The inaugural recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship is now at its helm, with Stan head of features and development executive Rachel Okine taking the reins following the departure of Sue Maslin.
Okine brings a wealth of experience within the film and television industry to the role, having previously served as vice president of international production and acquisitions at Studiocanal, vice president of international acquisitions at STX Entertainment, and managing director of Aquarius Films before joining Stan earlier this year.
Prior to this, she was a founding staff member of independent film distribution company, Hopscotch, initially working across publicity and marketing campaigns before expanding into development and production.
Okine said she “couldn’t be prouder” to take over from Maslin, who stepped down in May after serving on the management committee for more than 10 years.
“As a previous recipient, the Natalie Miller Fellowship has had an enormous impact on my career and my life,” she said.
Applications opened this month for the fellowship, which offers an annual grant of up to $20,000 to support women in the screen sector reach their full potential via attachments, internships, secondments, travel, and other means.
Previous recipients have included Wildbear head of production and development Harriet Pike, Beyond Productions post-production manager Rebecca Hammond, Bunya Productions head of distribution and sales Courtney Botfield, Gold Coast Film Festival program manager Sasha Close, ACMI Film Programs director Kristy Matheson, Entertainment One legal counsel Miriam Katsambis, and Greenfield Pictures producer Anna Kaplan.
Submissions for the NMF, which is supported by co-sponsors Village Roadshow and KOJO, are due September 12.
Find out more about the fellowship here.