Filmmaker Josh Sambono: From note-taking to writing on Firebite and NCIS: Sydney Video
Breaking ScreenShow Notes
We're joined by filmmaker Josh Sambono, a Jingili man who is known for his expertise in the action and horror genres, who talks about how his early training in sound recording influenced him as filmmaker, working as a director's attachment with Taika Waititi on Thor: Love and Thunder, and how the years of effort, note-taking, small steps and seeming dead-ends all came together when he pitched to write his first episode of television on AMC+ series Firebite.
Josh has worked in writers' rooms with companies including Bunya Productions, Blackfella Films and See-Saw Films. His First Nations horror short Suspect premiered at BIFAN 2020, and won Best Australian Short at Sydney's A Night of Horror. He made his TV writing debut on the 2021 AMC+ vampire hunter series Firebite and was one of the six writers selected for the NCIS: SYDNEY S1 Script Department Program - he has since been working on season 2.
More from Breaking Screen
Today's episode features Holly Lyons, who gives her insights into pitching, including what a pitch is, the different types of pitches, why they are important, how to prepare, what to do about nerves, why a strong pitch is a win-win situation regardless of if it's successful, and much more.
Today's episode features Elise McCredie, an award-winning showrunner and screenwriter, whose most recent series is The Airport Chaplain, starring Hugo Weaving, Shabana Azeez and Claudia Karvan. Co-created and executive produced by Elise and Jude Troy, it's produced by Wooden Horse and all 8 episodes are available to watch on SBS now.
Today's episode features Gemma Crofts, an award-winning screenwriter, a script editor and former development executive, with more than fifteen years' experience across film and television development.
Today's episode features Sarah Goodes, an Award-winning Australian theatre director who started Jacaranda Productions in 2025 with actor/ producer Diana Glenn after they met at AFTRS. Their goal? To create multi medium stories by finding stories that start in theatre and developing them into TV , film and online productions - and vice versa.
Today's episode features Benson Wu, the CEO of Queer Screen. Throughout the podcast, Benson talks about for submitting to film festivals, why they are important to both audiences and filmmakers and why he volunteered at Queer Screen at the beginning of his career. Benson also started the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia and has worked at Sydney Film Festival, SXSW Sydney, Taiwan International Queer Film Festival and Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival.