After nearly two years at Netflix ANZ, Penny Smallacombe will take up a new position as head of scripted at Blackfella Films.
A Maramanindji woman from the Northern Territory, Smallacombe served as manager of the streamer’s Grow Creative program, which was established to expand and up-skill local talent – both above and below-the-line – via investment in education and training. She was also the creative lead on the upcoming Netflix series Desert King.
Her previous experience includes working as a producer at Bunya Productions, prior to which she spent six years as Screen Australia’s head of First Nations, overseeing projects such as ABC series Mystery Road, Sweet Country, Total Control, Goldstone, Little J and Big Cuz, Grace Beside Me, We Don’t Need a Map, Maralinga Tjarutja, Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky and She Who Must Be Loved.
Before joining the agency, Smallacombe worked in the Indigenous Programs Unit at the ABC, producing for Message Sticks, Landline, and researching for Australian Story, and also worked as a senior programmer for NITV.
She said she was “so grateful” to be joining Blackfella Films, having long admired the “work, leadership and passion” of producer Darren Dale.
“Titles like Redfern Now, Mabo, Total Control, First Australians, First Wars, and numerous other scripted and factual shows have broken new ground in the Australian screen industry, and to have an opportunity to build on these successes at this time in my career is a great privilege,” she said.
“I can’t wait to see what we can do together.”
Smallacombe’s appointment comes less than 18 months after the departure of founder Rachel Perkins, who set up the Indigenous-led independent production venture in 1992 with then business partner Michael Riley, before establishing a creative partnership with Dale, whom she met in 2001.
Dale described Smallacombe as “an outstanding creative executive who brings an invaluable depth of experience in development and production across film and television”.
“As a First Nations woman Penny also brings a deep understanding of the storytelling Blackfella Films has been championing for over 25 years and I am so thrilled we will be working together across an exciting and growing slate of projects.”