NAFA GUEST SPEAKERS (2002–2025)
Please note the information provided for each speaker has not been updated since their last appearance. Please Contact Us if you’re interested in speaking at a future NAFA Chat.
A |
|
| Shane Abbess | Writer—Director—Producer (Gabriel) |
| Brian Adams | Actor, Director, TV Show Host |
| Caz Adams | Actor, Voice-over, Writer, Filmmaker, Teacher |
| Jonathan Adams | Director (Rough Stuff) |
| Ben Allan ACS | Cinematographer, Producer |
| Martha Ansara | Director, Producer |
B |
|
| Paul Barry | Actor, Acting Coach |
| Geoff Bartlett | Journalist, Actor, Producer |
| Alice Bell | Writer (Suburban Mayhem, “Puberty Blues” (2012), “The Slap”) |
| Bill Bennett | Writer, Director (Kiss or Kill, The Way, My Way) |
| Stephen Bennett | Principal (Bennett Artist Management) |
| Bruce Beresford | Film and Opera Director (Driving Miss Daisy, Mao’s Last Dancer, Ladies in Black, Melbourne Opera’s Otello), Screenwriter. |
| Sam Berry | Commercial Lawyer & Director (Creative Lawyers) |
| Ian Bliss | Actor (The Matrix Reloaded & The Matrix Revolutions) |
| Nick Bolton | Founder & Director (Ten Alphas) |
| Tony Bonner AM | Actor & Acting Teacher |
| Renée Brack | Content Producer, Presenter (Movie Network Channels) |
| Alex Broun | Writer, Artistic Co-ordinator (Short & Sweet Festival) |
| Martin Brown | Producer (Martin Brown Films) |
| Ron V. Brown | Film Producer, Founder Ozflix |
| John Buckmaster
(1970–2017) |
Co-Founder (Sydney Film School) |
| Danelle Butcher | Principal (Showcast) |
C |
|
| Luke Caldwell | Broadcast & Edit Specialist (Apple Australia) |
| Serhat Caradee | Director (Cedar Boys, A Lion Returns) |
| Rob Carlton | Writer—Director—Actor (Carmichael & Shane, Tropfest 2006 Winner) |
| Michela Carattini | Actor, Intimacy Coordinator |
| Victoria and Richard Carwin | Talent Agents, Scenario Artists |
| Peter Castaldi | Film Distribution and Marketing Consultant |
| David Castran | Director (Audience Development Australia) |
| Colleen Champ | Certification Manager, Producer Offset and Co-production Unit (POCU) (Screen Australia) |
| Chris Chow | Managing Director (Creative Lawyers) |
| Al Clark | Producer (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Chopper, Swinging Safari) |
| Jennifer Cluff | Actor, Producer (The Way, My Way) |
| Peter Coleman ACS | Cinematographer |
| Nigel Collin | Presenter, Creative Director |
D |
|
| Monica Davidson | Managing Director (Creative Plus Business) |
| Suzanne Davies | Researcher and Academic (University of Tasmania) |
| James Doherty | Location Scout (James Locations) |
| Lee Donahue | Actor, Director (Quiet On Set) |
| Peter Driscoll | Actor, Finance & Accounting Professional |
| Greg Duffy | Entertainment Lawyer (Frankel Lawyers) |
| Irina Dunn | Executive Director (NSW Writers’ Centre) |
| Stephen Dunne | Writer, Theatre Critc |
E |
|
| Johan Earl | Writer, Actor (Shattered) |
| Glen Eaves | Filmmaker (Parlami d’amore) |
F |
|
| Edmund Falzon | Director (Harbour Street Management) |
| Michael Favelle | CEO (Odin’s Eye Entertainment) |
| Peter Feeney | Actor, Coordinator (Sydney Scene Groups) |
| Andrena Finlay | Producer (Frauds, Me Myself I, Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance, Goddess) |
| Toni Fitzgerald | CEO (Purpose Group) |
| Abe Forsythe | Writer—Actor—Director (Ned) |
| Yolandi Franken | Producer (“Streets of Colour”, “Carmen & Bolude”) |
| Dan Freene ACS | Cinematographer (“Wellmania”, “Queen of Oz”, Wasted on the Young) |
