SPEAKERS (continued)

Janeen Faithfull , Head of Network Productions, Seven Network 
Janeen Faithfull has worked for Seven since her return from the US in 1996. In her role as Head of Network Production, Janeen is responsible for the commercial management of the production division of the Network, which includes the oversight of all in-house production and co-productions with the independent sector. She is also responsible for the sale of Seven's programs worldwide. Janeen has worked in the television industry for over 20 years both in Australia and in the US. 

 

Alan Finney – Managing Director & Vice President, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Australia 
Alan Finney has an extensive background in Film, Television and Marketing, first becoming involved with the Australian Film and Television industry during the early 1960's. In 1971, he joined Roadshow Film Distributors working in Advertising and Promotions and brought the movie 'Stork' to Roadshow's attention. This acquisition led to the formation of Hexagon Productions, the first ongoing joint venture between Production and Distribution entities in contemporary Australian history, with Alan serving as Executive Director of the company and associate producer on certain films. During the 1970's and 80's, Alan appeared on Television and Radio reviewing movies and regularly guesting on shows on all four television networks. Alan continually moved his way up through the Marketing departments at Roadshow Film Distributors and in 1991 was appointed Managing Director. Alan joined Buena Vista International (now Walt Disney Studios) in early 1998 as Vice President and Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand and was, in 2002, awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the Australian Film Industry - particularly in the areas of film distribution and promotion. He also served on the Board of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and The Australian Film Institute (AFI). 

Lisa Fitzpatrick – Head of Programme Development, Seven Network 
Lisa Fitzpatrick was recently appointed Channel Seven's Head of Program Development after a distinguished period as a Network Executive Producer. In her role as Head of Program Development, Lisa will source ideas from both Australia and around the world and oversee their production. In almost 25 years in television, Lisa has amassed a long list of achievements across all genres, including drama, children's programs, light entertainment, factual programs and live award ceremonies. 


 

Keren Flavell – Executive Producer, SLCN.TV 
Keren Flavell is an award-winning interactive digital media producer with 14 years experience in producing content online, with a focus on entertainment and music. She is globally recognised as an innovator in reaching audiences through multiple digital media platforms and now is pioneering the use of virtual worlds as a tool for the production and distribution of television content made collaboratively with in-world participants. Prior to co-founding SLCN.TV she won the prestigious Gold Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival - Best Entertainment Website for the ABC/Film Victoria Digital Media Fund Accord project Sounds Like Techno. She has been a guest speaker at events such as the Screen Producers Association Conference, AIMIA conference, Australian International Documentary Conference, Adelaide Festival FutureProof and lectured in new media production at AFTRS, Victoria College of the Arts, La Trobe University and Victoria University. Keren is a regular guest presenter on Byte Into It, a weekly technology talk show on Melbourne public radio station 3RRRFM.

 

John Fleming, General Manager, Digital Pictures
John Fleming has over thirty five years experience in the production, post production and television broadcasting industries covering a wide range of disciplines. Originally trained as a studio director and editor, John turned his attention to management with roles at The Video Paint Brush Company and Network 10 and since 1994 with Digital Pictures. With a firm grasp of the creative and technical aspects of the business together with complementary management skills, John continues to develop and position the Digital Pictures brand as a premium post production and digital media service by continual innovation and a fundamental focus on design and the delivery of high quality products and services. John has served on the Melbourne Film Office Advisory Board, Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) Council, the Screen Services Association of Victoria (SSAV) committee and AusFILM Board.

Suzanne French, VP of Children’s and Family, Shaftesbury, CA
Suzanne joined Shaftesbury in 2002 to start up a kid's division, and the result has been a steady stream of highly-rated and award-winning productions including 70 episodes of "Life with Derek", winner of the prestigious Shaw Rocket Prize for Best Children's Program in 2008. "Life with Derek" currently airs on Family Channel in Canada and Disney Channel in the US as well as on major channels in over 120 countries around the world. Under French, Shaftesbury also produced 26 episodes of "Dark Oracle" for YTV which won an International Emmy award for Best Children and Young People's program in 2005, and 26 episodes of the animated series "Mischief City" for YTV. French is currently working on post-production of 13 episodes of "Overruled!" for Family Channel and Disney Channel, US and is in production on the new series "Connor Undercover" for Family Channel. Prior to joining Shaftesbury, French launched AAC Kids, the production arm of Alliance Atlantis Communications which produced and distributed such series as "The Famous Jett Jackson" and "In a Heartbeat" for Disney Channel; "Henry's World" for Family Channel; "Ace Lightning and the Carnival of Doom" for the BBC and CBC; "I Was a Sixth Grade Alien" for YTV and Fox Family Channel amongst others. Prior to working at Alliance, French was head of Original Programming at YTV. She currently sits on the board of the Alliance for Children's Television, a group dedicated to the support of quality children's programming.|

