Jury 2017
INTERNATIONAL JURY
JASON ANDERSON
Jason Anderson is a programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival’s Short Cuts programme. He has written about film and the arts for a wide variety of Canadian and international publications, and contributes regularly to Cinema Scope, Sight & Sound, Uncut, the Toronto Star and TIFF.net’s The Review.
He is a writer and script consultant for The VICE Guide to Film, authoring episodes on Gus Van Sant, Jane Campion and Spike Lee. He also teaches film criticism at the University of Toronto and is the Director of Programming for the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, the largest stand-alone festival of Canadian cinema.
Jason has sat on juries for TIFF, the Canadian Screen Awards, Hot Docs and the Busan International Short Film Festival.
He published his debut novel, Showbiz (ECW Press), in 2005 and has made five records with the Toronto band The Two Koreas.
BROOKE GOLDFINCH
Writer/Director Brooke Goldfinch was a scholarship student in New York University’s graduate film program at Tisch School of the Arts.
She was awarded a Screen Australia Talent Escalator Grant for her short film Red Rover, which has screened around the globe and earned her the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director at the 2015 Dendy Awards, the Canon Award for Best Direction at 2016 Flickerfest and Best Director at St Kilda Film Festival.
She was recently selected for the Lexus Short Film Fellowship and was a Director’s Attachment to Ridley Scott on his latest film Alien: Covenant. She is currently in preproduction on her debut feature Splitters.
RUTH BORGOBELLO
Writer/Director Ruth Borgobello graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2002.
Her award winning short films have screened at prestigious film festivals all over the world, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Flickerfest and Interfilm Berlin.
Passionate about forging links between Australia and Italy, Ruth created the very first official coproduction between the two countries in 2016 with her debut feature film The Space Between, starring Flavio Parenti and Maeve Dermody.
The film recently premiered in Italy at the Rome Film Festival and was one of the headline films of the Lavazza Italian Film Festival Australia-wide in September/October 2016.
Ruth currently works as a director at NB Content and Mondo Studio Films in Melbourne.
AUSTRALIAN JURY
CATRIONA MCKENZIE
A highly experienced television drama director, Satellite Boy was Catriona McKenzie’s first feature film which won two special jury mentions at the 2013 Berlinale – Generation Kplus Programme, and best feature film at the imagiNATIVE Media Arts Festival. Satellite Boy screened at Toronto International Film Festival 2012 as part of the Discovery Program.
McKenzie has directed outstanding television series including the Emmy nominated Dance Academy; Logie and AFI award-winner My Place (series 1 and 2) for ABC TV; as well as Satisfaction for Showtime. McKenzie was the setup director of award-winning series The Circuit, Redfern Now and The Gods of Wheat Street (ABC). She graduated with Honors from the prestigious Australian Film, Television and Radio School. She also studying screen writing at NYU, TISCH and interned at Ridley Scotts’ Production company. Dedicated to developing emerging filmmakers, McKenzie has mentored in various film education initiatives including the 2014 Sundance Native Lab and Outfest.
Additionally, she was honored to serve on the 2014 Berlinale KPlus jury and the 2015 International New Zealand Film Festival. Her latest film Girl Race was developed through Screen NSW’s writing program. UNITY, her Sci fi TV series has been funded by Screen Australia. McKenzie was recently selected by Ridley Scott for a Directors attachment with him on his film Alien: The Covenant.
MATILDA BROWN
Matilda is an actress, director and writer. Her latest project Let’s Talk About, which she wrote, directed and starred in, also stars her father Bryan Brown and Richard Davies.
She recently directed channel Ten Play’s web series The Caravan. Matilda directed and wrote Am I Okay, selected for Flickerfest 2013 and starred in the Flickerfest shorts The iMom, Ravi and Jane, Bee Sting and Cockatoo.
Her roles in television include her own short series Lessons From The Grave, as well as Rake, Offspring, Underbelly and My Place.
Her feature film role in The Death and Life of Otto Bloom had its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2016.
DANIEL KRIGE
Daniel Krige first tasted international success at the age of 23 when his episode of the Hugh Jackman vehicle Corelli garnered a BAFTA nod. He went on to write, direct and star in the award-winning short films, Our Feral Friends, Fuckwit and Happy Ever After and, more recently directed Providence Park featuring Rachael Taylor. His critically acclaimed first feature, West was released in 2007. HBO picked up his second feature, Inhuman Resources, which was released in 2012.
