A+E Networks Asia Singapore

A+E Networks™ Asia is owned by the award-winning, global media content company, A+E Networks™, which is dedicated to offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from television networks to websites, to home videos/DVDs to gaming and educational software.  A+E Networks Asia is comprised of Lifetime®, HISTORY®, bio.®, H2™ and Crime & Investigation Network®. A+E Networks Asia operates and distributes its portfolio in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.  

Website URLs:

www.aenetworks.com

www.historyasia.com

www.lifetimeasia.com

www.biochannelasia.com

www.citvasia.com

Michele Schofield
Michele Schofield
Senior Vice President, Programming & Marketing  
Profession
Bio

Michele Schofield is Senior Vice President, Programming & Marketing for A+E Networks Asia, based in Singapore. 

 

Schofield oversees the content and brands – across program scheduling, acquisitions, original production commissions, on-air creative, as well as trade, affiliate and consumer marketing – for Lifetime®, HISTORY®, bio.®, H2™ and Crime & Investigation Network®, across a regional footprint of South East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

 

When considering original production commissions or co-production opportunities, A+E Networks Asia requires a level of Asian content and relevance.   Looking at series that feature real-life characters, as well as series in the food, travel and lifestyle space.  Short-running series or specials featuring real crime stories from Asia are also commissioned.

 

Prior to joining A+E Networks Asia in 2007, Schofield worked in Hong Kong for Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, where she headed the program scheduling, commissioning and acquisitions for the company’s Asia Pacific networks, including Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Pogo.  She joined the company in 2002 as Program Manager for Cartoon Network Australia/New Zealand, based in Sydney, before her move to Hong Kong in 2004.  Prior to joining Turner, Schofield held positions with Paramount Pictures, Discovery Networks, and various film and television productions in Los Angeles. 

 

Schofield is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television Production from Queensland University of Technology. 

ABC Television Australia

ABC Television delivers commercial-free, nationally available, free-to-air screen content via a multiplatform multi-channel network.  It is the destination of choice for viewers and users seeking quality and diversity in screen content; in particular engaging audiences in distinctly Australian content across a wide variety of genres.  ABC TV platforms include ABC1, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, ABC iview and the most comprehensive array of online content for download or streaming on abc.net.au/tv.  We seek to commission and acquire programming with a strong multiplatform presence.

Tarni James
Tarni James
Executive Producer, Entertainment 
Profession
Bio

Tarni James is Executive Producer of Entertainment for ABC Television, based in Melbourne. She has worked in the television industry for the past 30 years for all the Australian FTA networks, several cable channels, numerous independent production companies and the BBC as a journalist, producer, writer and director.  Tarni has created programming for arts, sport, current affairs, children’s, news, comedy, variety and documentary genres and has produced extensively in the field in Britain, USA, Africa, The Pacific, Europe and remote Australia.  Tarni currently oversees production of The New Spicks and Specks, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell; RAW Comedy; Comedy Up Late and Dirty Laundry Live.

Her documentary series credits include Family Footsteps, ABC; The Naked Lentil, SBS; Jail Birds ABC;  the environmental series Carbon Cops ABC; and Grand Designs Australia series 1 Foxtel Lifestyle Channel. 

Jo Chichester
Jo Chichester
Executive Producer, Arts  
Profession
Bio

Jo Chichester is an Executive Producer in ABC TV Arts working across a range of programs including At The Movies, The Book Club, Jennifer Byrne Presents,  Exhumed and Sunday Arts Up Late.  Her documentary slate includes Outback Choir, Brilliant Creatures: Germaine, Clive, Barry & Bob, The Sharp Edge: The Art of Martin Sharp, Polly Borland: Polymorphous, George Gittoes: War Paint &  Robyn Beeche: A Life Exposed. Jo was Series Producer of Kitchen Cabinet with Annabel Crabb and has worked on a range of TV shows in arts, comedy and entertainment including Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, Artscape, Art Nation, Memphis Trousers with HG & Roy and Mondo Thingo. Jo has also worked as a presenter/producer at triple j, 702 Sydney and Radio National, and was a film critic for Vogue Australia.