Antony Funnell, Presenter, The Media Report, ABC National
Antony Funnell is a Walkley award-winning journalist and broadcaster. Since October 2006 he has been the presenter of The Media Report on ABC Radio National. Prior to that he produced documentaries and current affairs stories for a range of Radio National programs including Background Briefing, the Law Report and Radio National Breakfast. He started his career as a graduate cadet with ABC Radio News and over the past two decades has worked for many of the country’s leading news and current affairs programs, including AM, PM and the 7.30 Report. Antony has travelled and reported for the ABC from a diverse range of places – from the Russian border in Outer Mongolia to the isolated community of Ali Curung in the Northern Territory.
In November 2006 he won a Walkley Award for his Background Briefing documentary 'The Financial Abuse of the Elderly'. He was also a Walkley award finalist in 2003. In that same year he won the United Nations Media Peace Prize (Best Radio) for a half-hour program he produced on Aboriginal customary law. He also won the same UN award in 2007 for his coverage of issues relating to the crisis in Zimbabwe. During his career he’s also been awarded the New York Festival’s Silver World Medal, a NSW Bar Association Media Award for coverage of legal issues, a Queensland Media Award for best documentary/feature, and a Worldfest Flagstaff International Film Festival Award for TV production (USA).

Guy Gadney, General Manager, Digital Services, PBL Media 

Guy Gadney is General Manager of Digital Services for PBL Media. Prior to that, he was Director of Content Production for Telstra BigPond, overseeing the broadband and narrowband sites for AFL, V8 Supercars, GameArena, Music Downloads. He joined BigPond after leading and completing the delivery of the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and Games channels for the launch of FOXTEL Digital. Guy began working in new media in the late 80’s and has produced projects for laserdisc, CD-ROM, internet, multiplayer games and interactive TV. He was Head of Multimedia for Penguin Books UK in the mid-nineties before going on to produce large-scale websites for the band Oasis, the Guardian newspaper's Football and Cricket sites, and the FoxKids European internet rollouts. In 1999 he joined BBC Worldwide looking after all the interactive TV and broadband developments. While there he conceived and produced over 30 broadband and interactive projects for a variety

 

 

Peter Gawler, Head of Drama Development, Screentime 
Peter Gawler is a Melbourne-born graduate of the Swinburne Film & Television school. In a career spanning 30 years he has worked as a script and story editor on many series, mini-series and telemovies, and several feature films. Now living in the Blue Mountains, he has been writing freelance since 1992, contributing to a variety of dramas, including WATER RATS for which he wrote 19 episodes, winning TV Series AWGIE Awards in 1999 and 2001, and the HALIFAX F. P. telemovie franchise, winning another AWGIE Award for 'The Scorpion's Kiss' in 2002. He won further AWGIE Awards for the telemovies 'The Postcard Bandit' and 'Little Oberon'. Peter wrote 6 episodes of 'Underbelly', also script editing the series, and in between his commitments to that series and writing for 'Underbelly 2', now shooting, managed to squeeze out the script for a fourhour contemporary thriller for UKTV

Sandy George, Film Writer & Aust. Correspondent, Screen International 
Journalist Sandy George has been Australian and New Zealand correspondent for the London-based magazine Screen International and the online news feed www.screendaily.com for a very long time. She also contributes to a range of other industry publications and newsletters, helps producers with pitch documents and marketing materials, and provides curatorial services to Australianscreen.com.au. She is a former editor of Encore magazine, a former film writer for The Australian newspaper, and she hosted the pitching competition at the SPAA Conference for more than a decade.

Eric Garnet Producer GO-N Productions FRA
Eric Garnet graduated the Institute of Political Sciences of Paris (Masters in International Relations and International Business) in 1988.

He worked for several major international corporations in the media and audiovisual industry (Carat Group and Havas Group), and then joined Antefilms, a French production company (which recently became Moonscoop), as producer in charge coproductions and international sales.

