The Natalie Miller Fellowship and Film Victoria launch ‘Brilliant Careers Leadership Forum 2019’

The 2017 Brilliant Careers Conference.

The Natalie Miller Fellowship (NMF) and Film Victoria are proud to announce the launch of the Brilliant Careers Leadership Forum 2019 to be held in Melbourne from 24 – 25th October, which aims to foster skills to encourage female leadership in the Australian screen industry.

Building upon the success of the 2017 Brilliant Careers national conference, this year’s forum will address the gender imbalance in decision-making roles in the industry and support the emergence of the next generation of female leaders.

President and founding member of the NMF Sue Maslin AO, said: “Over the past three years, we have seen the impact of women leaders making a profound difference to the Australian screen industry. More gender diversity programs, increased numbers of female driven projects in development and production, more female driven narratives programmed in cinemas and on television. This is just the beginning and the NMF Brilliant Careers Leadership Forum will provide valuable skills to the next wave of women leaders who will shape the industry, delivering a richer and more diverse screen culture for audiences.”

Made possible with the support of Film Victoria as Principal Partner and Event Partner Screen Australia, the NMF will present the one-day conference at RMIT University, bringing together close to 200 women for sessions on navigating leadership, developing confidence, influence and presence, in addition to offering valuable opportunities for attendees to make new connections across the screen industry.

Film Victoria’s investment marks the evolution of its women in leadership program, which was introduced in 2015 to support women to advance their careers in the screen industry, with a specific focus on personal and professional development.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said: “The Brilliant Careers Leadership Forum is part of the shift in our screen industry towards greater gender diversity at all levels. The Andrews Labor Government is proud to support this initiative as one of the ways we’re backing local creative talent and ensuring that our creative industries reflect the diversity of the wider community.”

The 2019 Brilliant Careers Leadership Forum will run over one evening and a full day at RMIT University in Melbourne, and will include:

• A special evening networking and screening function on Thursday 24th October.
• Leadership Forum with workshops and facilitated discussion covering key topics (all-day event) on Friday 25th October.

Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher said: “By supporting the Brilliant Careers Leadership Forum, Film Victoria continues to deliver on its commitment to see more women working and leading in the screen industry. We’re proud to play an important role in shaping the future of the industry via our programs and partnerships, including that with the Natalie Miller Fellowship, empowering the next generation of
women in screen to aspire to leadership, and to identify the steps required to reach their goals.”

The inaugural conference in Melbourne in 2017 – supported though Screen Australia’s Gender Matters program – was attended by 180 female leaders from across the screen industry. Attendees were overwhelmingly positive about the conference outcomes, with many saying they had a new-found belief in themselves and their career trajectories.

Named in honour of one of the screen community’s most admired and accomplished leaders, Natalie Miller AO, the NMF recognises and nurtures the next generation of female leaders in the Australian screen community, inspiring them to reach the very top of their fields.

Speakers will be announced in due course. Sign up to the NMF newsletter at www.nataliemillerfellowship.com to stay up to date.