Mandy Chang
Mandy Chang
Comissioning Editor, Arts 
Profession
Bio

Mandy Chang is ABC TV's Arts Commissioning Editor. Since joining Mandy has Exec Produced several programs including The Art of Australia, Comic Book Heroes and The Dream of Perfection/Autopsy on a Dream plus the upcoming Hannah Gadsby’s Oz and Art & Soul II.

Mandy is an award-winning producer/director, has worked with a number of high profile presenters including art critic Robert Hughes and has a successful track record in developing projects from scratch and making visually arresting, intelligent films. Her feature doc The Mona Lisa Curse (Channel 4) won a Rose D’Or, Grierson and Emmy Award and The Camera that Changed the World (BBC) screened, at festivals worldwide. Before leaving the UK Mandy made a 3-part factual series for the BBC about brain surgeons and a documentary about British admen for Ridley Scott. Mandy is a regular judge for the Grierson, Emmy and London Film Festival Awards.

Phil Craig
Phil Craig
Head of Factual 
Profession
Bio

Phil Craig is an accomplished producer and writer. He progressed via British current affairs series 'World in Action' and 'Panorama' to produce a range of films and series including complex international co-productions. Mainstream hits like 'The Flight That Fought Back', 'Live Aid Remembered', 'Ocean of Fear', 'Geldof in Africa' and 'Catherine the Great'; primetime history such as 'Finest Hour', 'Churchill?s Darkest Decision' and 'Diana, Story of a Princess'; and the quirky nostalgia of 'Jackie Magazine' and 'Phantom of the Opera: Behind the Mask'. In Australia Phil has exec produced and co-written 'Skippy, Australia?s First Superstar', 'Great Escape: The Reckoning', 'Surviving Mumbai', 'Bomb Bali', 'The Secret History of Eurovision', 'Chateau Chunder' and the ABC?s upcoming 'Desert War'. Phil recently worked at Nutopia producing factual series including 'How We Invented the World', 'The 80s, the Decade That Made Us' and making specials including '911 State of Emergency', 'Adrift' and 'Targeting Bin Laden'.

Matt Scully
Matt Scully
Commissioning Editor, Science and Natural History 
Profession
Bio

Matt Scully was series producer of ABC Science flagship series Catalyst. He worked as producer/director with Film Australia in Canberra and Sydney, and as series producer for Channel Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens.

Through several leading production companies, he has produced a wide variety of reality, entertainment, ob doc and art programs including the BBC format 'Honey, We’re Killing the Kids', 'Joker Poker', 'Stuart McGill Uncorked', 'Lock ‘n’ Load' with R. Lee Ermey, and HG Nelson’s 'Bush Slam' which Matt conceived and developed for the ABC.

Andrea Ulbrick
Andrea Ulbrick
Commissioning Editor, Contemporary and Religion & Ethics 
Profession
Bio

Director Andrea Ulbrick is a science specialist who has been working in the media for twenty-four years. A series director, series producer and writer, she was series producer on the new William McInnes birdwatching series 'Hello Birdy' to be screened on the ABC. Previously, she worked on Australia’s highest-rating show 'Australia’s Got Talent'. In 2010, Andrea completed a two-part, long-running, award-winning observational science series investigating child development for the ABC: The Life Series.

Anita Brown
Anita Brown
Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment 
Profession
Bio

Anita was a newspaper journalist in the UK before moving into television where she spent 11 years making documentaries, Factual Entertainment and reality programmes for ITV, Channel  4, Sky and Channel 5. She has been in Australia for 7 years producing shows for the commercial networks before moving to the ABC as Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment 20 months ago. Programmes include Race to London, Wild Life at the Zoo on ABC1 as well as yet untx?d shows such as Croc College, Boomtown and Vet School and a new series for ABC2 entitled Head First.

Sophia Zachariou
Sophia Zachariou
Acting Head of Entertainment 
Profession
Bio

Sophia Zachariou is currently Acting Head of Entertainment with ABC.  She has developed, managed and launched a number of extremely successful ABC TV programs across all genres of Entertainment and Comedy from studio based panel shows, observational documentary series, sketch comedy and game shows.

