The question of what Martha Coleman would do after she steps down at the end of the year as Screen Australia's Head of Development has been answered.
Coleman will produce film and TV content for Goalpost Pictures, which made The Sapphires, Closed for Winter, Clubland and the upcoming Felony, starting in January.
Thus Coleman returns to her roots in production. Before she joined Screen Australia in 2009 she spent seven years in the UK as Head of Development at Icon Entertainment International, Head of Creative Affairs at Material Entertainment and as a consultant producer.
At Material Entertainment she was executive producer on the UK box-office hit Run Fat Boy, Run, which starred Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria.
In 1998 she produced director John Curran’s debut feature Praise, which starred Sacha Horler, Peter Fenton, Joel Edgerton and Marta Dusseldorp.
In May she revealed she had told Screen Australia CEO Ruth Harley she would not seek to renew her contract when it expires in December, telling IF, “It will have been five years by then, which is long enough for one person.”
Goalpost Pictures partners are Rosemary Blight, Ben Grant, Kylie du Fresne and Cass O’Connor. Blight said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Martha will bring to Goalpost her tremendous experience and knowledge in development both in Australia and internationally, as well as her experience as a producer of distinction.“
Coleman said: “I am excited to be moving back into production and there is no one I’d rather be doing that with than my friends and colleagues at Goalpost Pictures. I have the utmost respect for Rosemary, Ben, Kylie and Cass and I look forward to joining them in January to make some great film and TV.”
Directed by Matthew Saville, crime thriller Felony stars Joel Edgerton, Tom Wilkinson, Jai Courtney and Melissa George. It will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month; Roadshow will release in Australia.
Goalpost’s Rachel Ward-directed telemovie An Accidental Soldier, which stars Bryan Brown as an Australian soldier in France during WW1, screens on ABC 1 on September 15.
Screen Australia intends to appoint a new Head of Production which will combine the posts held by Coleman and the departing Head of Production Investment Ross Matthews.