Press Release from Medianet
Thursday 12 May 2011: Screen Australia tonight awarded Wayne Blair with the 2011 Bob Maza Fellowship at the opening of the Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival at the Sydney Opera House.
The $10,000 fellowship is awarded annually and this year was open to furthering an established Indigenous actor or film practitioner’s career opportunities and professional development internationally.
Wayne Blair is a Butjala man from Queensland. He has been living in Sydney for the past 11 years and began his artistic career as an actor in 2000 when he acquired a supporting role in David Caesar’s feature film Mullet. From this role, his acting career began to prosper both in film and theatre. At the same time he also began his journey as an award-winning writer and director in film, television and theatre.
Last year Wayne starred in Ana Kokkinos’s feature film Blessed. He has performed with most of the major state theatre companies in Australia. His acting highlights include the title role of Othello for Bell Shakespeare in 2007, Tot Mom directed by Steven Soderbergh at the Sydney Theatre Company and most recently playing the infamous Lee in the Sydney Theatre Company’s True West directed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He has also written and directed numerous plays for theatre and has worked with such directors as Stephen Page, Wesley Enoch and Neil Armfield.
Wayne made his first significant steps as a film director in 2000 with his short Jubulj through the inaugural Metro Screen Uncle Lester Bostock Mentorship Scheme. His award-winning writer and director short film credits include The Djarn Djarns (2004) winner of the Crystal Bear Award in Kinderfilmfest at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival and Black Talk (2002) winner of the 2003 Dendy Award for Best Short at the Sydney Film Festival. In recent years he has written and directed numerous Australian television series including My Place (2010), Dead Gorgeous (2009), Lockie Leonard (2006, 2008 & 2009), The Circuit (2008) and Double Trouble (2006). Wayne is now about to enter production as director of his debut feature The Sapphires.
On receiving the award Wayne told Screen Australia, “I feel very honoured and privileged to be mentioned in the same sentence as Bob Maza, let alone receive this fellowship. He was a trailblazer for people like me to be able to have a voice in this industry in the year 2011. I intend to make the most of this opportunity.”
Erica Glynn, Head of Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department said, “Screen Australia pays tribute to Bob Maza’s passion and commitment to the film and entertainment industry. Wayne is an exceptional talent in the local industry and we wish him the best of luck in using the opportunity this fellowship offers to further his international career.”