Some of Sophia’s career  highlights include ratings smash hits such as  Gruen Nation/Planet, Kitchen Cabinet, Hamster Decides, The Check Out, The Chaser’s War on Everything, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, Agony Uncles/Aunts, Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife fighting, The Agony Of Life, Good Game, The Roast, Hungry Beast, At the Movies, The Book Club and  Next Stop Hollywood.

Dena Curtis
Dena Curtis
Commissioning Editor, Indigenous 
Profession
Bio

In 2010 Dena joined the ABC taking up the role of Series Producer for Message Stick. in 2011 she commence her current role as a Commissioning Editor for the Indigenous Department. In 2002 she completed the AFTRS Television Editing course. Dena returned to CAAMA Productions, where some of her editing credits include Rosalie?s Journey, Lore of Love and Cheeky Dog, a documentary in which she also directed. In 2008 Dena wrote/directed Hush, a which won the audience award for Best Foreign Short Film at the 2008 Films de Femmes, Créteil France. In 2009 Dena premiered Jacob, which short won the Gold Shorts at the Adelaide Short Film Festival and Best Narrative Short at the Harlem Film Festival. Attending AIDC on behalf of the Indigenous Department, she is seeking film makers with potiential projects for development and commission.

active TV Australia

activeTV is an internationally renowned independent production company based in Australia and Asia. The company produces programming across a broad range of genres including reality, factual, entertainment and children’s television. activeTV is known for taking on international formats and creating local versions boasting high production and entertainment values, which translates into top ratings for broadcasters.

The company has produced two seasons of ‘The Amazing Race Australia’ (Seven Network), which has won an International Emmy and awards at the inaugural Australian AACTAs and Asian Television Awards.  This success comes off the back of four seasons of the award winning ‘The Amazing Race Asia’ (AXN), three seasons for Reshet in Israel and versions for the Philippines and Ukraine. 

Since its inception, activeTV Asia has quickly cemented its reputation as the region’s most highly skilled producers of reality, entertainment and factual programming. Its slate includes ‘E! News Asia’ (Comcast), ‘Cash Cab Asia’ (AXN), original series ‘Can You Serve?’ and ‘Driving Change with Caltex’ (digital/StarWorld).

In Australia, activeTV boasts a highly respected children’s division, which has produced 91 episodes of the smash hit comedy-action series ‘Prank Patrol’, now exported to CBBC, ZDF and RAI. activeTV Australia also produce prestigious televised events, including ‘Woolworths Carols in the Domain’.

The company has gained an international reputation as a first class facilitator and producer of turnkey productions.  In Australia the team have facilitated for US and UK programs including Discovery’s ‘World’s Toughest Truckers’, Comcast’s ‘Chelsea Lately’, fashion series ‘How Do I Look?’ and ‘Finding Bigfoot’ (Animal Planet).

activeTV is currently launching an exciting slate of original factual, reality and kids programming thanks to its recently formed development division ‘activeTV Originals’.

Website:
activetv.tv
Jacinta Halsall
Jacinta Halsall
Sponsorship and Business Development Coordinator 
Bio

Jacinta completed a Bachelor of Commerce at The University of Melbourne majoring in Marketing and Management. During this time she undertook a traineeship at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in the Risk Services Department and an internship at DDB Advertising in Hong Kong. It was during her University studies she realised her passion for marketing, advertising and sales and began her media career at ACP Magazines (Bauer Media). Here, Jacinta worked in the Mediabrands agency team as a Sales Coordinator. Within her exciting new role at activeTV, Jacinta is responsible for generating and implementing sponsorships for productions and continually developing business strategies.

Kay Lawrence
Kay Lawrence
General Manager 
Bio

Kay is a highly accomplished General Manager and Executive Producer with an exceptional track record of delivering successful productions. Kay has a demonstrated ability to forge and sustain relationships with the Australian and international industry to optimise opportunities and secure finance for projects. Kay's track record of success in negotiating deals which deliver substantial benefits to all parties by understanding requirements and expectations and devising innovative structures and approaches is second to none.