His expertise covers all the fields of the animation industry: development, financing, production, sales and rights management.

In 2004, Eric set up GO-N Productions, together with Anne de Galard (formerly Head of development in the same company), and GDH K. K., a leading enterprise of Japanese animation, to develop and produce French and European animation for the international market.

“THE LARGE FAMILY” (26 x 11’), GO-N Productions first show, is a coproduction with Coolabi (UK) for BBC, TF1 and Disney Channel France. GO-N is currently in production of its two new shows: “LOU! ” (52 x 11’) with Glénat, for M6 and Disney Channel France and “COMMANDER CLARK” (52 x 11’) a coproduction with 9 Story (Canada) for France 5 and YTV.

Marcus Gillezeau, Producer, Firelight Productions
Marcus Gillezeau – Producer/Director Firelight Productions
Marcus began his career as an editor before moving in to producing and directing. He has delivered more than 30 hours of international broadcast documentaries and factual television. More recently he has moved in to TV drama. He is a specialist in new media production and digital technologies. He works with his wife and filmmaking partner Ellenor Cox. Recent credits include the all media drama 'Scorched' and the documentary 'Storm Surfers'.

Antony I Ginnane, SPAA President and IFM World Releasing
Tony has worked extensively in film and television production, distribution and financing for over 30 years and is one of only a few Australians to have successfully established a film business (IFM) out of LA

John Godfrey, Executive Producer, SBS

John worked for 10 years in the UK series/exec producing a range of factual programming across a range of genres for Channel 4 and BBC2. His career abroad included the ground breaking Channel 4 series Eurotrash and Passengers.
In Australia he produced everything from documentary popular culture series for broadcasters such as SBS and Discovery. Recently, he worked at Becker Entertainment as Head of Development and Executive 

Producer. John’s credits in Australia include ‘One Step Beyond’ - a science series for Discovery International, the ‘If Only’ series for SBS and four documentaries for Discovery International.

Andrés Vicente Gomez - Chairman of FIAPF, the International Federation of Film Producer Associations

Though it is very demanding and frequently clashes with my day job as a producer of feature films, I see my responsibility as FIAPF Chairman as my most important commitment. Film and TV production, as many of you will know, is both perilous and exhilarating. It also requires us to focus obsessively on the minutiae, because production, from development to delivery, is all about present detail.

By contrast, the work we do through FIAPF is all about laying the foundations of a healthy future for our industry. It is about addressing the global challenges in international law, technology and financing, to ensure that the interests of content producers remain a high priority on the institutional agenda everywhere.

I run an integrated production/sales/distribution company making films for the Spanish and international markets. In that position, I am witnessing the assumptions our business has been based on for over fifty years being turned on their heads: profound changes are re-designing our market; they are brought on by digital technology and the increasingly global nature of our industry in the areas of financing, production and distribution. In this new world, opportunities for reaching global audiences or significant communities of taste and interest will be multiplied. So too, regrettably, will piracy. It is already widespread in video and DVD. Tomorrow, the unchecked roll-out of broadband digital may undermine the entire economic fabric of content distribution and, by extension, make film and TV production an impossible challenge for all, from large conglomerates to small scale production companies. This threat is without precedent and requires a unity of vision and coordinated action between us all as producers of content, no matter how different our priorities may be in our national agendas.

To keep watch and respond effectively to this global challenge, producers need a global federation. FIAPF is the only producers’ organisation with a truly global reach.

More than ever before, national producers’ organisations must work together to ensure that FIAPF remains a powerful voice for all of us on all the issues affecting the performance and perspectives of the audiovisual industry.

Grahame Grassby, Director, Stella Projects 
In February 2006 Grahame Grassby established Stella Projects to develop, produce or manage licensed entertainment properties, either into Australia or to take Australian properties internationally, based on the experience he gained from 20 years working with ABC Enterprises, the commercial arm of Australia’s public broadcaster. The Australian properties managed internationally by Stella Projects are hit pre-school TV series The Fairies, Jeannette Rowe’s SmartyCat books, Justine Clarke’s music video DVD I Like to Sing and a variety stand up comedy TV series called Big Top. Stella Projects is also developing a surfing lifestyle brand, Bombora, for the Australian market based on a new surfing TV series being produced in 2008. Stella Projects is also consulting as a project manager for the TV series’ LazyTown and Numberjacks and in 2008 both these international TV shows will be launched into the Australian market. Stella Projects in association with TV production company Bombora Film and Music has also produced a remake of the original Banana Splits TV show for Warner Brothers Consumer Products in the United States and the 125 x 2 minute interstitial TV segments will be broadcast by Cartoon Network in the US and distributed internationally by Warner Brothers in 2008. In 2008 Stella Projects will continue to identify the best in family, lifestyle and children’s entertainment and either bring these properties to Australia or take the best of Australia to the rest of the world.

