The Natalie Miller Fellowship invites women in the Australian screen industry to apply for its annual grant of up to $20,000, designed to inspire the next generation of female leaders to achieve outstanding success at the top of their fields.
Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller AO, the Fellowship is open to established women working in the Australian screen industry and aims to provide an annual grant to aspirational women in all sectors to pursue professional leadership through attachments, internships, secondments, travel and other means in order to reach their full leadership potential.
“The NMF has helped advance the leadership aspirations of numerous women including the stellar alumni of Fellowship recipients to date,” says President, Sue Maslin. “These women are among those shaping the future of the Australian screen industry and we applaud them.”
The Natalie Miller Fellowship is the only grant of its kind in the country and offers up to $20,000 for a professional development program that will deliver significant benefits to the applicant and the wider Australian screen community. The Fellowship is proudly supported by co-sponsors Village Roadshow and independent sports and entertainment studio, KOJO, with each providing $50,000 over five years to support the Fellowship.
Since 2012, eight Fellowships have been awarded to Rachel Okine (Managing Director, Aquarius Films), Harriet Pike (Head of Production & Development, WildBear Entertainment), Rebecca Hammond (Post Production Manager, Beyond Productions), Courtney Botfield (Head of Distribution & Sales, Bunya Productions), Sasha Close (Program Manager, Gold Coast Film Festival); Kristy Matheson (Director, Film Programs ACMI), Miriam Katsambis (Legal Counsel, Entertainment One); and Anna Kaplan (Producer and Impact Producer, Greenfield Pictures).
Last year’s winner Kaplan on receiving the grant said: “Applying for the NMF was an invaluable opportunity to really consider my own agency to drive outcomes that benefit and enrich our local industry. My Fellowship plan focuses on elevating environmental sustainability as a key area of concern for the Australian screen industry. The NMF has enabled me to conduct deep research into international best practice, build strong networks with sustainable production specialists around the globe and put this issue on the agenda with industry leaders. Having recently formed a working group, I’m excited to embark on the next phase of consulting with industry and key stakeholders, co-designing a localised framework and building capacity for affirmative action to mitigate our industry’s environmental impact.”
This annual grant supports the vision of the Natalie Miller Fellowship to achieve gender diversity in screen leadership, resulting in a greater breadth of storytelling, better company performances, innovation, and a more dynamic, inclusive and robust industry for everyone.
All applications for the current Natalie Miller Fellowship must be received by midnight Monday, 21 September 2020 and the recipient will be announced in November 2020.
For more information, please visit our Fellowship Guidelines page, the FAQ page, or be inspired by reading more about our past Fellowship recipients.