Screen NSW chief executive Tania Chambers has decided to end her five-year tenure at the State agency and return to her home town of Perth for family reasons.
NSW Trade and Investment director general, Mark Paterson, said Chambers had been a key leader driving the resurgence in local screen production.
“Tania has been a passionate and successful advocate for the screen industry in NSW, driving a substantial increase in production – particularly local film and television production – in NSW, the implementation of the critical 'film friendly' reforms and the return to NSW of key industry events, such as the AFI Awards,” he said in a statement.
“During her tenure at Screen NSW, a new strategic direction was set and new development and production guidelines shaped in consultation with the industry to encourage the best creative talent to work in NSW. She has established key partnerships across government and industry, both within Australia and internationally."
Chambers will leave Screen NSW in mid-December 2011 and the chief executive role will be advertised.
Before heading Screen NSW, she led WA State agency, ScreenWest, between March 2001 and January 2007. She also worked as a producer with WA-based RT Films Entertainment and Wildfire Films International, and held roles at Barron Entertainment, the Australian Film Finance Corporation and the ABC.
In a statement, she said: "Leading an organisation like Screen NSW has shown me what magic can be achieved when creativity and culture combine with business acumen”.
Screen NSW chairman Helen Wright said that NSW production expenditure climbed to $143 million (from 48 projects) in 2010-11 compared to $45 million (from 22 projects) in 2008-9 during Chamber's leadership.