At its screen industry event Seen & Screened, Film Victoria presented two awards to three women who represent an exciting future for the Victorian screen industry through their innovation, creativity and ability to find their niche in a competitive sector.
The 2018 Greg Tepper Award was presented to Director Corrie Chen.
Corrie was first supported by Film Victoria in 2016 via its new writer’s initiative, Catapult. Her strong vision and passion for screen storytelling saw Corrie move from shadowing directors on titles including Nowhere Boys, Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, and HBO’s The Leftovers to directing episodes on Mustangs FC, Sisters and Homecoming Queens.
Corrie said: “I feel so lucky to have been so warmly embraced by Film Victoria with opportunities at this early stage of my career, as well as the generosity of a few champions in this industry. The past recipients of this award are all filmmakers I adore and respect, so I'm extremely humbled and thrilled to have my name alongside theirs. It's a pretty exciting time where anything feels possible.”
The 2018 Tim Richards Award was presented to Melbourne-based specialist games Marketing and PR Consultancy Lumi Consulting.
Founders of Lumi Consulting, Katie Gall and Lauren Clinnick provide marketing and consulting expertise to businesses and individuals wanting to define or grow their brand and identify the qualities or elements that makes their offering unique to a global games market.
In their five years of operating Lumi Consulting, the pair have found their way into the core of the Victorian games community, providing advice and services to a broad cross-section of local game developers.
Katie and Lauren said “We're very touched to receive this Award. We deeply respect the previous winners, and it means so much to have the achievements of our brilliant team honoured in this way.
“It fills us with determination every time we see teams breathe life into game projects. We're proud to be colleagues among diverse creators that are bold in their choices, creating experiences that share personal truths. If the status quo makes you feel weird, you probably inspire us too.”
Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley said “This year’s deserving award winners have been steadily building their careers and making waves in the TV and digital games sectors. Congratulations Corrie, Katie and Lauren. I look forward to seeing how you bring your ideas, talent and leadership to our screen industry in the future.”
Film Victoria CEO, Caroline Pitcher congratulated the award winners saying “Corrie, Katie and Lauren are incredible achievers in their respective fields and are testament to the passion, leadership and influence of Victorian women in the screen sector.”