Currently festival director at the Melbourne Women in Film Festival, Mitchell is an avid lover of finding and sharing incredible stories made for the screen. A lecturer in Screen and Design at Deakin University, she revels in the opportunity to work with the next generation of screen storytellers and creative practitioners. Achieving a PhD in Film Studies and a Masters in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, her research in areas of Australian and women’s screen practice has been published in journals and industry blogs, including Historic Environment, Peephole Journal, NFSA and the AFI Research Collection. She also sits on the Board of Alliance Française de Melbourne and is a member of the International Advisory Committee for the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival.
Natalie Miller Fellowship said: “Sian upholds the key values of the fellowship, both in her role as a festival director and also as a lecturer, inspiring the next generation of storytellers. Throughout her career she has demonstrated a wealth of passion for the growth and advancement of the film industry, continually championing the role of women. We’re so pleased to name her this year’s recipient .”
Since 2012, eleven Fellowships have been awarded to Rachel Okine (Head of Features and Development Executive, Stan); Harriet Pike (Chief Operating Officer, WildBear Entertainment); Rebecca Hammond (LJ Hooker); Courtney Botfield (Director of Industry Partnerships, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia); Sasha Close (Program Manager, Brisbane International Film Festival and Gold Coast Film Festival); Kristy Matheson (Creative Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival); Miriam Katsambis (VP Business & Legal Affairs APAC, Entertainment One); Anna Kaplan (Producer/Co-founder, Regen Studios & Co-Founder/Co-Chair, Sustainable Screens Australia); Pauline Clague (First Nations Screen Strategy Executive, South Australian Film Corporation); Bridgette Graham (Founder, Path to Audience); and Sian Mitchell (Festival Director, Melbourne Women in Film Festival).
