AFTRS

 

Keeping up to date with our Indigenous Graduates

Previous AFTRS Indigenous scholars and graduates include:

• Producing, Rachel Perkins, Priscilla Collins and Sam Conway
• Directing, Erica Glynn, Ivan Sen, Adrian Wills, Darlene Johnson, Catriona McKenzie and Steven McGregor
• Cinematography, Warwick Thronton, Murray Lui, Allan Collins and Jason Ramp
• Editing, Anne Pratten, Kimberley West and Dena Curtis
• Screenwriting, Marcus Waters and Romaine Moreton
• TV Producing, Louise Glover
• Documentary, Beck Cole, Penny Smallacombe and Kelrick Martin
• Screen Composition, Jeff Dunn
• Location Sound, Sethy Willie
  
  

What are our Indigenous Graduates up to?

 

• Graduate Rachel Perkins Directs Australia's 2^nd biggest Australian Film at the box office in the last 12 months, Bran Nue Dae. The film screens at Sundance 2010 to a standing ovation and is well received at Berlin.
• Warwick Thornton in 2009 swept the awards, IF's, AFI's and Cannes, with his Internationally and Nationally acclaimed first Feature Film Samson and Deliah. He has just completed a 6 part doco series on Indigenous Art, Art & Soul, to be released on TV in 2010. And shooting a Feature by Graduate Beck Cole  in mid 2010.
• Beck Cole is Directing her First Feature in May(produced by Kath Shelper)
• Editing Graduate Dena Curtis's Short Film Jacob was nominated at the IF Awards in 2009 for Best Short Film. She is currently editing Momentum, a current affairs show for NITV.
• Graduate Murray Lui was "b" camera on two features last year Prime Mover and Lou. At the 2009 NSW ASC Awards he won a Gold Award for Jacob and a Bronze for Daniel's 21^st
• Directing Graduate Adrian Wills is currently working on a 2 part documentary on Palm Island Boxers. Last year he completed two shorts, Bourke Boy and Daniel's 21^st
• Gillian Moody works for Indigenous Department at ScreenAustralia, but in her time off Produced Daniel's 21^st
• Directing Graduate Erica Glynn works as a Project Officer for the Indigenous Department at ScreenAustralia.
• Catriona McKenzie, Directed one of the episodes for the Series My Place (Produced by Penny Chapman) for ABC3
• Penny Smallacombe Produced Yarning Up 2- 5 short Films from the Top End  NT
• Alan Collins shot a feature Mad Bastards, to be released in mid 2010.
• Directing Graduate Ivan Sen, completed his second Feature Film Dreamland in 2009. It premiered at the BIFF's 2009.
• Mark Olive has run a successful cooking TV show, Outback Café. 2010 sees him do his third Series.
• Rima Tamou Directed a short film First Contact in 2009, which went to Berlin. He currently works for Messagestick ABC.
• Pauline Clague produced First Contact and is the Part Time Indigenous Training Officer at AFTRS.
• Graduate Grant Saunders is working at ABC's Messagestick program.
• Steven McGregor in 2009 Directed a doco series In a League of Their Own.
• Justin Rule, is a cameraman for TV, is currently working on My Kitchen Rules on Channel 7
• Documentary Graduate Kelrick Martin works as a commissioning editor at NITV
• Leroy Parsons turned to acting and is in the current series of The Circuit on SBS
• Dr Romaine Moreton finished her PhD in philosophy last year and Wrote/Directed a short film The Farm.
• Screen Business Graduate, John Harvey produced The Farm
• Wayne Blair directs theatre play Sapphires for its Perth season. He Co-writes short Film Ralph with Deb Mailman which takes the best short at the IF Awards.
  
  Updated February 2010

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• Graduate Warwick Thornton (IF AWARDS) won the Holding Redlich IF Award for Best Short Film at the 2007 IF Awards for Nana (produced by Kath Shelper) Darlene Johnson's Crocodile Dreaming was also nominated in this category.
• Steve McGregor (My Brother Vinnie) and Lee Willis(Flour Sugar Tea were both nominated in the SBS IF Award for Best Short Documentary.
• Graduate Dominic Y Kanak is Deputy Mayor of Waverley Council in Sydney. He continues to make programs and is currently working on a proposal for a promotional video for the Beijing Olympics.
• 2004 Macquarie Bank Indigenous Scholar, Marcus Waters, is currently working on his PhD at Griffith University. Marcus is convenor for Writing for Performance at Griffith University's Gold Coast Campus. His play Green Light, which was developed by Pacific Film and Television Commission, has just been sold to Kooemba Jdarra in a joint production with Yirra Yaakin.