 

Pamela Hammond, General Manager, Theatrical Distribution, Digital Pictures
Pamela oversees a team of post production producers and operational staff responsible for implementing innovative strategies to streamline post production pathways. With over thirty years experience in post production Pamela is actively involved in sales and marketing and all major domestic and international projects. Pamela has extensive experience with film post production having started her career as an Assistant Film Editor as well as working in a film laboratory for over 13 years as Production Manager then as General Manager. Pamela is a member of the ACS, AFI, SPAA, WIFT, SSAV and The Australian Cinema Pioneers. She has been instrumental in producing technical workshops and tours for AFTRS, SPAA, AIDC, MRC, WIFT and ACS. Pamela's  memberships include RMIT, Deakin and Swinburne Media Studies Advisory Boards.  She has been part of the Film Victoria and AusFilm delegations to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, Seoul, Busan, London, Mumbai and LA. Some of the major projects Pamela has recently been involved with are The Bank Job, Salute, Mary and Max, Not Quite Hollywood, Balibo, Satisfaction, City Homicide and Underbelly.

Pamela has made it her mission to take the mystery out of post production and to make it an exciting and enjoyable part of film making. She has spent the last 18 years at Digital Pictures as part of a growing team of professional dedicated post production experts who are producing world class VFX and post production solutions

Gary Hayes, Director, LAMP and Head of Virtual Worlds, TPF
Gary is the Director of LAMP and the Head of Virtual Worlds at The Project Factory. He has led The Laboratory for Advanced Media Production at AFTRS since 2005 who have developed 61 Australian emerging media projects and run hundreds of workshops and seminars. As Head of Virtual Worlds at the Project Factory he has personally produced and built Second Life presences for Australian brands, including Telstra, Victorian Government, Deakin University, AFTRS, Physical TV and ABC TV.

Before coming to Australia Gary was Senior Producer at BBC Broadcast New Media for 8 years devising and producing many of the BBC’s  digital ‘firsts’ -  the first 24/7 Interactive TV service, the first live internet documentary and the first truly interactive programming for Broadband TV. He also created over 20 other enhanced TV shows, several future BBC cross-platform navigators and was part of BBC Imagineering developing early ‘inhabited TV’, Virtual World and TV Mixed Reality formats.

As BBC Senior Development Manager he chaired the Business Models for TV-Anytime (the international personal TV standard) and then moved to the US to develop on-demand TV with broadcasters such as NBC, Showtime and CBS. He recently co-authored a UK Department Trade and Industry Report on Personalised TV and Interactive Advertising and has been an International Interactive Emmy juror for the past three years.

Gary recently keynoted on cross-media and mixed reality entertainment at CeBit, AIMIA, KANZ (Korea), Cross-Media Storytelling (Belgium) and presented on education and brands in social worlds on radio, podcasts and many seminars. He produces dramatic and corporate machinima and runs workshops for cinematographers, designers, and script writers exploring the potential of shared, social online virtual worlds for collaborative production, creativity and education and runs a top 500 media and marketing blog on emerging entertainment forms and creativity at www.personalizemedia.com.

Cathy Henkel, Producer, Hatchling Productions 
Cathy Henkel works as a producer, writer and director of documentaries, online and interactive content. Her previous television credits include 'Walking Through a Minefield”, 'Losing Layla', (ATOM Award, 2001), 'The Man who Stole my Mother's Face', (Best Feature Documentary, Tribeca Film Festival, New York; IF Award, Best Documentary, 2004) and “I told you I was ill: The life and Legacy of Spike Milligan”, which screened in seven countries to 5 million people. Cathy’s latest film The 'Burning Season' won the audience choice award at the Brisbane International Film Festival and has been nominated for two ATOM awards and IF Award for Best Documentary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Hewison, General Manager, Theatrical Distribution,Madman Productions
James Hewison has been at Madman since early 2008 where he heads up the Theatrical division (recent releases include The Counterfeiters, Funny Games & of course Not Quite Hollywood). Previously Hewison was CEO of the Australian Film Institute and was Executive Director of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Variously, he also serves as an advisor to the Asian Film Market @ the Pusan Film Festival, is on the Advisory Board of Porchlight Films.