Adelaide Film Festival Australia

The Adelaide Film Festival celebrates the moving image – the ideas and artists that animate the multiple screens in our lives. Every 2 years, over 11 days, you can immerse yourself in feature films, documentaries, shorts, animations and new media works – in cinemas, galleries and on the city streets. Take a risk – get out of your comfort zone – and travel the globe from your cinema seat.

Amanda Duthie
Amanda Duthie
Director/CEO Adelaide Film Festival  
Profession
Bio

Amanda is Director/CEO of Adelaide Film Festival and CEO of the Adelaide Festival of Ideas. 

We are currently looking for projects for 2015 AFF Investment Fund (AFFIF) - check site for details and happy to heaer of projects in pre or post. www.adealaidefilmfestival.org  

Al Jazeera English Malaysia

Launched in 2006, Al Jazeera English is a global 24-hour, English news and current affairs channel. Part of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network, the channel now transmits to more than 260 million households in over 125 countries. The channel's mandate is to deliver journalism that has depth and to provide context for the transformative changes taking place across the globe.

Fiona Lawson-Baker
Fiona Lawson-Baker
Senior Producer 
Profession
Bio

Fiona has more than 15 years experience in factual television across the UK, Australia and Asia. She started her broadcast career at BBC London in long-form current affairs, magazine science and interactive productions. As an AFTRS graduate, she worked for SBS television in production, commissioning and acquisitions. Since 2008, she has worked in Singapore and Malaysia, overseeing productions for Al Jazeera English (AJE), ZDF, Discovery, History and Crime & Investigation Channels. Fiona was integral to the first Malaysian Australian co-production in 2012, The Coral Triangle (3 x 1 hrs). Currently, Fiona is based in Malaysia with AJE sourcing documentaries from the Asia Pacific region for the flagship documentary strand, Witness. In 2013, Fiona oversaw a special Al Jazeera series from China, Wukan: After the Uprising with the festival version premiering at IDFA. She also oversees Viewfinder Asia, an extraordinary project bringing stories from indies in Asia to AJE's global audience.

AMC/Sundance Channel Global United States

About AMC/Sundance Channel Global

AMC/Sundance Channel Global delivers compelling and globally renowned entertainment to audiences worldwide in multiple languages through locally tailored programming services, cutting edge media and subscription television platforms. The international arm of AMC Networks Inc., the division’s flagship channels include Sundance Channel and WE tv and are broadcast in both high and standard definition. Sundance Channel was founded by Robert Redford and showcases acclaimed independent films, from the newest festival award winners to the genre’s most beloved movies. Central to Sundance Channel’s appeal is its broadcast of original series from leading talent both in the US and abroad, including celebrated series Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Hell on Wheels. Recently launched in Asia, WE tv is a leading entertainment brand in the US and caters to audiences who can’t get enough of celebrity driven reality and other widely appealing lifestyle programming.

Patrick Connolly
Patrick Connolly
Vice President, Programming, Scheduling & Creative Services 
Profession
Bio

Patrick Connolly, vice president of programming, scheduling & creative services for AMC / Sundance Channel Global is responsible for the global strategy of all programming schedules, as well as on-air creative for all Sundance Channel and WE tv International channels. He also executive produces all film festival coverage for Sundance Channel Global. Prior to Sundance Channel Global, Mr. Connolly was a programming consultant with Showtime in the US and, previously, Sundance Channel US. Mr. Connolly began his career in programming at Fox Broadcasting where he served as vice president of children’s programming. He also worked as a documentary programming consultant at Sundance Film Festival and as a programmer at Outfest, and the International Documentary Association. Connolly serves as a Board Member of BAFTA New York. He is also a member of Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Mr. Connolly has a degree in English literature from UCLA.

Antidote Films Australia

Antidote Films is one of Australia's leading independent distributors of high quality, thought provoking Australian and international documentary and feature films.

Antidote Films is only part of the story. Cinema Ventures, Australia's first (and still the only) non-profit film distributor, shows how your community action group can use many of the films found here for fundraisers and filmmaker Q&A screenings.

