PAUL BRENNAN – 2024 NSW CINEMA PIONEERS OF THE YEAR Paul writes… My life in film and cinema began at the age of five when I was taken by my crazy aunts and grandmother, all born between 1888 and 1894, to the CAPITOL THEATRE in Sydney to see a matinee reissue of THE GREATEST SHOW…
JENNY NEIGHBOUR – 2023 CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR In 1989, when Jenny Neighbour applied for the job of Senior Secretary/Assistant to the Director of the Sydney Film Festival, she was interviewed for the position by SFF Director Paul Byrnes and SFF Administrator Ross Barnard, who is now National Secretary/Treasurer of Cinema Pioneers. Thirty four…
WAYNE PASHLEY and LIBBY VILLA – 2022 NSW CINEMA PIONEERS OF THE YEAR This year’s NSW Cinema Pioneer of the Year recipient is not just one person, but in fact two recipients and the NSW Branch couldn’t be prouder to acknowledge their contribution to the Australian film industry. Wayne Pashley and Libby Villa have worked…
NSW CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR – FIONA NIX Fiona Nix has over 25 years’ experience in the entertainment and arts industry as a consultant, publicist, and company director of NIXCo, which she established in 1998. She is a passionate supporter of the Australian film industry, devoting her time to providing strategic guidance to international…
Born in London Julia was waiting to go to University when she was lucky enough to get a job in drama production with Stella Richman. Stella was consistently producing, working with new and established practitioners in the way that is happening now. She was a great champion of filmmakers. It was a great entree to…
John Rochester commenced his career as a Chartered Accountant in the commercial sector with Email and became Financial Controller of their Consumer Products Division. John commenced with HOYTS Theatres Limited in 1975 and in 1976 was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary. He was appointed General Manager Theatre Operations and in 1980 was appointed…
At the NSW Branch luncheon in Sydney on Thursday 24th May, Mr. Tom Jeffrey was presented the much coveted award as the 2018 NSW Cinema Pioneer of the Year. This auspicious award was certainly well deserved by Tom for his many decades of service in the development and progress of the Australian film industry.…
In the mid 1950’s and from a very young age, John spent a great deal of time helping in the bio-box of the Empire Cinema in Cessnock, where his Uncle was Area Manager for Greater Union Cinemas. Ironically, due to the many coalfeld strikes, crews from Cinesound and Movietone News were often in the area.…
As Wendy’s interests had always been in the entertainment area, with Secretarial Diploma in hand and the need for employment looming, she set off for her Aunt’s house in search of a ‘phone (her family didn’t have one at home) and promptly rang every film exchange she could find in the phone book and asked…
Jenny has been working in the Australian film industry for over twenty-five years after being struck by the film-bug watching old movies on late night television and retrospectives at Sydney cinemas long gone, such as the Valhalla, the Mandolin, the Academy Twin and the Walker Street. Having started her career in production on a couple…