As an actor, Krige has appeared in Backyard Ashes, Catching Milat, Redfern Now, The Devil’s Playground, Home and Away, and Brothers in Arms to name a few. He has also starred in many award-winning short films, including Not Even A Mouse, Connection and The Pitch.
He appeared in an episode of Bryan Brown’s Twisted Tales, which he also wrote and directed.
Krige has recently written, directed, produced and starred in the multi-award winning short-form series The Agent and has numerous other projects in development.
EUROPEAN UNION JURY
VERONIKA JENET
Veronika Jenet is a highly regarded feature film editor. Her list of credits includes her collaboration with director Jane Campion on Sweetie, An Angel at My Table, The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady, and Holy Smoke. For The Piano Veronika received an OSCAR, BAFTA, and ACE nominations.
Veronika worked with director Phillip Noyce on The Rabbit Proof Fence. She has contributed to the careers of many emerging Australian directors including Elissa Down on the Black Balloon, Rachel Ward on Beautiful Kate, Claire McCarthy on The Waiting City and Justin Kurzel on Snowtown. Veronika edited the award-winning documentary Hephzibah for director Curtis Levy.
Since 2012 Veronika has edited the feature films Lore for Cate Shortland, Around the Block for Sarah Spillane, Strangerland for Kim Farrant, The Daughter for Simon Stone and Jasper Jones for Rachel Perkins. Veronika has been nominated for seven AFI/AACTA awards and has won four times. She has also been nominated for four IF awards and has won three times.
In 2007 she was awarded an Australian Screen Editors (ASE) award for the television mini-series Bastard Boys. Veronika Jenet is a member of the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an inaugural recipient of the Australian Screen Editors accreditation award.
TOM ZUBRYCKI
Tom Zubrycki is a documentary filmmaker whose career has spanned 40 years. Tom has directed 16 documentaries of his own, and produced another 20 with mainly early-career directors. He has also worked as Commissioning Editor at SBS-TV.
As director Tom is well known for his distinctive observational story-telling style and his ability to get close to his subjects. His most notable films include Kemira – Diary of a Strike (1984), Billal (1996), The Diplomat (2000), Molly & Mobarak (2003) and The Hungry Tide (2011) – a story about the Pacific nation of Kiribati and the impact of climate change.
In post-produciton is Hope Road, which follows a South Sudanese refugee back to his homeland and his efforts to build a school in his village. As producer, Tom’s latest films include Dogs of Democracy (2016), The Panther Within (2016), and The Sunnyboy (2013).
In 2010, Tom received the Stanley Hawes Award “in recognition of outstanding contribution to documentary filmmaking in Australia”. Tom teaches master-classes in documentary at the Australian Film, TV and Radio School.
WARWICK YOUNG
Warwick Young completed his Master of Screen Arts – Directing degree at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). In 2013 he wrote and directed the short film Stuffed, for which won the 2013 European Union Film Award and was nominated for a 2014 Australian Directors Guild Award.
Stuffed has also been selected for official competition in many international film festivals including Flickerfest and won numerous international prizes. In 2012 Warwick wrote and directed the short films Reconciliation and Refuge.
In 2007 Warwick wrote, directed and produced his first short film U-Turn, which won best comedy at the 2007 Flake International Film Festival. Warwick is the originating producer and script editor of the feature film Last Man which will be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Fred Schepisi.
Warwick is presently in development of a feature version of his award winning film Stuffed, and development of feature film version of the critically acclaimed stageplay Brilliant Monkey.
DOCUMENTARY JURY
MICHAELA PERSKE
Michaela Perske is an award winning journalist and producer who successfully made the transition from radio to television. She has a number of awards including a Gold Medal (NY Radio Awards), Bronze Medal (NY Radio Awards), Human Rights Medal and she has also been awarded Australia’s highest journalism award a Walkley for her work as a producer on Sunday Profile. Michaela made the transition to film and her first feature Footy Chicks had it’s world premier at the Sydney Festival in 2006 and was screened on SBS later in the year.
