ABC appoints new Head of Arts

ABC TV has appointed Katrina Sedgwick, former CEO of the Adelaide Film Festival, as its new Head of Arts.

Sedgwick will take up the role formerly held by Amanda Duthie, who resigned in December to herself become CEO of the Adelaide Film Festival.

The position was formerly titled Head of Arts and Entertainment.

Kim Dalton, Director of ABC TV said “This new stand alone position reporting directly to me will provide stronger focus on our arts programming.

“As a result of changes to our arts production and line up last year we have increased the resources committed to prime-time arts programming to be commissioned from the independent production sector,” he said.

“At this time of change Katrina will bring a wealth of expertise from her extensive and impressive background across the arts as a practitioner, producer and festival director. She has a track record in creating, commissioning and curating arts programming and events as well as building significant partnerships with art organisations.”

Sedgwick said, “After nearly a decade with the Adelaide Film Festival I am ready to move on to a new challenge. The newly created role of Head of Arts offers me the exciting opportunity to extend the curatorial and management skills I have developed at the AFF and particularly its film and television investment program.”

During her nine and a half years at the Adelaide Film Festival Sedgwick has been responsible for supporting and investing in almost 50 projects including the feature films Samson & Delilah, Look Both Ways, Ten Canoes and Snowtown, the documentaries Forbidden Lies and Mrs Carey’s Concert and the short films Spike Up! and The Palace.

She also conceived and created the AFF’s The Hive Laboratory which will see three Arts films screening on ABC1 after their world premieres at the 2013 AFF.

She has also had roles with the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide Festival of Arts, Come Out Festival and Sydney Fringe Festival.

Sedwick will take up her position in Sydney on 11th April.