| Gary Friedman | Master Puppeteer & Creative Director (Corporate Creatures) |
| Marc Furmie | Film & TVC Director |
G |
| Kate Gaul | Theatre Director |
| Marcus Gillezeau | Multi-platform Producer (Scorched (cross-platform), Storm Surfers) |
| Heidi Gledhill | Director (Crypt Theatre) |
| Mitzi Goldman | Documentary-maker |
| Jessica Gower | Actor (“The Secret Life of Us”) |
| Matthew Graham | Post-production Producer, Producer (SFv1, Infini) |
| Christine Greenough | Actor, Story-teller |
H |
|
| Siobhan Hannan | Executive Producer (Southern Star) |
| Cristina Harris | Casting Director, Casting Coach |
| Kari Harris | Casting Director (Kari Harris Casting) |
| Christine Harris-Smyth | Director (Slice TV) |
| Me-Lee Hay | Stage and Screen Composer (Finding Her Beat, A Second Chance: Rivals!, Luke Nguyen cooking series), Vice-President AGSC |
| Brad Hayden | Director of Casting (AT2 Casting) |
| Peter Herbert | Head of Producing (AFTRS) |
| Julian Hewitt | Partner (Media Arts Lawyers) |
| John Higgins
(1940–2011) |
Voice/Dialect Coach (Professor John Higgins Studio) |
| John Holmes | Head of Drama (Channel 7) |
| Michelle Horner | Owner-Principal (Ignite Elite Artists) |
| John Hresc | Sound Re-recording Mixer & Sound Designer |
I |
| Amantha Imber | Organisational Psychologist (Inventium) |
J |
|
| Steve Jaggi | Producer, Executive Producer |
| Shaun Jefford | Director—Producer (The Edge of the World) |
| Sara Joyce (b. Matthew Joyce) |
Financial Director (Wang Films) |
K |
|
| Miha Knific | Director (Slovenia), Winner Show-Fest 2010 Best Film Award (Lovec oblakov) |
| Martha Knox-Haly | Organisational Psychologist |
| Dov Kornits | Owner (Screen Inc), Publisher (FILMINK), Co-director (Inner West Film Fest) |
| Daniel Krige | Sector Investment Manager (Screen) (Create NSW) |
L |
|
| Darrell Lass | Production Designer (The Crop), Producer |
| Michael Lawrence | Producer (Bra Boys) |
| Tim R. Lea | Financier, Producer (54 Days) |
| Carlo Ledesma | Director (The Tunnel) | Sandra Lee Paterson | Director (On Camera Studio) |
| Jacqui Lees | Principal (JCM Creative Management) |
| Jaimie & Aspasia Leonarder | Presenters (MuMeson Archives, “The Movie Show”) |
| Alex Leszczynski | National Industrial Officer (Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG)) |
| Dr Jake Lim | Plastic Surgeon |
| Joe Lo Surdo | Managing Director (SURA Film and Entertainment) |
| Rachael Lucas | Director (Bondi Tsunami) |
| Troy Lum | Head (Hopscotch Films) |
| Alex Lykos | Writer & Actor (Alex & Eve, Me & My Left Brain) |
M |
|
| Hal McElroy | Producer (Picnic at Hanging Rock, “Sea Patrol”, “Blue Heelers”, “Water Rats”) |
| Robert McFarlane
(1942–2023) |
Photo-journalist & Photographer |
| Kirsty McGregor | Casting Director (McGregor Casting) |
| Tony McNamara | Writer—Director (The Rage in Placid Lake) |
| Emma Madison | Head of Service Design (Screenrights) |
| Pete Malicki | Author/Playwright, creative industries organiser (The Monologue Project, Sydney Foreign Actors Association, Arts Business Academy) |
| Ranko Markovic | Producer (Fat Pizza: The Movie, Cedar Boys) |
| Faith Martin | Casting Director (Faith Martin Casting) |
| Ray Martin AM | Journalist, Broadcaster |
| Alan Maxwell | VFX Instructor, Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) |
| Billy Millionis | Acting Coach (The Actor’s Pulse) |
| Scott E. Miller | Actor (“Alcatraz”, “The Killing”, “Once Upon a Time”) |
| Jonathan Mills | Actor, MEAA |
| Robyn Moase | Actor, Choreographer (Paralympic Handover Ceremony) |