In 2007 Michaela produced the critically acclaimed (4 x 30 minute) Inspiring Teachers, an observational series on the unsung work of teachers, Making Babies a 2×1 hour series looking at the changing nature of families with more people choosing donors and surrogates and how this is impacting on family dynamics. In 2008 Michaela was the Executive Producer on Embedded, a 3 part series with SBS (Embedded with Sheik Hilaly, Embedded with Nationalists, Embedded with the Murri Mob) that placed young people in situations where they tackled the big issues head on. She founded Pursekey Productions in 2009 the same year she produced the critically acclaimed Boxing for Palm Island that was selected as the opening night film for the Message Sticks Festival at the Opera House and toured nationally as part of the program.
She was the Series Producer on Sex: An Unnatural History (SBS) for Matchbox Pictures in 2011 and followed this up with the critically acclaimed 88 (ABC) and recently completed Destination Arnold (ABC) that has screened at SFF, MIFF and will screen on ABC TV in 2017. Her work has screened at numerous festivals and has sold internationally. She is currently producing a diverse slate of documentary, drama and comedy.
SAM GRIFFIN
Sam Griffin has been an investment manager in the documentary unit at Screen Australia for four years, during which time she has been involved with the funding of award-winning feature documentaries, television series and emerging filmmaker initiatives.
Before moving back to Sydney in 2010, she worked in New York for 15 years as a director/producer for a New York production company where she was the supervising producer for a suite of lifestyle, fashion and art TV series.
While living in the U.S. she also produced and/or directed documentaries, shorts films, radio and theatre productions.
Sam started her career in the media as a writer at the Sydney Morning Herald.
AARON PETERSON
Aaron’s passion for filmmaking has informed a lifetime of experience in a variety of mediums. He began his production career over twenty years ago focusing on the craft of editing and design. This is where Aaron honed his skills, mentored by industry professionals and created hundreds of commercial campaigns, many of them award winners.
In 2004, Aaron started the highly respected PostBox Studios working predominantly in post-production. As the industry has evolved, Aaron followed suit and transitioned into directing.
His directing and editing credits span across documentaries, television series and films; most recently, his multi-award winning documentary, Zach’s Ceremony, which represents the culmination of Aaron’s many years of industry experience and enthusiasm for documentary filmmaking and storytelling.
GREENFLICKS JURY
COSTA GEORGIADIS
Costa Georgiadis is a landscape architect who has an all-consuming passion for plants and people – he knows how to bring out the best in both of them, and takes great pleasure in bringing them together. Costa believes in embracing and celebrating Mother Nature’s cycles and seasons and nurturing her balance, beauty and bounty organically. His holistic approach is all about gardening the soil and the soul.
Costa is an eco-visionary who is always focused on the big picture – the interplay of the micro and the macro. For Costa soil and water are central to absolutely everything and their availability and sustainability is of the utmost global importance. Costa is particularly fervent about the preciousness of water and the pertinence of its management. He can deconstruct any landscape – analysing climate, aspect, geography, water flow and soil structure to create holistic, sustainable, productive and pleasurable garden and landscape solutions. Food and Food Security are two areas where Costa connects his skills with landscape design to the very future of human settlements, our cities as we know them. He is a particularly comfortable and captivating public speaker who has a gift for making his important messages engaging and highly entertaining.
As host and co-creator of Costa’s Garden Odyssey for SBS television, he caught the attention of the nation, sharing his knowledge and passions with one and all. In 2015, Costa made his foray into children’s musical theatre in the Sydney Opera House presentation of Dirtgirl’s Get Grubby Ecomusical.
2016 sees him continue his journey as much-loved host of one of the ABC’s most iconic television programs, Gardening Australia. Costa brings to it his unique, inimitable and delightful approach to nurturing and gardening the plants and people of Australia. Costa gardens with his hands and his heart.
GREGORY MILLER
Gregory Miller has produced programs for television including Life Chances, screened on SBS, and at international festivals If It Doesn’t Kill You 5 part series produced in association with SBSTV and the Australian Film Commission. Los Perros and Worlds Apart short dramas- screened on SBS. King Of The Market for SBS filmed in India and screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Shark Tracker, screened on Network 9. Associate Producer Australian/French Co Production. France 5 & France 2. Satellite tagging a Tiger shark in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Besieged-The Ned Kelly Story Director and Co-producer (Network9, TG4 Ireland, History Channel UK) a feature documentary about Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. The Final Sacrifice Discovery Channel Asia, Australian Film Commission. A feature about the Gypsies of South India. Angels in New York 4 part Series SBS TV Co-producer Co Director-Two young rookie producers take on Broadway. New Beijing Reinventing a City Producer The world’s super star architects show us their most extravagant buildings as Beijing goes through a massive urban transformation. Cool School Antarctica Co-Director/Producer / Nickelodeon; NHK; Discovery Canada.
