The Hon Virginia Judge MP
Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts
Launch of Round 3 of mentorship program of Women in Film and Television
AFTRS, Moore Park
Wednesday 16 September, 6pm

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Good evening, everyone … and thank you Tania for your introduction.

Distinguished guests this evening …

• Dr. Jane Roscoe (President, WIFT NSW)
• Screen NSW board members, and
• Screen NSW Chief Executive Tania Chambers

Firstly - and most importantly - let me acknowledge the First Australians on whose land we meet …
… and whose culture we celebrate
… as one of the oldest continuing
cultures in human history.

I am delighted to be here tonight to launch round 3 of the Women in Film and Television Media Mentorship Program.

Many of us here this evening … have been fortunate enough to have had quality … committed mentors in our careers.

Those of us who have … can attest to the invaluable contribution that wise and experienced people can make
… in helping us to progress our ambitions
… to realise our dreams
… and perhaps most importantly

… to learn from mistakes
… hopefully before we make too many of them!

The opportunity to have direct … structured mentorship is
… I believe
… especially important for women
… and especially important in fields of endeavour

… in which men
… and their ways
… have traditionally dominated.

The harnessing of women’s leadership
… and the language used to describe it
… demands its own focus

… if we are to assist our most creative and inspiring women
… to achieve their potential
… for themselves
… and for society.

For this reason … I sincerely commend WIFT for creating this program
… and offer my heartfelt personal congratulations to WIFT
… on the success of the first two rounds of these Media Mentorships

. . . with over 150 applicants accepted into the program
… and more than 60 mentors in 13 different areas.

The NSW Government has identified the creative industries as a priority area to drive innovation and create jobs for NSW
… and we are committed to seeing women realise their full career potential
… in this highly-valued industry.

It is particularly encouraging
… to see women from regional NSW
… and from non-English speaking backgrounds
… benefiting from the experience and insights of these accomplished mentors
… as well as seeing placements in areas of the screen industry
… such as technical … camera and sound roles

… in which women have traditionally been under-represented.

For our part … the State Government is committed to providing tangible support
… to creative industries workers and their projects.

You may know that we recently announced and additional $5 million of funding to Screen NSW
… which will double the Production Investment Fund’s investments
… in NSW films … television … and digital media.

This is expected to attract some $70 million in additional production expenditure … and create up to 1300 new jobs in the industry.

Money is … of course … only part of the equation.

It is the talent … energy … passion … and commitment of its people
… that drives the success of our screen industries

… and it is these inspiring human qualities that we celebrate tonight.

To all the mentors … I say ‘thank you’ for playing your role in helping our film and television makers to find their voice …

… and to the Mentees

… let me congratulate you on your achievements
… and let you know that we look on at your developing careers
… with a great deal of pride
… and a great sense of hope
…  for our future together.

ENDS

MMW Event Report by Nicole Hansson

Media Law Talk

Demystifying Copyright in Film and Television

Talk by: Sonia Borella and Catherine Hoyle
Held on: Wednesday 21 January 2009
Held at: Holding Redlich

Copyright in Film and Television seems a rather long complicated tunnel to explore. What exactly is it? Who needs to know? Why do we need to know? To address these questions and more the Media Mentorship for Women (MMW) program offered as part of their workshop series: “Media Law: Demystifying copyright in Film and Television”.

MMW applicants, WIFT NSW members and non-members were invited to an evening hosted by Holding Redlich Partner Sonia Borella and lawyer Catherine Hoyle. They gave an excellent presentation in a relaxed manner that was very informative and clear. Areas covered included the basics of copyright in Film and Television, ranging from copyright definitions, ownership, exceptions, rights in a film, title searches, to a checklist covering when you need to obtain permission to use material in your film. With all the information covered in the handouts we were able to sit back and just absorb everything in.

Opportunities to ask both general and specific questions were given both throughout the presentation and informally afterward with drinks. This was an invaluable opportunity to not only discuss individual projects but also to network with a variety of people involved in many different media areas.

Whether you are a producer, director, writer or other creative contributor to a film or television project this information evening very much enforced just how important it is to have at least a basic knowledge of copyrighting in the Media Industry.

So, at the end of the evening those initial questions and more were certainly answered and that copyright tunnel maybe just a little less long and complicated.

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Holding Redlich

Holding Redlich has a unique personality which distinguishes them from other law firms. It is a personality based on a strong commitment to ethical behaviour, trust, respect for the individual, a strong sense of their obligation to society, excellence in everything they do, and a resolve to work as partners with their clients.

Founded over 30 years ago, they have developed and grown into a leading national Australian commercial law firm with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Consistent with their values, their partners and staff dedicate time and funds to strengthen our community through support for human rights, social justice and the arts.

They provide high level services in all aspects of media and entertainment, and have a reputation as Australia’s leading national media and entertainment law firm. Holding Redlich offers practical advice to clients to meet all their legal requirements, including contracts, intellectual property, co-productions, talent, finance, corporate structures and taxation (including the Location, PDV, and Producer Offsets).

Website: www.holdingredlich.com.au

WIFT NSW new Media Mentorship for Women (MMW), was officially launched on the Opening Night of the 15th WOW Film Festival at the Chauvel Cinema earlier this month.

