Master of Arts Screen: Business Info Session

Lulu Freedman is a Sydney based producer/editor. Lulu’s career highlights include working with leading Australian brands as the Commercial Video Lead at News Corp Australia and in the editorial newsroom at News.com.au. She has worked on a diverse range of projects including award-winning commercial campaigns, coverage of the Canadian Freeski Open, Australian Open tennis and two feature films at U.S action sports production house Teton Gravity Research.

Susie is the Founder of Mercury Media Group – a multi-faceted media company covering production, eco-film festivals and global media strategy with particular focus on the global SVoD industry. The SVoD industry is a very dynamic direct-to-customer ecosystem which has experienced exponential growth over the past 12 months and is now at the forefront of the global entertainment industry. Susie has expertise in analysing and forecasting: subscriber trends, content strategies, audience behaviour, as well as advising on key growth drivers and M&A activity within the sector.

Susie has an extensive background in theatrical distribution, having worked for 20th Century Fox (International Distribution), as well as ITV Studios Australia, Network TEN and NITV. Susie holds an Master of Arts Screen: Business & Leadership from the Australian Film Television and Radio School, and holds a Graduate Certificate in International Studies & a Graduate Certificate in US Politics from Sydney University.

She advocates globally for breast cancer awareness and animal welfare.

Jessica Khoury, co-founded the Lebanese Film Festival and has held the role as Co-Director since 2011. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Film and Theatre Studies (University of New South Wales), as well as a Master in Arts Screen: Business and Leadership (Australian film Television Radio School). With a particular interest in national cinemas, film programming and serving the community, Jessica travels annually to Beirut and Cannes to source the best of Lebanese cinema and encourage production networks in Lebanon and abroad. She has featured as a guest panellist in several international film festivals including Berlinale and is currently working with her business partner Edward Hanna on a new business concept to support Australian and Lebanese cinema production and dialogue – Cinema Phoenicia. She is also the Manager of Marketing/Strategy for performing arts institution Actors Centre Australia and was recently assistant producer to Bryan Brown and Deborah Balderstone on the production of Palm Beach the movie. Jessica was previously a national film programmer and film festivals manager for exhibition chain HOYTS Cinemas in Australia. Jessica has a particular strength within Australian film festival and programming markets, she ran the German Film Festival nationally in 2016 and continues to support and initiate festival events outside of her own festival in Sydney and abroad.

A proud Torres Strait Islander, Aaron Fa’Aoso is an actor, film and television writer, director and producer. Since 2013, he’s been the Managing Director of his own production company, Lone Star. He began his career as a professional footballer (and also worked in security and construction) but has always been drawn to working with, and for the benefit of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Claire Evans is a creative business practitioner and the former Managing Director of Grumpy Sailor (2013-2020), a Sydney based immersive media company. Claire has a passion for the space where immersive digital experiences and moving-image meet. Claire has provided services for architectural and design practices, cultural institutions, the education sector, blue-chip technology companies and not-for-profits.

Claire is a Digital-Strategist-In-Residence at the Australia Council, working with Australian arts organisations to develop a roadmap for greater digital engagement, capability and/or innovation.
As a principal of Grumpy Sailor, Claire oversaw a suite of immersive and digital projects including but not limited to River Connections for the Melbourne Museum (Director Mike Daly), a suite of installations as part of the Hyde Park Barracks redevelopment (Director Mike Daly), the Road to Zero exhibition for the Transport Accident Commission, and immersive theatre Ghosts, Toast and Things Unsaid. Claire also Directed an immersive projection-mapped Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for ACMI’s original Wonderland exhibition (Curator Jess Bram, Exhibition Designer Anna Tregloan).

Claire is also a storyteller, producing the award-winning documentary Kings of Baxter (director Jack Yabsley), short films Arc and Jack Off with director Max Doyle, and The Red Valentine (director Glenn Stewart). In 2020 Claire was an Executive Producer on climate sci-fi 2067 (director Seth Larney).

Passionate about screen culture, Claire sits on the board of the Antenna Documentary Festival and is an advisory panel member at AFTRS. Claire is currently undertaking a Master of Arts Screen: Business, completing her studies in 2021.