay at WebFests across the world, including Melbourne WebFest. Bruce was also an Honoree in the Best Writing – Film & Video category at the Webby Awards.
Holt began writing professionally in 2004, with the ABC’s The Glass House – before moving on to The Sideshow and Good News Week for five years, in which time he won five Australian Writers Guild (AWGIE) Awards. Since 2012, Holt has been an integral part of nightly news and entertainment show The Project, and has since filled the roles of Head Writer and Senior Writer.
With an abundance of character, Holt has been a part of multiple projects including The Great Comedy Debate, The Comedy Festival Allstars Supershow, Good News World, The Ministry of Truth, and animated series Mob Downunder. He’s also in elite company as one of less than 50 people worldwide with a confirmed Erdös-Bacon-Sabbath number, confirming him as a modern Renaissance man across film, music and science. Most notably, Holt wrote, produced, directed and created the 2000’s The PhanDom Menace, which impacted the first Star Wars prequel on Australia’s biggest Star Wars fan club, gaining global distribution.
Beyond the big streaming video platforms, Holt believes that many viewers are yet to discover the world of short-form content. From documentaries, comedies to non-linear narratives, “you’ll find a broad range of impactful filmmaking and compelling storytelling from fresh and creative talents that in many cases might otherwise not have their voices heard,” says Holt.
“Australians have been world leaders in this field and we have a real opportunity to capitalise now on a world where Hollywood may not hold the sway it traditionally has, and content will draw audiences more through the strength of the ideas than the size of the budgets. With locked-down audiences burning through their Netflix watch lists, this year could wind up being a big one for web series.”
“While right now it’d be foolish to make predictions about the future of, y’know, ANYTHING, I’ve seen enough Melbourne WebFests to guarantee that in one weekend you’ll find more high-quality viral material than you’d find in a lab full of nose swabs.”