Internationally renowned editor Jill Bilcock and Sound Designer and CEO of Soundfirm Roger Savage have been named the recipients of the 2013 Victorian Screen Leader Awards for their outstanding contribution to the Victorian screen industry.
The Screen Leader Awards were established by Film Victoria in 2012 to recognise screen professionals who’ve shown leadership through their achievements and a commitment to further developing the industry and nurturing talent.
The Jill Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry was presented to award-winning editor Jill Bilcock, recognising her significant body of work.
Ms Bilcock’s skill and expertise are highly sought-after by filmmakers. She has received international recognition for her work on films such as such as ROMEO & JULIET, ELIZABETH, MOULIN ROUGE, ROAD TO PERDITION and RED DOG; and is held in high regard among industry heavyweights such as Baz Luhrmann, Shekhar Kapur, Sam Mendes and Fred Schepisi.
Known for her love of working with first-time directors and established filmmakers alike, Ms Bilcock has generously supported and mentored practitioners of all skill levels.
The John Howie Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry was presented to the founder and CEO of Soundfirm, Roger Savage.
Since establishing Soundfirm over 30 years ago Mr Savage has grown the company to become a respected international brand. A quiet achiever, he is universally regarded by his peers as one of the very best in the business; and his extraordinary talent as a supervisor and mixer stands out in the huge body of projects he has worked on, including MAD MAX, MOULIN ROUGE, PROOF, ROMEO & JULIET and STRICTLY BALLROOM.
Mr Savage has been a strong advocate for new and emerging talent – training a whole generation of sound designers and supporting the sound production of many shorts and first time features for little or no charge.
The industry gathered last night to honour the recipients of the Screen Leader Awards, named in honour of film and TV producer Jill Robb and creative arts advocate John Howie – two significant supporters of the Victorian screen industry and inspiring leaders in Film Victoria’s history.
Film Victoria CEO Jenni Tosi said Ms Bilcock and Mr Savage were worthy recipients of the awards. “Ms Bilcock and Mr Savage are highly respected among their peers as leaders and innovators, and have demonstrated commitment to developing the industry by sharing their knowledge and skills, in addition to their many achievements over the years.”
On receiving the Jill Robb Award, Ms Bilcock said: “I'm very pleased to receive this award, being a true Victorian – that is geographically, not in a moral sense. Born in Horsham, educated in Melbourne and one of the graduates of Australia's first film school I have spent most of my working life based in Melbourne.
“Jill Robb is a very dear friend and someone who early in my career was willing to take a chance by employing me. This together with a long and supportive working relationship with Film Victoria makes this award of great significance for me.
Mr Savage said it was an honour to receive this recognition, “particularly as a facility which now, more than ever before, relies on its people rather than its technology to survive.”
“I would like to acknowledge and thank all the individuals past and present who have worked at Soundfirm – including freelancers who, without security, continue to make themselves available. Without all these people I would not have been able to achieve what I have through Soundfirm.”
Ms Tosi said that while acknowledging leaders and mentors in the screen industry, the Screen Leader Awards also serve to bring the industry together.
“Coming together to celebrate achievement and contribution also gives early career practitioners an opportunity to engage with more established practitioners,” she said. “It’s our hope that the awards will encourage and inspire others to take on active roles that continue to strengthen and develop the Victorian screen industry.”