Gregory was executive producer on a climate change series The Tipping Points for VPRO and The Weather Channel USA. He producer and co-directed the two part series Breaker Morant The Retrial for The History Channel Australia, and his most recent film Cultivating Murder a feature documentary about global warming, land-clearing and cold blooded murder is releasing in early 2017.
KATE HARRIS
Kate brings to GECA an extensive background in leadership, capacity building and education aimed at finding sustainable solutions for the future. Kate previously spent six years with the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, including two years as CEO, and now as a non-executive director.
She is also the founder of consulting firm Future Ready and a graduate of the Asialink Leaders Program. Kate believes passionately in human potential and draws on her diverse experience in the performing arts, executive coaching, cultural change and organisational development, helping individuals, organisations and communities to create a better future.
She has held a variety of management, organisational and coaching roles, and has been an ambassador for 1 Million Women and on the Advisory Board for Pollinate Energy.
FLiCKERUP JURY
MORGAN GRIFFIN
Morgan Griffin made her on-screen debut as Charlie in the popular children’s Series The Sleepover Club, based on the international bestselling children’s books. Griffin was then cast in the lead role in Charlie and Boots alongside Australian veteran actor Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson.
Her international break came with roles in the films Accidents Happen opposite Geena Davis; Nim’s Island with Academy Award winner Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin; and in Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut film Unbroken.
In 2014 she completed filming Louder Than Words with David Duchovny and starred later as ‘Natalie’ in the 2015 Warner Brothers 3D disaster film San Andreas.
Most recently she starred as ‘Lucy’ in Tim Ferguson’s 2016 film Spin Out alongside Xavier Samuel and thriller Bad Blood releasing next year.
RENEE BRACK
Renée Brack is a versatile journalist and screen producer with 20+ years experience in film TV, print and digital. For most of the 21st century so far, she was a producer and host at subscription TV service, Movie Network Channels working on six cinema-based programs.
She worked on 350+ episodes of Movie Juice interviewing filmmakers ranging from fresh, new independent directors such as Steve McQueen who went on to win the Best Motion Picture Academy Award® in 2014 for 12 Years A Slave.
Other highlights included interviews with Morgan Freeman, Quentin Tarantino, Cate Blanchett, as well as John Seale ACS, and Dean Semler ACS.
Renée has written, produced and directed five short films and scripted two plays produced on stage in the world’s largest play festival, Short+Sweet.
She currently lectures in film studies and production at SAE Creative Media Institute and has a slate of screen productions in development. She is a frequent guest speaker, MC, social commentator and continues to be a fervent film buff.
HUNTER PAGE-LOCHARD
Hunter Page-Lochard is currently shooting the second series of ABC’s ground breaking Cleverman, which premiered at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival and also aired on SUNDANCE TV in the US.
He recently starred in the feature film Spear, directed by Stephen Page, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Hunter can currently be seen co-hosting Shadow Trackers on NITV.
Hunter made his feature film debut in Rachel Perkins’ award winning film, Bran Nue Dae with Geoffrey Rush and Deborah Mailman. He also appeared in Wayne Blair’s The Sapphires, which screened in Official Selection at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and starred opposite Christina Ricci and Jack Thompson in Sarah Spillane’s feature, Around The Block which screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. His other television credits include Wentworth, the ABC’s series Soul Mates, Nine Network’s Water Rats and SBS’ East West 101.
Hunter has appeared on stage in Elektra Orestes for Belvoir; Sugarland for ATYP; Stephen Page’s Blak, Kin (GOMA Tour), Boomerang and Praying Mantis Dreaming for the Bangarra Dance Theatre; Bloodland for the Sydney Theatre Company and Adelaide Festival; Black Diggers for the Queensland Theatre and Sydney Festival; and Brothers Wreck for Belvoir, which earned him the ‘Most Outstanding Newcomer’ at the 2015 Glugs Awards and saw him nominated for Best Male Actor in a Play at the 2015 Helpmann Awards. He also won “Best Newcomer” at the 2014 Sydney Theatre Awards for Brothers Wreck, Black Diggers and Sugarland. Hunter has also featured in several short films including Adrian Wills’ Arcadia and Wayne Blair’s Black Talk and The Djarn Djarns, which won the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival.