David Tiley, known for his contributions as Screenhub editor and in the documentary sector, has died after a battle with illness.
According to Screenhub, Tiley passed away in hospital on April 22, having been in palliative care.
He began his long association with the screen industry as an educational script writer with the South Australian Film Corporation in 1973. This led to a career in educational programs, documentary, script editing, and screen funding, before his recruitment as the editor of ScreenHub in 2005.
Throughout his tenure as editor, and subsequent position as content lead, he wrote extensively on changing trends, policy issues, and market developments in a distinct style of sharp, fast, and playful investigative journalism.
In 2022, he became the first journalist recognised with the Australian International Documentary Conference’s Stanley Hawes Award for outstanding contribution to the documentary and factual sector.
IF publisher Mark Kuban was among those to pay tribute to Tiley, describing him as a “one-of-a-kind, a true champion of the Australian screen industry and a master storyteller in his own right”
“All of us at IF were saddened to hear of David Tiley’s passing,” he said.
“We’ll always remember his sharp wit, playful sense of rivalry, and the insightful conversations that invariably followed our spirited debates. Our deepest sympathies go out to his loved ones, friends, and colleagues.”