Minister appoints ScreenWest board

30/10/01
Culture and the Arts Minister Sheila McHale has announced appointments to the ScreenWest Board.
ScreenWest provides strategic support, funding and services to the screen industry in Western Australia.
Ms McHale said the members had been selected for their industry expertise.
"The WA screen industry is at an exciting stage of its development and recent successes in features, television drama and documentaries have strengthened its profile," Ms McHale said.
"I am confident that the considerable expertise of these board members will guide the screen industry in a strategic manner.
"I am looking forward to working with the board to advance the recommendations of the Screen Industry Taskforce."
ScreenWest board members will begin their roles immediately, with the term of their appointments expiring on December 31, 2002.
Members of the ScreenWest board are:

• Mr Ed Punchard (Chairperson), Producer;
• Ms Sue Milliken, Producer;
• Mr James Bogle, Writer and Director;
• Mr John Fiocco, Lawyer and Executive Producer;
• Dr Margaret Seares, Educationalist and Arts Advisor;
• Ms Debra Shorter, Marketing Executive;
• Mr Graeme Sward, Television Director and Producer;
• Mr Alastair Bryant, Director General Department of Culture and the Arts (ex officio); and
• Ms Tania Chambers, Acting Chief Executive, ScreenWest (ex officio).

See below for a short background on each member.
Media contacts:
Minister's Office, Priscilla Fouracres on 9213 6900
ScreenWest, Gaylee Hodgson on 9224 7342.
ScreenWest Board - Appointments to December 31, 2002
Ed Punchard (Chairperson)
Ed Punchard is a director of Prospero Productions, a Fremantle based documentary production company established in 1991. He produces award-winning documentaries shot in some of the most extraordinary locations, such as oil rigs, desert islands, the Antarctic and tropical rainforests. His production credits include, Paying for the Piper, Hutan - Wildlife of the Malaysian Rainforest, Diving School, Selling Australia and Shipwreck Detectives. Ed Punchard is Chairman of the HMAS Sydney Foundation Trust.
Sue Milliken
Sue Milliken is one of Australia's leading producers, with credits which include The Odd Angry Shot, The Fringe Dwellers, Black Robe, Dating the Enemy, Sirens, Paradise Road, Farscape II and My Brother Jack. In addition, she has managed the Australian operations of the completion guarantor Film Finances, Inc. since 1980. She is a former Chair of the Australian Film Commission, and former President and Vice President of the Screen Producers' Association of Australia. In 1993 she was awarded the Australian Film Institute's Raymond Longford Award for her contribution to the Australian Film Industry.
John Fiocco
John Fiocco is a senior partner of the law firm Hammond Worthington and holds a senior teaching position in Law at the University of Western Australia. His involvement with the film industry includes Executive Producer of the feature film Under the Lighthouse Dancing, Associate Producer, Hutan - Wildlife of the Malaysian Rainforest and Legal Adviser to a variety of documentary and multimedia productions. He was also the foundation Chairman of the Film and Television Institute and a past Board member of the Lotteries Commission. Presently, he is on the Board of Directors of the Fremantle Dockers.
Margaret Seares
Margaret Seares has just completed a four-year term as Chair of the Australia Council, the Federal Government's arts funding and advisory agency. She also holds the position of Pro Vice Chancellor (Community & Development), at The University of Western Australia. She holds a PhD from UWA in Music. From 1991-1995 she was Head of the School of Music, and Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at UWA, and from 1994-5 she was a member of the University Senate, the governing body. During that time she was invited to chair the Ministerial Advisory Committee for the West Australian Minister for the Arts.
Margaret Seares was Chief Executive Officer with the West Australian Department for the Arts. She has been a member of the Foreign Minister's Australia International Cultural Council, a Director of the Australia Business Arts Foundation, Board member of the WA Museum, the Art Gallery of WA, the Perth Theatre Trust, the Advisory Board of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia. Margaret is a member of the Board of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, has been recently invited to chair the ABC's Arts Advisory Committee and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
James Bogle
Writer/Director. Based in Sydney for nearly 20 years, James Bogle has recently returned to his home city of Perth to pursue his highly successful filmmaking career. James Bogle has directed three feature films the most recent being the acclaimed adaptation of Tim Winton's In the Winter Dark, which attracted the UK's Academy Award nominee Brenda Blethyn (Secrets and Lies) to Australia. In addition to making films, James Bogle has worked in commercials, documentary, music videos, television drama, short films, comedy and interactive media, and directed audio visual installations at Fox Studios Australia. A respected member of the screen industry, James Bogle has also taught and consulted. His wide ranging achievements are recognised nationally and internationally. He was named Western Australian Young Filmmaker of the Year in 1981.
Debra Shorter
Debra Shorter is the joint Managing Director of The Shorter Group. The Shorter Group employs 35 people and is one of Perth's most successful integrated marketing communication companies, providing a wide range of communication services including advertising, direct marketing and design.
Debra Shorter was the inaugural award winner of AIM, Women in Management Award in 1988 and the first woman to win Advertising Person of the Year in 1999. As a strategy planner for marketing communication programs, her clients include many key Western Australian and national organisations. In 1996/97 Debra was President of the Australian Institute of Management (WA) and in 1998/99 Chairperson of the Western Australian Division of The Advertising Federation of Australia. Debra is also a past member of the Senate of UWA. Currently Debra is a committee member for the Sixth Global Conference on Ageing 2002 and a member of the marketing committee for The Australian Red Cross (WA division).
Graeme Sward
Graeme Sward has extensive experience in the industry and a substantial background in television production as a Director, Producer and Executive Producer over a 26 year period. He took up the position of Chief Executive of the Film & Television Institute in September 1999. Graeme Sward is a Director of Film and Television Institute's independent Production arm Excalibur Nominees Pty Ltd and a Director of Community Television station Access 31. He is also a Trustee of the Stanley Wilbur Trust, which exists to develop entry/emerging Indigenous filmmakers in Western Australia. Graeme Sward has travelled extensively overseas and worked in Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. He has lived and worked in Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne. Along with his depth of experience and knowledge on a national and global scale, he has a clear understanding of the issues facing filmmakers on the local and regional level.
Director-General of the Department for Culture & The Arts (currently Alastair Bryant)
Alastair Bryant is the Director General of the Department of Culture & The Arts, made up of the Art Gallery of WA, the WA Museum, LISWA, the Perth Theatre Trust, ScreenWest and ArtsWA. In addition to being on the Library Board he is a Trustee of the Museum, and serves on the Boards of the Art Gallery and the Perth Theatre Trust. Prior to his current appointment he held the position of Commissioner of State Revenue for six years. He has a Bachelor of Business, a Master of Leadership and Management degree, is a fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, and the Australian Institute of Management. He also serves on the Committee of Kids Help Line and is a Trustee of the Healing Hearts Foundation. Alastair is an active Rotarian and was a foundation member of the Heirisson Club and is a past President of that club. He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his service to the Heirisson Club.
Chief Executive of ScreenWest (currently Acting Chief Executive Tania Chambers)
Tania Chambers has a double degree in Law and Arts (First Class Honours) French and German literature and language from Monash University. She has previously worked as an Executive Producer and Producer with WA-based RT Films Entertainment and Wildfire Films International, was Director of Business Affairs with Barron Entertainment and the Australian Film Finance Corporation, and Legal Counsel at the ABC.

Tania Chambers was a Jury Member of the Banff International Television Festival in 2000 and 2001. She was formerly Chair of the Film and Television Institute (WA) Inc and is currently Chair of Perth Theatre Company and a Board Member of ScreenRights (Audio-Visual Copyright Society).

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