SXSW Sydney has announced Charlie Brooker, the creator of the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror, will join as a headline speaker at the futurist event taking place for the first time outside of Austin, Texas, in October.
Black Mirror reveals humanity’s worst traits, greatest innovations and the darkest side of our future and shocks audiences with every episode. The series provides commentary on the potential futures and how humanity can shape them.
Brooker joins a stacked program of over 1,000 ground-breaking events and sessions, drawing inspiration from visionary thinkers worldwide across Tech and Innovation, Screen, Music, Games and Culture as Sydney becomes the worldwide epicentre for the creative industries.
Brooker said: “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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Colin Daniels, managing director, SXSW Sydney, said: “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.”
Brooker 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.
Read more: Chance the Rapper heading Down Under to speak at SXSW Sydney