The Natalie Miller Fellowship (NMF) has unveiled the inaugural recipients of its Catalyst grants, designed to help women in the industry reach their potential.
Karina Libbey, Marisa Marsionis, Kim Munro, Felicity Wilkinson and Lee-Ann Woon will each receive $5,000 towards fulfilling their leadership ambitions in the industry.
Each comes from varying screen backgrounds with Libbey a screen culture specialist, whose previous roles include public engagement manager at the National Film and Sound Archive and Travelling Film Festival manager for Sydney Film Festival; Marsionis a Sydney-based sound editor whose work spans features, TV, short films, TVCs, and podcasts; Munro a documentary maker, organiser, researcher, and educator whose work has screened on ABC as well as at local and international galleries and festivals; Wilkinson a Tasmanian-based film and television producer that serves as head of production at Blue Rocket Productions; and Woon a strategic marketing professional who spent time at eOne Canada and Studiocanal UK, before her starting her current role as theatrical marketing and media manager at Madman Entertainment.
NMF president Sasha Close said the grants, which were open to female and female-identifying applicants with at least three years’ professional experience in the Australian screen industry, had drawn a “diverse and impressive” range of applicants.
“The inaugural Catalyst grants have been awarded to five women working in various sectors of the Australian screen industry, from exhibition and distribution to sound post-production and education, and at varying career stages,” she said.
“The Natalie Miller Fellowship is thrilled to be able to support the leadership development of these women via this new grant stream. The proposals each of the five recipients will undertake over the next 12 months are individual, inspiring, and uniquely tailored to developing their skill set, leadership aspirations, and goals. Congratulations.”
The Catalyst Grants are supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through Plus1 and NMF’s Catalyst Campaign donors.