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Miriam Katsambis awarded the Natalie Miller Fellowship

Miriam Katsambis.

Miriam Katsambis, legal counsel at Entertainment One Australia/New Zealand, has been awarded the Natalie Miller Fellowship for 2018.

Katsambis has spent more than 12 years in various legal, advocacy and policy development roles across state and federal government screen agencies, guilds and industry bodies.

“Miriam has a successful background working in distribution, the AWG and a strong interest in business,” Natalie Miller said today.

“She is clearly a leader with great potential in screen industry policy and direction. Miriam was chosen from a strong field of applicants but the judging panel felt that what set her apart was that her vision to become a leader in an area of growing importance to the Australian screen industry was clear and her proposal to do the Asia Link Program was timely and strategic.”

Established in 2011, the Fellowship is open to all women in the Australian screen industry and provides financial assistance to pursue professional development in their fields through attachments, internships, secondments, travel and other ways in order to reach their full leadership potential.

The only grant of its kind in the country, it offers up to $20,000 for a professional development program that will deliver significant benefits to the applicant and the wider Australian screen community. Earlier this year Village Roadshow came on board as a co-sponsor, providing $50,000 over five years to support the Fellowship.

Katsambis said: “It is an incredible privilege to be connected to the spectacular work and legacy of Natalie Miller in this way. Past recipients are outstanding in their fields and to be given an opportunity to join this community is especially humbling. I look forward to an enriching experience which will enhance my ability to lead cross-cultural teams and play a key role in the industry’s presence in the Asia region.”

The previous recipients were Rachel Okine (VP of acquisitions at STX international), Harriet Pike (WildBear Entertainment head of production and development), Rebecca Hammond (post production manager, Beyond Productions), Courtney Botfield (film distribution and marketing consultant/producer), Sasha Close (Wallis Cinemas film programming manager), and Kristy Matheson (Director, Film Programs at ACMI).

Complementing the current patrons Carol Schwartz and Claudia Karvan and ambassador Kerry Gardner, writer-director Jennifer Peedom and Ingrid Van Den Berghe, MD of Luna Palace Cinemas in Perth, have joined as ambassadors.