AFTRS

AFTRS is governed by a council which comprises

• Three members appointed by the Governor-General
• Three members elected by Convocation
• One AFTRS member of staff elected by staff
• One AFTRS student elected by students
• The Chief Executive Officer.

The principle functions of the Council are to

• Develop and review policy relating to training programs and other AFTRS activities
• Monitor the effectiveness of AFTRS' overall performance
• Monitor financial matters including annual budget estimates
• Oversee matters concerning the internal structure of AFTRS and senior staff appointments
• Provide and maintain strong communication links with the film and broadcasting industries
• Review AFTRS' strategic objectives
• Ensure that systems are in place to monitor and control:  i. compliance with the law and ethical standards  ii. financial performance         
  iii. accountability to the Federal government.

Council Members

MICHAEL SMELLIE
Chair of Council

 

Michael Smellie has more than 25 years experience in the music industry and has held finance and management positions with a range of international music businesses including Sony BMG and Polygram (now part of Universal) in Australia, Brazil and the United Kingdom. He was appointed Managing Director for BMG in Australasia in 1993 and then Head of the Asia/Pacific Region for the organisation. In 2001 Mr Smellie was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for BMG worldwide and in 2004 for Sony BMG. From 2006 to 2008 Mr Smellie was President of Media Development, Asia Pacific for German media group Bertelsmann.

POSIE GRAEME-EVANS

 

A television producer, writer and director for over 25 years, Posie Graeme-Evans has created hundreds of hours of award-winning drama and entertainment - including Sons and Daughters, Rafferty's Rules, Logie Award winning McLeod's Daughters and the internationally popular children's series Hi-5 which she co-created. Posie also composes music and writes novels. As Director of Drama at Nine, she was responsible for commissioning one of Australia's highest rating telemovies of all time, The Alice

DR CHRIS SARRA

 

Dr Sarra is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute, which is based in Caboolture, and designed to pursue stronger, smarter, student outcomes for Indigenous children throughout Australia. He became well-known as the first ever Aboriginal principal of Cherbourg State School in south-east Queensland. In his time as Principal he facilitated many positive changes that saw increasing enthusiasm for student learning. Dr Sarra is the 2004 Suncorp Queenslander of the Year; 2004 QUT Chancellor's Outstanding Alumnus and Faculty of Education Outstanding Alumni Award Winner; and Indigenous 2006 Scholar of the Year.

PETER DUNCAN

 

Peter Duncan has written and directed the feature films: Unfinished Sky (2008 William McInnes, nominated for 10 AFI and 8 IF awards this year; winner of 4 IF awards, including Best Director); A Little Bit of Soul (1998 Geoffrey Rush and David Wenham, nominated for 2 AFI awards); Children of the Revolution (1996 Judy Davis, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Rachel Griffiths and F. Murray Abraham, nominated for 9 AFI awards, winner of 3).  Peter has also directed the feature Passion (1999 Richard Roxburgh and Barbara Hershey, winner of 3 AFI awards) and the telemovie Valentine's Day (2008 Rhys Muldoon, nominated for Best Tele-Feature at this year's AFIs).

He also adapted and directed the novel Hell Has Harbour Views for the ABC (2005 Matt Day, Lisa McCune, nominated for Best Tele-Feature at 2005 AFIs).  Peter has 6 feature films currently in development, including 2 with Working Title.  With Richard Roxburgh, Peter is also developing a series of telemovies with the ABC about a wayward criminal barrister entitled - Rake.

A reconstructed and sometime repentant lawyer, Peter is a graduate of both Sydney University (BA, LLB) and AFTRS (BA, Film & Television). He worked in commercial litigation for Allen, Allen & Hemsley for almost 3 years.  Peter served as the student representative member of the AFTRS Council 1991-92.

 

JAN FORRESTER

Jan Forrester has been a media manager, journalist, producer and writer and is currently a media trainer and consultant with Australian and international experience. She has more than twenty years' experience in public and community radio, working in metropolitan, regional and remote areas. She was a member of a voluntary group tasked by the Australian government with implementing a national Indigenous television and online service (NITV) by early 2007. During this time Jan was also contracted by the government to deliver a report on resources, partners and pathways for training Indigenous contributors to the service. NITV is now broadcasting on several media platforms.
In May 2009 Jan travelled to Afghanistan to manage UNDP-funded election training for journalists and editors across the country.

Jan has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Macquarie University and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health from UNSW.

SANDRA LEVY
Chief Executive Officer

 

An award winning film and television producer, Sandra Levy's numerous credits in television as producer include Police Rescue, Palace of Dreams, Secret Men's Business, True Believers and A Difficult Woman. As executive producer she has been responsible for hundreds of hours of drama including Come In Spinner, Bodysurfer, GP, Edens Lost, Secret Weapon and A Dangerous Life. Sandra has produced a number of feature films, including The Well, which was selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. She has been a board member of the Australian Film Finance Corporation and the Australian Film Commision and is currently a board member of the Sydney Theatre Company and the NSW Cultural Management Committee.

 

STUDENT MEMBER
Vacant, awaiting election results

 

Past Chairs of Council:

 

2007 - 2009: Peter Ivany

2000 - 2006: Danny Gilbert

1998 - 2000: Tristram Miall

1991 - 1998: Robin Hughes

1985 - 1991: Joe Skrzynski

1981 - 1985: David Ferguson

1976 - 1981: Tom Jeffrey

1975 - 1976: John Morris (Acting Chair)

1973 - 1975: Barry Jones

1972: Peter Coleman

Past Directors of the School:

 

2003 - 2007: Malcolm Long

1996 - 2003: Rod Bishop

1989 - 1996: John O'Hara

1985 - 1988: Anne Deveson

1980 - 1985: Storry Walton

1973 - 1979: Jerzy Toeplitz