14 Sep 2023
Black Mirror Creator Charlie Brooker joins SXSW Sydney 2023 as Headline Speaker
Sydney, Australia – Thursday 14 September - Creator of mind-bending Netflix anthology series Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker, joins SXSW Sydney as a headline speaker at the futurist event taking place for the first time outside of Austin, Texas in October. Revealing humanity’s worst traits, greatest innovations and the darkest side of our future, Black Mirror shocks audiences with every episode. Much like SXSW Sydney, Black Mirror provides commentary on our potential futures and how we can shape them.
Charlie joins a stacked program of over 1,000 ground-breaking events and sessions which draw inspiration from visionary thinkers worldwide across Tech and Innovation, Screen, Music, Games and Culture as Sydney becomes the worldwide epicentre for the creative industries.
Charlie Brooker says, “Having to quickly provide a personal quote for a press release about how excited I am to join the inaugural Sydney-flavoured SXSW event is exactly the sort of thing ChatGPT is for, but I’ve written this one myself because I still care about our species, dammit. Although I initially misspelt “inaugural” just then until I got corrected by a machine, so actually maybe we’re just rubbish. This tense love-hate relationship with technology is what Black Mirror is all about. That and stories about Prime Ministers and pigs. Anyway, I can’t wait to attend and get so cowed by all the creativity and innovation on display that I go home feeling depressed and inadequate. I’m genuinely looking forward to it.”
Colin Daniels, Managing Director, SXSW Sydney says: "SXSW Sydney seeks to offer unique perspectives of the future, making Charlie Brooker an ideal speaker for our event. Black Mirror consistently leads the cultural conversation on what we face in the now or may confront in our future, offering a chance for reflection and change. Charlie embodies what attendees can expect from SXSW Sydney; creativity and innovation."
As Sydney shines as a leading city for culture and creativity in the week-long festival of innovation and artistic expression, Charlie will appear alongside previously announced headline speakers including GRAMMY Award winner Chance The Rapper, Coachella festival CEO Paul Tollett, visionary Slack Co-Founder Cal Henderson, futurist and AI expert Amy Webb.
Over 700 world-leading speakers and industry leaders already announced including:
De-extinction entrepreneur Ben Lamm, Motion Picture Association CEO Charles Rivkin, advertising icon David Droga, Google Australia MD Mel Silva, Netflix ANZ Director of Content Que Minh Luu, broadcaster Osher Günsberg, World Surfing Champion Layne Beachley, tech entrepreneur Paul Bassat, Reddit CMO Roxy Young, artistic director Wesley Enoch, Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy and many more.
More than 300 panels and sessions to keep you at the forefront, covering topics including:
Brain-computer interfaces, the future of lab-grown meat, First Nations knowledge in design, ethical living with robots, AI fluency, Big Tech transparency, re-imagining news media, how recruitment will become more like online dating, venture capital in 2050, when music videos meet AI, the future of love and more.
SXSW Sydney Screen Festival includes:
Red carpet premieres at the ICC’s Darling Theatre and cinemas across the inner city; an XR showcase, conference sessions, activations, parties, meet-ups and ‘Minimart’, a SXSW Sydney-flavoured Screen market for investors, buyers, producers and creatives. Films include Opening Night Film (and AUS Premiere) of Aussie Outback thriller The Royal Hotel, Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (US), about Rolling Stones Muse Anita Pallenberg; Jamojaya (US), Indonesian rap star Brian Imanuel (Rich Brian) stars as an up-and-coming musician; The Last Year of Darkness (US/CN) Bass-heavy and neon-coloured portrait of alternative Chinese youth. Finally, the festival will feature the world premiere of the Wiggles documentary, Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles.
Over 300 artist performances, including ones from 100 artists now announced:
Your new favourite artist is playing SXSW Sydney 2023. Check out a line-up of the best new faces from around the world featuring TikTok stars Flyana Boss, Indonesian triple threat Isyana Sarasvati, Japanese punks Otoboke Beaver, rising Blak hip-hop powerhouse Miss Kannina and NZ’s genre-bending Will Swinton.
Accessing SXSW Sydney – Badges and Wristbands:
Badges are your master key for SXSW Sydney – they open the doors to all activity across the week-long event, from its Conference and Tech & Innovation Expo to its Music, Screen and Games Festivals. As he is a conference speaker, it is only possible to see Charlie Brooker with a badge.
Wristbands give access to SXSW Sydney’s Music, Screen or Games festivals, for performances, screenings and showcases.
Music Festival: 300 performances in 25 venues over 4 nights.
Screen Festival: unlimited screenings over one week.
Games Festival: 150 new indie games and parties over 6 nights.
Badges and Wristbands are now available at sxswsydney.com.
Brands participating include:
Super Sponsors CommBank and Qantas, Major Sponsors Young Henrys and Telstra, Education Partner UTS, Accommodation Partner Accor, Event Partners Accenture, Amex and Universal Music Australia, Defender, Dr. Martens, Handsome Tours, Laneway Festival, Prime Video, Seven, The Orchard, Vans and YEG, International House Canada House, SXSW Sydney Pitch presenter VentureCrowd and Conference Track Sponsors CSIRO and Main Sequence, WPP, Culture Amp, Kingfisher and Remote.
In collaboration with the NSW Government Via Destination NSW, TEG & SXSW®
About SXSW®
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2024 will take place March 8-16 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com.
About SXSW Sydney®
Futurist conference and festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney, will see the Asia-Pacific’s pre-eminent creative industries come together in the heart of Sydney Harbour. The event is a week-long program stacked with more than 1,000 ground-breaking events and networking sessions across pillars of Tech and Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture.
Informed by a multicultural landscape and an enduring preservation of past, present and future Indigenous cultural heritage, Sydney offers a rich and exciting arts and culture scene with beautiful galleries, acclaimed theatres and burgeoning performance spaces.
About Destination NSW
Destination NSW is the lead agency, champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW is responsible for leading the delivery of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 in partnership with government and industry. Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and expos for Sydney and regional NSW.
About TEG
TEG is a global leader in Live Entertainment, Ticketing and Technology. Every day TEG connects fans to experiences and customers with brands. We are proud partners of some of the world’s largest and most iconic venues as well as leading event promoters globally. TEG operates worldwide out of seven country offices and includes Ticketek, Ticketek Marketplace, Ticketek UK, Ticketek New Zealand, Ticketek Malaysia, Ticketek Philippines, Eventopia, Softix, TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Sport, TEG Van Egmond, Laneway Festival, Handsome Tours, SXSW Sydney, TEG Theatrical, MJR Presents, TEG Lifelike Touring, TEG TES Live, Brickman, TEG Rockefeller, Rugby Live, TEG Europe, Propaganda, TEG USA, Qudos Bank Arena, FAN+, VIP NOW and Ovation.