ADG PRESIDENT
Ray Argall
Drama Director & DOP
MDA, Return Home, Look Both Ways (DOP)
Darren Ashton
Director
Razzle Dazzle, Thunderstruck
In his 20 years in the film industry Darren has directed TVCs for national and worldwide agencies including global campaigns for Singapore Airlines, Xerox, Aiwa, Sony, Citibank, Starhub (Singapore), Subaru and Kelloggs. He spends time getting the casting right, and concentrating on what's important - the script. He has won a number of international awards for his commercials direction and was nominated for Best Director at the 2003 Axis Awards for Vero – 'Bull In A China Shop'. Two of his recent spots were Cannes Finalists - Playstation 2 Singstar 'Ned Kelly' and Sony '67'.
His first independent short film, The Extra, went on to win 2nd Prize and Best Actress gongs at Tropfest, and was nominated for two AFI Awards, including Best non-Feature Film.
In 2003 Darren completed the Icon Productions feature film Thunderstruck, which he directed and co-wrote. 2007 saw the release of his latest feature film 'Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dace' which was officially selected for competition at the LA, Berlin and Edinburgh Film Festivals.
Darren is based in Sydney and is produced by Adam Wells
Ruth Cullen
Documentary Director / Writer / Producer
Neil Perry's High Steaks, Two of Us, Heat in the Kitchen, Becoming Julia
Ruth’s most recent films include the documentaries Painted Lady, which explores the world of artist Vali Myers, and Becoming Julia - fast cars and a sex change which followed a macho Aussie farmer through his sex change into Julia.
Recent credits include: Heat In The Kitchen (Series Director - 5 x 30 mins, SBS & Lifestyle UK) High Steaks ( Series Director - 3 x ½ hr, Lifestyle) and About Men (Series Director - 3 x 1 hr, SBS)
Her films have screened at IDFA, Montreal, Los Angeles, Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals. She has also written for The Sydney Morning Herald, POV, and Filmink magazine. She has worked as an assessor for the FTO and the AFC, and as a specialist consultant to the FFC. She is also a board member of the Australian Directors Guild (formerly ASDA).
www.ruthcullen.com
David Curl (NT)
Documentary director/producer/writer/cinematographer The Call of Kakadu, Silhouettes of the Desert, Shadows of Uluru
John Hughes (Vic)
Drama &Documentary Director/Producer/Writer
Art of War, River Of Dreams, After Mabo,
John Hughes: Melbourne based writer / director, and producer in film, television an on-line documentary and drama, recipient 2006: Stanley Hawes Award for services to Australian documentary, inaugural Joan Long Award for achievement, Australian film history, Australasian Film and History Conference, 1996. Best feature documentary, Film Critics of Australia, 2006
Recent works: Moving History, Film Australia / ABC website, 2007, (www.abc.net.au/aplacetothink/#watch). The Archive Project (98 minutes, 2006), Hidden Treasures Series One & Two (with Betty Churcher), Film Australia/ ABC, 2006-7) The Art of War (with Betty Churcher) 4 x half hours, Film Australia/SBS). River of Dreams (producer / writer / director) 52 mins, 2002, After Mabo’ (co-producer / writer / director) 84 mins, 1997, ‘What I Have Written’ (producer / director) cinema feature 1996, One Way Street (producer / co-writer / director) 54 mins, 1992. Commissioning Editor Documentary SBS Independent. (1998-2001). Company ‘Early Works’.
Kay Pavlou
Drama & Documentary Director
McLeod’s Daughters, Love is a Four Letter Word, The Killing of Angelo Tsakos, Cyprus – A People Divided, Who Do You Think You Are
Howard Rubie
Director / Writer / Producerr/ASC
Escape of the Artful Dodger( D&P), Search for Treasure Island(D&P), Mission Top Secret (D)
Antoinette Starkiewicz
Animation Director
Zipper, Puttin' on the Ritz, Man
Antoinette Starkiewicz is an advocate for the Australian animation industry and independent Australian animators in particular, she has represented the above as Board Member of the Australian Film Directors Association, (now the Australian Directors Guild), since 1999.
Antoinette has worked as an independent animator since 1974. Following her initial training as a painter at the National Gallery School of Art, Melbourne (now VCA), she gained her Diploma of Animation at the London Film School, followed by a Master of Arts in Digital Media & Computer Animation at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), Sydney, 1998. In between, she has worked as Animation Director at Film Australia, a commercial animator in Zurich, fashion illustrator in London, life drawing tutor at AFTRS, Sydney, commissioned portrait painter, and has been a competitor at the Cannes Film Festival in 1976 and 1999.
Her film work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NYC and the National Film & Sound Archive, Sydney. Her 2D animated films include Puttin’ on the Ritz (1974); High Fidelity (1976); Pussy Pumps Up (1979); Koko Pops: A History of Music in 10 Minutes (1981) and Pianoforte (1985).
Her digital films are Zipper (1998), Man (1999) and Creation (2005). Creation is a pilot for her current project: a TV Series based on 10 famous women in history, told from their point of view: genre - comedy.
Antoinette’s area of expertise is 2D animation, both analog & digital, integrating live action & painting into a seamless animated ‘perfomance’, informed by her life experience , with much dance music and a touch of irony.
Stephen Wallace
Drama Director
Water Rats, Twisted Tales, Blood Oath
Stephen Wallace is a filmmaker who has directed five feature films; STIR (1980), THE BOY WHO HAD EVERYTHING(1984), FOR LOVE ALONE (1865), BLOOD OATH (1990) and TURTLE BEACH (1992). After making several short films (including BREAK UP and BRITTLE WEATHER JOURNEY) he began his professional career with the low budget 50 min drama THE LOVE LETTERS FROM TERALBA ROAD in 1977 and followed this another hour long low budget drama CAPTIVES OF CARE. He has directed a number of features (one off dramas) for television including GORDON BENNETT (Ch 9), QUEST BEYOND TIME (Ch10) WOMEN OF THE SUN (SBS) and MAIL ORDER BRIDE, HUNGER, OLIVE and ENVY for the ABC. During the last ten years he has also directed for series television (WATER RATS, FLYING DOCTORS, PIG’S BREAKFAST and TWISTED TALES), was the president of the AUSTRALIAN SCREEN DIRECTOR’S ASSOCIATION (ASDA now ADG) between 1992-2000.
He has always had an interest in theatre and acting and has his own small theatre company with Michael Gillett, IMPULSE THEATRE. They have produced several versions of Oedipus plus LYSISTRATA, COSI and AWAY (this year) and have completed four productions for the SHORT AND SWEET series at the Seymour Centre as well as short film with the company last year DISCONNECTED. He continues workshopping with actors to prepare for new productions and is currently working at the AFC as a project manager on short-term contract.
State Representatives
Australian Capital Territory
Michael Sergi
Northern Territory
David Curl (NT)
Documentary director/producer/writer/cinematographer The Call of Kakadu, Silhouettes of the Desert, Shadows of Uluru
Queensland
Sally McKenzie
South Australia
Christopher Houghton
Victoria
Joel Loxton
Western Australia
Miranda Edmonds
