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departments

Production Investment

The Production Investment Department aims to invest in a range of audience-engaging and culturally relevant programs including feature films, television drama, children’s television drama and documentaries. In doing so we will leverage funding from other investors such as broadcasters and overseas organizations to increase the amount of overall screen production in Australia.

Head of Production Investment - Ross Matthews

   Ross Matthews

Ross Matthews spent eight years as the Senior Investment Manager and Investment Manager for the Film Finance Corporation (FFC). At the FFC he was responsible for financing a diverse slate of Australian feature films, adult drama, children’s television and documentary. He worked closely with producers on their funding applications and in negotiating investment structures and production planning. For the three decades prior to this, Ross was an award-winning producer of television drama and feature films. Ross's roles at Screen Australia have been as Senior Investment Manager, Acting Head of Production Support & Investment, and since January 2009, Head of Production Investment.

 

Investment Manager, Drama -
Sally Browning

   Sally Browning

Sally was an Investment Manager with the former FFC. Before this she was Head of Development & Investment at NSWFTO for five years. There, Sally designed and implemented the renowned Aurora script development program which resulted in the award-winning films The Black Balloon, Somersault, Little Fish, and the soon to be released Accidents Happen, Prime Mover and Animal Kingdom. Sally is also a multi award-winning producer of international documentaries.

 

Investment Manager, Drama - Mark Lazarus

   Mark Lazarus

Mark has produced several feature films, most recently The Loved Ones and Restraint. In 2001, Mark produced Paul Goldman's successful Australian Rules. Mark has been Project Manager at the former AFC, Executive Producer of Filmgraphics Entertainment, Head of Development and Acquisitions for Ocean Pictures, and Creative Affairs Executive at Fox Icon Productions.


  

Investment Manager, Drama -
Tim Phillips

   Tim Phillips

Tim was Legal and Business Affairs Manager at the Australian Children's Television Foundation where he had responsibility for advising on all aspects of the ACTF's production, funding, distribution and licensing activities. Tim has also worked as an intellectual property lawyer at Minter Ellison, advising media and online businesses, and as a strategist for media buying company emitch Ltd.

  

Investment Manager (Melbourne) - Mike Cowap

   Mike Cowap

Mike has been a Development Manager with Screen Australia and a Project Manager with the Australian Film Commission since 2005, with responsibilities across animation, digital media, feature film, television series and documentary. Prior to this, Mike worked with the animation studio Monkeystack, where he produced 2D/3D animation and VFX for television commercials and shorts, and mobile phone content, documentary, websites and games. As Manager of Industry Development at the South Australian Film Corporation, Mike was responsible for programs and initiatives designed to strengthen South Australia’s film, television and digital media industries. Prior to emigrating from the UK in early 2003, Mike was coordinator of the short film initiatives and related training at the UK Film Council. Mike took this position after working for a number of years in independent feature film and television production in the UK. 

  

Manager, Documentary -
Liz Stevens

   Tim Phillips

Liz Stevens is the manager of the Screen Australia Documentary Unit. Prior to the creation of Screen Australia Liz was a Business Affairs Manager at Film Australia. With a background as an independent producer Liz has worked with script development, film finance, production, marketing and distribution on both factual and drama projects.


  

Investment/Development Manager, Documentary - Mary-Ellen Mullane

   Mary-Ellen Mullane

Mary is an award-winning independent documentary producer with more than a decade’s experience in production. During this time she produced series and one-off programs for ABC, SBS and Film Australia, and she has worked for NSWFTO and Film Australia. Mary-Ellen’s work on My Own Flesh & Blood and Divorce Stories secured her two Logie nominations.

 

  

Investment/Development Manager, Documentary - Sam Griffin

   Sam Griffin

Sam Griffin has worked in film and television for the past 15 years. With a background in print journalism she moved from Sydney to the US in 1996 where she worked as a director/producer for a New York production company. For the past 5 years she was the supervising producer for a suite of U.S cable TV lifestyle series. Sam has also produced and directed documentaries and theatre productions, as well as documentary for public radio.

 

  

Investment/Development Manager, Documentary - Anne Delaney

   Anne Delaney

Anne Delaney is an award-winning documentary maker and journalist. She has produced and/or directed several films for broadcast, including All the Way, Australia and America in Vietnam, Dancing with the Prime Minister, Whatever! The Science of Teenagers, A Well-Founded Fear, Suburb 4 Sale, Artists at Work, PAN and more. Anne previously worked as a producer and presenter for ABC Radio National and a journalist for ABC Radio, ABC TV and SBS TV, including roles on The Health Report, Background Briefing, Insight, AM/PM, The 7.30 Report, 4 Corners and Media Watch. She has also worked as a government advisor and a consultant for the World Bank, UNICEF and UNAIDS.

  

 

Project Manager

Sue Collins

Investment Coordinator (Melb)

Stephanie Dow

Investment Coordinator, Feature Film

Paul Kennedy

Investment Development Coordinator, Documentary

Hannah Leach

Contracts Coordinator

Deb Jackson

Executive Assistant to Head of Production Investment

Liz Crosby

Documentary Assistant

Rohana Stratford