Franziska Wagenfeld, Ross Grayson Bell and Gabrielle Cole.
Screenwest CEO Seph McKenna has strengthened his development and production team by hiring Franziska Wagenfeld and Gabrielle Cole.
Wagenfeld, who has worked in the Australian film industry as a producer, screen executive and an educator for more than two decades, has been appointed factual executive.
Cole, who has been production coordinator on numerous film and TV projects, takes the role of production attraction and services coordinator.
The Berlin-born Wagenfeld, who studied documentary filmmaking in San Francisco, replaces Nathan Gibbs, who has returned to producing factual content. Cole’s re-activated position was performed for many years by Vikki Barr.
Wagenfeld has served as development and investment manager at Film Victoria, manager of AFTRS’s Victorian office and as executive producer at Open Channel Productions.
Her production credits span feature films, documentaries, short films and TV dramas including Pene Patrick’s Playing for Charlie and Ann Turner’s Irresistible, which starred Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill and Emily Blunt.
Cole most recently served as production coordinator on Matchbox Pictures and For Pete’s Sake Productions’ ABC drama serial The Heights and Goalpost Pictures’ Fighting Season.. Before that she worked on Stephen McCallum’s 1%, Simon Baker’s Breath and Ben Elton’s Three Summers.
They join Ross Grayson Bell, who started last month as Screenwest’s scripted executive.
“We are very fortunate to have Franziska’s incredible rigor and skill set honed at Film Victoria to draw from. In Gabby we bring in a dynamic young talent who has already garnered significant crew relationships from her on set production roles,” McKenna tells IF.