| Rebecca Mostyn | Manager, Research and Strategy (Screen Australia) |
N |
|
| Jennifer Naughton | Industrial Officer (MEAA) |
| David Noakes | Film Specialist (National Film & Sound Archive, division of AFC) |
| Ian Nicholson | Filmmaker (Sydney Short Film School) |
O |
|
| Noel Oakes | National Sales & Marketing Manager (JVC Professional) |
| Scott OBrien | Virtual and augmented reality specialist (Humense) |
| John O’Hare | Head (ACTT) |
| Tay O’Keefe | Agency Manager (Central Casting) |
| Rebekah O’Sullivan FRSA | Entertainment, intellectual property, and immigration lawyer |
| Hugo Ortega | Principal (Tegatech Australia) |
P |
|
| Grant Page (1939-2024) |
Stunt Coordinator (Mad Max) |
| Jonathan Page | Executive Producer (Mary and Max, The Babadook, The Death and Life of Otto Bloom), Sales Agent (Bonsai Films) |
| Rebel Penfold-Russell | Executive Producer (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) |
| John Platt | Cinematographer & Photographer |
| Nigel Poulton | Movement and Fight Director/Coordinator, Intimacy Director/Coordinator |
| Jeff Purser | Producer (Fat Pizza: The Movie, Cedar Boys) |
| Tim Pye | Writer (“A County Practice”), Executive Producer (“Changi”) |
R |
|
| Erasmo “Raz” Raimundo | Digital Producer |
| Hillary Ray | Senior Regulatory Lawyer (Hemisphere Legal) |
| Debra Richards | CEO (Ausfilm) |
| Denise Roberts | Director (Screenwise), Actor (“Always Greener”) |
| Natalie Rose | Actor, Mental Health Counsellor |
| Kyle Rowling | Fight Director, Stunt Player (Star Wars: Episode II & III) |
S |
|
| Adam Scott | General Manager (Spectrum Films) |
| John Scott | Film Editor (Newsfront, Roxanne, Sexy Beast, Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Quiet American) |
| Karel Segers | Producer, Script Consultant |
| Jane E. Seymour | Actor, Drama Tutor (Resource Performance Workshops) |
| Mike Seymour | Visual Effects Supervisor |
| Julian Shaw | Writer—Director |
| Lynette Sheldon | Acting Coach & Teacher (Lynette Sheldon Actors Studio, New York) |
| Annette Shun Wah | Writer, Producer, Actor |
| Ian Simmons | Head Writer (“The Glass House”) |
| John L. Simpson | Producer, CEO (Titan View) |
| Geoff Sirmai | Principal (Watchdog Communications) |
| Anny Slater | Filmmaker (The Ball) |
| Corrie Soeterboek | CEO (First Australian Completion Bond Company) |
| Gerry Sont | Corporate Trainer, Presenter, Actor |
| Suzie Steen | Actor & Talent Agent (Actors Creative International) |
| David Steinhoff | CEO (Presence Films) |
T |
|
| Miranda Tapsell | Actor (The Sapphires) |
| Matt Todd | Writer—Actor—Producer (Gabriel) |
| Maria Tran | Actor, Filmmaker, Martial Artist (Phoenix Eye Files, Echo 8 Trilogy) |
| Andy Trieu | Actor, Presenter, Producer, Martial Artist (SBS PopAsia, “Kitchen Whiz”) |
| Jeff Truman | Actor, Writer (“Neighbours”) |
U |
|
| Andrea Ulbrick | Screen Investment Manager (Create NSW) |
| Euan Upston | Founder (Choc Tops), Deputy Director (Museum of Contemporary Art) |
| Shingo Usami | Actor (“The Terror: Infamy”, “Invasion”) |
V |
|
| Jason van Genderen | Director (Two-time winner The Shootout - Newcastle) |
W |
|
| Lesley Watson | Director (Roleplay Australia) |
| Edweana Wenkart | Director (Tsuki Film Marketing) |
| Janelle White | Intensive Care/Extended Care Paramedic(Ambulance Service of NSW) |
| Michael Winter | Writer & Script Consultant |
| Julian Wood | Film Critic |
| Steve Wright | Writer (“Stringer”), Script Editor |
| Jenny Wu | Actor (Australia Day) |
Please Contact Us if you’re interested in speaking at a future NAFA Chat.