Discover beamafilm and the world to come. Most Antidote titles (and many more) are available on-demand, via beamafilm, streamed directly to your computer or digital TV.

Ruari Elkington
Ruari Elkington
Distribution Consultant/Researcher 
Bio

Ruari has worked with distributor Gil Scrine Films since 2009 including the company's evolution into Antidote Films. This work included acquisitions for the VoD platform beamafilm and the not-for-profit theatrical distributor, Cinema Ventures.  With a focus on documentary and the education market Ruari now consults in acquisition/distribution for Antidote Films and others while completing his PhD at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Creative Industries and Innovation at the Queensland University of Technology. 

Aquarius Films Australia

Aquarius Films’ credits include the feature Wish You Were Here, which stars Joel Edgerton and received five Film Critics’ Circle of Australia Awards in 2013, and the critically acclaimed shorts I Love Sarah Jane, Crossbow and Netherland Dwarf. It recently received funding through the Screen Australia Feature Enterprise program and is developing a wide variety of long form film and television projects across factual and drama.

Cecilia Ritchie
Cecilia Ritchie
Producer 
Bio

Cecilia joined Aquarius Films from Matchbox Pictures in late 2013. At Matchbox she series produced Next Stop Hollywood, a six part series for ABC1 following young Aussie actors to LA for pilot season, and associate produced the political doc Leaky Boat for Penny Chapman. She also coordinated business affairs on the high profile ABC1 dramas The Slap and The Straits. Prior to Matchbox Cecilia produced the critically acclaimed ABC1 single Searching 4 Sandeep, which premiered internationally at Hot Docs 2008 and has sold to broadcasters all over the world.

Polly Staniford
Polly Staniford
Producer/ Director 
Bio

Polly Staniford is an award-winning producer, writer and director and co-founder of film and TV production company Aquarius Films. Most recently she wrote an episode of the ABC3 children's drama 'Nowhere Boys' and directed the half hour documentary Brain as part of season 4 of ABC1's acclaimed Anatomy series. Brain profiles painter Jamie Daddo and his relationship with his identical twin brother, TV presenter Andrew Daddo. Prior to setting up Aquarius Films, Polly spent three years working as an in-house producer at Matchbox Pictures where she collaborated on a number of film and television projects with award-winning producers Tony Ayres and Michael McMahon, with whom she produced Miss South Sudan Australia and Season 2 of Anatomy She is currently developing a number of feature films, TV drama and factual projects.

Astro Satellite Television Malaysia

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad is a leading integrated consumer media entertainment group in Malaysia and Southeast Asia with operations in 4 key areas of business, namely Pay-TV, Radio, Publications and Digital Media.

 

With a customer base of over 3 million residential customers or approximately 50% penetration of Malaysian TV households, Astro offers 156 TV channels, including 68

Astro-created and branded channels and 22 HD channels, delivered via Direct-To-Home satellite TV, IPTV and OTT platforms. Astro provides HD, 3D, PVR, VOD and IPTV services through Astro B.yond and Astro On-The-Go.

 

Fulfilling its promise to bridge the digital divide for all of Malaysia, Astro introduced NJOI as an entry-level DTH satellite TV service and is the country’s first non-subscription based satellite TV, offering 17 TV and 20 radio channels.

Website:
astro.com.my
Shoba Devi
Shoba Devi
Snr AVP, Citra 

Australian Directors Guild Australia

The ADG works to promote excellence in screen direction, to encourage communication and collaboration between directors and others in the industry, and to provide professional support for its members.

The ADG membership includes directors of feature films, television, documentary, animation, commercials, shorts and digital media as well as assistant directors and like minded industry partners.

Website:
www.adg.org.au
Kingston Anderson
Kingston Anderson
Executive Director 
Profession
Bio

Kingston is a graduate of the University of NSW, National Institute of Dramatic Art and the Australian Film Television & Radio School. He has directed in theatre and produced numerous documentaries and a TV movie. He's worked in policy and production for many years including as Film Commissioner for NSW and the Manager of the Production Liaison Unit for the NSW Film & Television Office (now Screen NSW)