Tania Chambers, Chief Executive of the NSW Film and Television Office (FTO), opened the WOW Film Festival and announced the launch of the Media Mentorship for Women Program.

Special guest Ian Robertson, Managing Partner, Holding Redlich and Deputy Chair, Screen Australia, also proud to be a Platinum sponsor of the program, thinks that the MMW is an important initiative for the Film and Television industry. “I think one of the terrific things from the point of view of women working in this industry is that we have so many female role models … It is to be hoped that this mentorship program will add many more names to the list of outstanding female talent in our industry,” said Robertson.

The program has attracted mentors from many different areas of the industry, from scriptwriting and cinematography to sound design and editing. MMW offers established industry professionals such as Piet De Vries, Robert Humphries, Jessica Douglas-Henry, Susan MacKinnon, Guy Gross, John Edwards, Laura Sivis to name a few. We also have overseas mentors such as US based Laurie Scheer, UK based Anna Reeves and Anjum Rajibali from India on board for Mentorship Round 1. (A complete list of Round 1 Mentees and Mentors is provided the end of this article.)

Ana Tiwary Mentorship Program Co-ordinator, Vice President WIFT NSW, thanked all the sponsors, volunteers and acknowledged all of the 30 mentors who have come on board for Mentorship Round 1. “About eight months ago, the mentorship program was just an idea and I am happy to see it come to life today. The most vital part of our program is our mentors, and we are extremely grateful to them for contributing their time and sharing their wisdom with the next generation of women filmmakers.”

Mentoring flourishes at MMW Launch Forum…

The first round of the MMW was marked with a stylish kick off at the Rex Center in Potts Point. Attended by Mentors, applicants and other industry professionals, the event included a talk on Work-Life Balance by special guest Alison Nancye, a Mentorship Forum and a Speed Networking session.

Founder of The Life Kitchen, Director of MiLK Magazine, a renowned mentor, writer, keynote speaker, and mother of two; Nancye’s Work-Life Balance’ speech resonated with those present and inspired many to spend more time on nurturing their mind, body and souls.

With a panel of five inspiring mentors, comprising of Sarah Joyce, Kathy Drayton, Karel Segers, Phillippa Harvey and Madeleine Hetherton, engrossing debate was sparked. Hot on the tongues, were strategies to bridge the gap between emerging and established filmmakers. The discussion enabled attendees to address the issues that concerned them the most, proving to be a productive and engaging environment for all.

Overall, the excitement and camaraderie of the start of the MMW was so strongly felt by all, that a significant number stayed on to continue discussions and interact with new found industry colleagues.

Whats next on the MMW menu…

The MMW Committee will be organising 3 free workshops for MMW applicants over the next six months in areas such as Media Law, Cinematography and Scriptwriting. Mentorship Round 2 applications will be accepted between 10th December 2008 and 1st of February 2009. Please check the website for updates: www.nsw.wift.org/mentor

Special Thank You! to our Sponsors and Supporters…

The media industry has been very supportive of the program and we are very grateful to all our partners - Metro Screen, Getting Creative, A big thank you to Greg Neal from Miller for encouraging us from the very start of the program. Megan McMurchy and Hibiscus films, we cannot thank you enough. We are extremely grateful and fortunate to have incredible support from our sponsors. The NSW FTO has guided and supported us along the way. A special thank you to Tania Chambers for her vision, inspiration and encouragement. Our Platinum Legal Sponsor Holding Redlich are not only providing their valuable services but also organizing a free Media Law workshop. We are very thankful to Ian Robertson, Sonia Borella and Cathy Hoyle for supporting the program in so many different ways. Phil Sandberg form Content+Technology Magazine is printing a series of articles about the mentorship program. Keren Moran and Noa Peer from Spring in Alaska, have created an outstanding website for us. City of Sydney has offered us free venue for some of our events. Miller Camera Support were the first sponsor to come on board and have helped the program right from the development stage. We look forward to the continued support of all our fantastic Sponsors for many years to come.

Emerging to Established - Bridging the Gap!

MMW ROUND 1 MATCHED LIST

Media Mentorship for Women is proudly sponsored by:

Visit the Media Mentorship for Women website at www.nsw.wift.org/mentor

Title: MMW Launch
Location: Greenknowe Room, Rex Centre, 58A Macleay Street, Kings Cross, NSW 2010
Description: Please RSVP by 30th September for WOW Opening Night and

by 3rd October for Mentorship Launch Event.

Ana Tiwary: wift.mentorship@gmail.com / 0430194349
Start Time: 13:00
Date: 2008-10-05
End Time: 15:00:00

Title: WOW Film Festival
Location: Chauvel Cinema, Paddington Town Hall, Cnr Oxford St & Oatley Rd, Paddington
Description: WOW Opening Night Drinks & launch of the Media Mentorship for Women program presented by Women in Film & Television NSW. Special guests: Tania Chambers (NSW FTO), Ian Robertson (Screen Australia) and star actress Kerry Armstrong.

Meet the Filmmaker Q & A with film\’s director, Aloura Charles & star, Kerry Armstrong, follows the screening.

For details go to the website : www.nsw.wift.org/wow
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2008-10-01