Australians in Film (AiF) has welcomed five new board members while announcing the formation of an advisory board to provide guidance across its industry programming.
Columbia Pictures creative development vice president Jiao Chen, filmmaker Samantha Lang, writer and actor Nakkiah Lui, Animal Logic Entertainment CEO and founder Zareh Nalbandian have been added to the board, chaired by producer Emma Cooper.
The lineup for the advisory board is similarly high profile, consisting of See-Saw Films’ joint MD Emile Sherman, Made Up Stories producer Bruna Papandrea, showrunner, writer, and producer Tony Ayres, manager and former AiF board member Bec Smith, New York-based producer, host and creative consultant Laura Brown, and Heath Ledger Scholarship recipient Charmaine Bingwa.
Speaking about the advisory board, Cooper told IF it was important for the organisation to foster relationships with the very best professionals in Hollywood.
“The support of industry professionals like Bruna, Emile, Laura, Charmaine, Bec, and Tony who have carved out incredibly successful careers in Hollywood help us continue to foster relationships with the industry,” she said.
“Having them all as part of our team, to provide support across our professional development programs is extremely beneficial to the next generation of Australian creatives.”
Already serving under Cooper on the AiF board are CAA head of global client strategy Toby Borg, executive producer Simonne Overend, Netflix ANZ grow creative manager Penny Smallacombe, partner at US law firm Pryor Cashman LLP, Karen Robson, and Terrace Tower Group CEO Richard Weinberg.
The AiF board is responsible for managing the non-profit member organisation, which runs a suite of professional development programs. They include the Global Producers Exchange, Talent Gateway, and Untapped which were launched in partnership with Screen Australia during the pandemic, as well as the bi-annual Heath Ledger Scholarship.
AiF recently moved its creative co-working space Charlie’s to The Lot Studios in West Hollywood.