Australians in Film has announced several high-profile appointments to its board and new advisory board.
Jiao Chen, vice president of creative development at Columbia Pictures, has joined the Los Angeles-based industry body; executive and director Samantha Lang; writer|actor|editor Nakkiah Lui; Zareh Nalbandian, CEO and founder of Animal Logic Entertainment; and executive Peter Scarf.
They are joined by AiF chair maker Emma Cooper, CAA head of global customer strategy Toby Borg; executive producer Simonne Overend; Manager of Grow Creative at Netflix Australia New Zealand Penny Smallacombe, partner at US law firm Pryor Cashman LLP, Karen Robson and CEO of Terrace Tower Group Richard Weinberg.
The new advisory board includes Oscar-winning producer Emile Sherman, Emmy-winning producer Bruna Papandrea, award-winning showrunner Tony Ayres, manager Bec Smith (former board member of AiF), producer, host and creative consultant of New York Laura Brown and actor and Heath Ledger Charmaine Bingwa Scholarship Winner.
AiF’s board of directors oversees the management of the non-profit member organization, which also manages a number of highly successful professional development programs: Global Producers Exchange, Talent Gateway and Untapped, as well as the semester-long Heath Ledger Scholarship.
Emma Cooper, president of AiF said; “We welcome this group of Australia’s top international creative executives to the AiF board and advisory board. These highly successful individuals are all generously giving back to the next generation. Through AiF’s many affiliate initiatives, events and professional development programs, we help open doors for Australian creatives here in Los Angeles. These people know how difficult it is to pursue an international career and they hold the keys to open these doors”.