Updated December 17, 2007

 

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• AFTRS graduate Wayne Blair was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Film and TV at the 11^th Deadly Awards (honouring Indigenous Australia's best in fields of music, sport, entertainment and community service). Wayne also recently received the greenlight to develop his feature film Godfrey as part of the AFC's new initiative Long Black.

 

Updated October 2, 2007

 

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2007 Deadly nominees cover the fields of music, sport, entertainment and community achievement. Winners will be announced at the Deadlys 2007 awards ceremony at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Thursday 27 September.

• In each category there are four nominees. This year under:   Outstanding achievement in Film, TV or Theatre three of the four nominees are AFTRS graduates- Darlene Johnson (as writer director of Crocodile Dreaming); Catriona McKenzie (as Director of the Circuit) and Ivan Sen (as Director of A Sister's Love)
• Under the category Male Actor of the Year the (current) 2006 Myer Fellow, Wayne Blair, has been nominated.

Updated September 13, 2007

 

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• B.L.A.C.K Screen Tour: The Black Screen program provides Indigenous communities and the broader Australian public with access to Indigenous films. Black Screen has seven DVD compilations of contemporary Indigenous Films which are loaned to individuals and organisations for community screening events. Ongoing and at various locations around Australia. Includes graduating films from Indigenous students….Road Home, Your Brother My Tidda, Warm Strangers, Too Little Justice, Redreaming the Dark, Glass, Grace, Third Note, Weeping Willows and Arcadia.
• ACMI is presenting the following AFTRS program: Celebrating Indigenous Talent: 8-15 July on the large video Wall in Federation Square, Melbourne. Graduating Films include Third Note, B.L.A.C.K., Goblin Market, Bad Habits, Weeping Willow, Redreaming The Dark, Arcadia, Fuse and Warm Strangers.
• Australian Writers' Guild awards will be presented at Doltone House, Sydney on 31^st August. Indigenous graduates have been nominated for two television drama series: Double Trouble- graduate Priscilla Collins was one of the Executive Producers and the Creator of the Series. The Circuit - by Kelly Le Fever and Mitch Torres with graduate Beck Cole, Jane Harrison, Kootji Raymond and Dot West.
• 2007 St Kilda Film Festival winners include: B.L.A.C.K. - graduate Grant Saunders Best achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking. My Brother Vinnie-graduate Steven McGregor wins Best Documentary.

Updated June 21, 2007

 

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• 1999 Producing Graduate Sam Conway starred in Sam Watson's play The Mack (Kooemba Jdarra) in March. Kooemba Jdarra produced 2006 Myer Fellow Wayne Blair's Njunjul The Sun last year.
• 2007 Message Sticks Film Festival (Sydney May 4-6) curated by 1996 graduate Rachel Perkins and Darren Dale included new films by 1995 graduate Warwick Thornton, Nana; 2006 graduate Darlene Johnson, Crocodile Dreaming; 2001 graduate Ivan Sen's A Sister's Love; 2005 Graduate Adrian Wills, Jackie Jackie and When the Natives get Restless; 1994 Graduate Lee Willis, Flour, Sugar, Tea; 2006 Graduate Dena Curtis Hush: Bit of Black Business -13 short films of the 13, 10 were shot by graduate Murray Lui, 1 shot by Graduate Allan Collins.
• CAAMA produced TV drama series Double Trouble- Created and co-Executive produced by graduate Priscilla Collins. Directed by Myer Fellow Wayne Blair, who also directed a few episodes of Lockie Leonard.
• TV producing graduate Lou Glover produced Cos I'm Free: Cathy Freeman for ABC TV.
• Documentary graduate Kelrick Martin wrote and directed Island Fettlers was produced by graduate Pauline Clague through her company Core Films.
• Directing Graduate Steven McGregor directed My Brother Vinnie

• Cinematography graduate Allan Collins directed Sunset to Sunrise; Directing and Writing Graduate Catriona McKenzie directed Waverley's Dream; Cinematography graduate directed Wirrangul Women; Always Have, Always Will for CAAMA Productions.

Updated May 7, 2007

 

 

Image: Warwick Thornton on the set of Samson & Delilah with Marissa Gibson and Rowan McNamara. Photo by Mark Rogers.