Leading ladies join Gender Matters taskforce

Leading female creatives from across the industry, including Deborah Mailman, Michelle Guthrie, Imogen Banks and Julie McGauran, have joined a taskforce for gender equality.

Producer Joanna Werner (Dance Academy, pictured) will chair the Gender Matters Taskforce, under the auspices of Screen Australia with a focus on more female writers and directors, and female-led projects.

“Achieving gender equality in the screen industry now has momentum all over the world, but it’s important we don’t become complacent despite some early wins here in Australia,” said Joanna Werner.

“The Gender Matters Taskforce must not only assist Screen Australia’s efforts, but go beyond. We know feature film as an art form needs attention. We know not enough female writers and directors are working. These are lost opportunities – culturally and commercially. The Taskforce will be looking for ways to assist female creatives and female-led stories, right from early-career through to exhibition.”

The Taskforce members are:

Joanna Werner – Founder of Werner Film Productions, three-time Emmy-nominee, AACTA and multi Logie award-winning television producer.

Imogen Banks – Award-winning producer at Endemol Shine Australia whose body of work includes Offspring, Puberty Blues, Gallipoli and forthcoming series Sisters.

Sarah Bishop – Actress, writer, director and producer, and one-third of the comedy trio Skit Box who have achieved over 100 million views worldwide with viral hits like Activewear.

Corrie Chen – AACTA-nominated, ADG award-winning writer and director. Currently in development on her feature Empty Empire (formerly Strangers) and a director on forthcoming ABC series Mustangs FC and Sisters for Network Ten.

Sasha Close – Exhibition and programming executive consultant to independent cinemas, Programming Manager for Wallis Cinemas, and recipient of 2016 Natalie Miller Fellowship award.

Lisa French – Dean of Media & Communication at RMIT University, widely published researcher on women in the screen sector and co-chair of the UNESCO global research network on media and gender.

Michelle Guthrie – Managing Director of the ABC, with an extensive background in broadcasting and media across Australia, Europe and Asia.

Sophie Hyde – Co-founder of Closer Productions, writer/director/producer of films including Sundance-winning feature 52 Tuesdays. Series F*cking Adelaide will soon premiere at AFF.

Emma Jensen – Screenwriter with over 17 years’ experience in the industry as a writer, development executive and script consultant. Her first feature screenplay Mary Shelley, starring Elle Fanning, will premiere as a Gala Presentation at TIFF.

Samantha Lang – Director of Handmaid Media – filmmaker and visual artist with over 20 years’ experience working in Australia, France and the US. Current President of the ADG.

Deborah Mailman – Multi-AACTA and Logie award-winning actor of TV, film and stage. Star of some of Australia’s biggest hits including The Secret Life of Us, The Sapphires, Redfern Now and Cleverman.

Sue Maslin – President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, award-winning producer of feature films including The Dressmaker and Japanese Story and Director of Film Art Media.

Julie McGauran – Head of Drama for the Seven Network, oversees the networks drama productions including Home and Away, 800 Words, The Secret Daughter and Blue Murder: Killer Cop.

Sharon Menzies – Managing Director of Fulcrum Media Finance with over 18 years’ experience in film and television financing in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Pearl Tan – Director of Pearly Productions, former Co-Chair of the Equity Diversity Committee, and most recently appointed Senior Lecturer, Directing at AFTRS.

Deanne Weir – Managing Director, Content Aggregation and Wholesale at Foxtel, with over 25 years’ experience in media and communications. Company Director at WeirAnderson.com.

Caitlin Yeo – Acclaimed four-times APRA-award winning screen composer including for The Rocket, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, and recently completed feature documentary After the Apology.

Screen Australia has revealed that 47% of its own production funding applications had female-led creative teams across a two-year average (2015/16 – 2016/17 inclusive). It aims for 50% by the end of 2018/19.

“Whilst we are getting close to gender parity across the titles that receive our production funding, the results are uneven with the Television and Online sectors continuing to do the heavy lifting,” noted Screen Australia COO Fiona Cameron.

“However, successful applications for female-led feature films have jumped considerably to 39% in 2016/17, from a low bar of 22% in 2015/16. Documentary is also slowly inching towards parity, with 42% of successful production funding applications going to projects from female-led teams across the last two financial years.”