Screen Australia has appointed a head of scripted, with former investment and development manager Christopher Sharp stepping into the newly-created role.
Reporting to head of content Grainne Brunsdon, Sharp will be responsible for managing the agency’s funding programs across feature film, general television drama, and children’s drama, as well as overseeing the content department’s team of investment and development managers for scripted.
Having previously worked as a development executive at the agency from 2010 to 2013, he rejoined Screen Australia in 2020, managing titles including New Gold Mountain, The Newsreader, Love Me, and Crazy Fun Park.
Sharp’s career has also included stints as head of development at Thumper Pictures and RevLover, as well as director of development at Screen Queensland, where he helped design and implement development workshops and talent incubators including the SQ Projector.
Outside of Australia, he has spent time London-based Material Entertainment, a co-venture between New Line Cinema and Entertainment Film Distributors, as well as the New York-based film sales company FilmNation.
The Australian Film Television and Radio School lecturer said he was looking forward to working with producers to finance their projects in a competitive market.
“The team at Screen Australia is particularly focused on being proactive to ensure the long-term sustainably of our sector, whilst also ensuring we fund projects and storytellers that reflect the rich diversity within our culture, and support the emergence of the next generation of storytellers coming through.”
Brunsdon, who commenced as the agency’s head of content this month, said Sharp’s previous experience made him well suited to the role.
“Christopher has an incredibly strong and varied background in development and production and is a natural fit to oversee our scripted funding programs,” she said.
In other changes to the Screen Australia scripted team, investment manager Cristina Pozzan will be returning to her career as a producer and will depart the agency in April, while Lucy Hill will be commencing parental leave, also in April. Recruitment for a new investment manager, scripted, will commence shortly.
Brunsdon said paid tribute to the pair while also praising investment and development manager Seph McKenna, who joined the agency in January.
“Cristina has been an invaluable team member at Screen Australia during her four years here and will be hugely missed,” she said.
“We wish her all the best as she heads back into producing, and we also give our best wishes to Lucy as she goes on parental leave for the next 12 months.
“It’s wonderful to have Seph McKenna now on board who many in the industry will know from his distinguished career as head of Australian production at Roadshow and CEO of Screenwest, and we look forward to a new investment manager joining the team soon.”