Mark Herbert, Joint Managing Director, Warp X
Mark Herbert is the joint MD of Warp X with Robin Gutch.  He received the Dunhill award at the London Film Festival in 2006 and was recently mentioned by the Observer as one of the Courvoisier future 500. Mark was also nominated by Variety magazine as one of "10 Producers to Watch".Mark has recently produced Warp X titles A Complete History of my Sexual Failures, Hush and Donkey Punch. In 2006 he produced This Is England directed by Shane Meadows, since its release in early 2007 it has gained many awards including the 'Best Film' at the British Independent Films Awards and the Special Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival.  Most recently it has received Best British Film at the Baftas 2008. Mark's first feature for Warp Films was Dead Man's Shoes, the Shane Meadow's film that opened to great reviews, which has been nominated for a record 8 British Independent Film Awards and won the Hitchcock D'or at the Dinard Festival. Before this, Mark won a BAFTA for 'My Wrongs', directed by Chris Morris as well as producing the critically acclaimed first series of 'Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights'.Mark is currently developing various films with Shane Meadows, Lynne Ramsay's next feature and will be announcing more projects in spring 2008.


 Lenora Hume, EVP of Production and Programming, HIT Entertainment, UK
Lenora Hume, award-winning international TV and film executive, began her career in her native Canada 30 years ago. Trained as a cinematographer before moving over to production, Hume has worked on several award winning film and television series in more than 18 countries and is the recipient of a Daytime Emmy, a Gemini Award and is the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Faculty of Arts Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Waterloo, recognizing her outstanding contribution to the film and television industry. Hume was appointed Executive Vice President, Production & Programming at HIT Entertainment in June 2006. In this role, she is responsible for refreshing the existing slate of HIT's preschool entertainment, including Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Barney™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™ and Angelina Ballerina, ™ and manages the global operations and productions in HIT's four studios across the UK and the US, as well. She is also responsible for building new brands through content development, acquisitions and international co-productions. Hume began her career in the animation industry 30 years ago with Nelvana Ltd., firstly as a cinematographer, before moving over to production. During her time at Nelvana she worked on numerous film and television projects, including the animated series Beetlejuice, Babar, and Strawberry Shortcake, as well as three Care Bears films. Prior to HIT, Hume spent 16 years with The Walt Disney Company, most recently as Senior Vice President Worldwide Production for DisneyToon Studios, a division of Walt Disney Pictures and Television. Hume's daily life was dedicated to overseeing all physical production activities based in Burbank, as well as DisneyToon Studios Australia, in Sydney, and numerous contracted facilities around the globe. Prior to this role, Hume was Senior Vice President Worldwide Production for Walt Disney Television Animation, managing an annual slate of more than 150 half hours of episodic television production and more than five movies per year. Hume is based in London and is an active member of Women in Animation (WIA), The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences. She is a Founder Committee member of a Canadian Studies Program at the University of California and in 2006 was a judge for Canada's annual JUNO Awards.

Michael Idato, Writer, The Sydney Morning Herald 
Michael Idato is a television critic and writer for The Sydney Morning Herald. He has worked previously at The Daily Telegraph, and at The Sunday Telegraph between 1995 and 1999 as a writer and columnist. Since 2003 he has been a juror for the International Emmy Awards and the ASTRA awards. He drinks Coca Cola and hates Pepsi.



 

Jane Jeffes Producer / writer / director
Jane worked in Fleet Street and UK commercial television before joining Unique Broadcasting, the UK's largest radio production company. As Head of Programmes, she was responsible for a wide range of programming on BBC and commercial radio. Moving to Sydney in May 2000, she worked on a range of Australian documentaries before setting up Firefly Productions. Her latest film, Not Forgotten, telling the stories of ordinary Australian soldiers in World War 1, was broadcast on Tuesday on SBS. Other films include award-winning Silma’s School (dubbed Erin Brockovich in a hijab) which received a standing ovation at the Sydney Film Festival and sold out at The London Barbican.