In celebration of AFTRS’ 50th Anniversary and the 70th Sydney Film Festival, AFTRS has closed out an exciting lineup of festival events with a special alumni & industry gathering.
Esteemed AFTRS alumni, industry guests and staff came together at the festival hub at Sydney Town Hall on Friday 16 June, to celebrate the achievements of the first fifty years of AFTRS, and to officially launch the new Alumni & Industry Scholarship fund.
Throughout the evening, a special focus was placed on the new initiative, in addition to celebrating highlights from the bumper edition of SFF, which included our 50th Anniversary program of restored alumni short films from Gillian Armstrong, Phillip Noyce, Robert Connolly, Sue Brooks and more, world premieres of AFTRS student films To Be Silent and The Big Dog, Her Way: a Jane Campion retrospective, and plenty of exciting new works by AFTRS alumni.
In a celebratory welcome address, AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood touched on the new alumni works featured throughout this year’s program including Tennessine from Persian director Amin Palangi, Three Chords and the Truth from Oscar nominated director/ produder Steve Pasvolsky, First Nations documentary Kindred by Adrian Russell Wills and Gillian Moody, Audience Award winner Birdeater from co-writer-director team Jack Clark and Jim Weir and of course the stunning opening night feature The New Boy directed by Warwick Thornton.
Alumni Advisory Group (AAG) members Warwick Young and Tsu Shan Chambers then introduced the Alumni & Industry Scholarship Fund, an initiative developed to expand and enrich the school’s community and elevate innovating storytellers and diverse voices.
The new Scholarship will be awarded to support and develop the career of a gifted storyteller in 2024, with a particular focus on under-represented groups in the Australian screen industries. The Scholarship is open to, but not limited to: individuals from refugee backgrounds or from culturally and racially marginalised communities, individuals who are gender diverse, people with a disability, those from the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from low socio-economic backgrounds.
The Scholarship is intended to recognise creative excellence and potential that under-represented individuals can bring to stories on the Australian stage and beyond. The initiative highlights AFTRS goal to focus our next 50 years on access, ensuring our School, and in turn the greater industry, represents the diverse lived experience of all Australians.
AAG Chair Unjoo Moon said from LA “Since 1973, AFTRS has launched the careers of over five thousand film, television, audio and new media professionals. Graduating from the BA program was pivotal in allowing me to find my unique voice as an artist and to become a film maker. We are excited to announce the launch of the Alumni & Industry Scholarship Fund which will support a new creative applying for the Master of Arts Screen program at AFTRS in 2024. The AAG is proud to help build a stronger alumni network and community. We have a special opportunity in AFTRS’ 50th year to create a career path for a diverse voice who may not have otherwise had the chance to pursue the journey we have been so fortunate to follow.”
Just a month after graduating, 2022 Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production graduate Joelle Snono delivered a powerful and inspiring reflection on her time at AFTRS, and as the inaugural recipient of the Australia for UNHCR Beddie scholarship. Now on the precipice of an exciting career, Joelle shared an emotional retelling of her journey from Syria as a refugee, where her career choices were limited, to graduating AFTRS ready to make an impact and carve her path as an already in-demand screen practitioner.
The gathering was also an opportunity to ignite donations from our alumni and industry in support of the new scholarship.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to those who have generously made donations.
Some of the industry professionals who have already pledged donations of $500 include –
- Philip Ashley-Brown (ABC)
- Jennifer Goggin (LiSTNR Original Podcasts)
- Jana Gibson (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia)
- Pamela Cook (SBS)
- Kate Montague (Audiocraft)
- Stephan Coory (Blockhead VFX)
The following day, alumni-run organisation Creative Plus Business generously gave $1000. MASB alumnus and company director Monica Davidson said “We are very proud – as an organisation full of alumni – to donate to the Alumni and Industry Fund.”
If you’d like to leave your mark by supporting the AFTRS Alumni and Industry Scholarship Fund, please donate here.