Television executive Deirdre Brennan has been appointed chief executive of national funding body Screen Australia and will take up the role on January 8, 2024.
Screen reported last month that Brennan was the preferred candidate to take the top job at the Federal Government agency last month, replacing Graeme Mason who is set to step down in November after a decade in the role.
Brennan, who is Australian, will relocate from Canada where she is chief operating officer of content and brands company WildBrain.
Prior to joining WildBrain in January 2020, she was general manager of Universal Kids, at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment in New York, and has held senior roles at Corus Entertainment, Australian public broadcaster ABC and Nickelodeon Australia. Brennan also worked for four years at BBC Worldwide Australia from 2010 to 2013, where she went from director of television to becoming general manager/director of channels and branded services Australasia.
“I am excited to return to Australia to lead such an important organisation, focusing on building a sustainable future for the creative industry amidst evolving technologies, competitive pressures and expanding platforms,” said Brennan. “Screen Australia’s mission is very clear and I will strive to be a passionate advocate and partner for our creators, storytellers and emerging talent.”
Screen Australia directly supports film, television, documentary and online content and administers the producer offset, a tax rebate.
An average of 37 Australian features were made annually in the five years to June 30, 2022. The agency contributed to a third of these films in the most recent year, and half in the previous year. The maximum investment is $1.3m (A$2m).
“Australia’s screen industry is so important to how we see ourselves, learn about each other and let the world get to know us (and) Screen Australia is integral to that,” said Australian arts minister Tony Burke when announcing the appointment today.
“I know that this appointment will strengthen the telling of uniquely Australian stories and I can’t wait to see Ms Brennan’s role in that.”
Screen Australia chair Nicholas Moore said it was a “pivotal time” for the Australian screen industry and the board was “extremely impressed” by her experience. “This appointment represents a remarkable opportunity to expand our capacity to tell Australian stories and connect with international audiences in new ways,” he added.
National body Screen Producers Australia commented: “There is much work to be done to address the decline of stability for our sector’s local screen businesses and creators, given the increasing challenge of unreasonable commissioning deals and difficulty retaining intellectual property in the works that we create… It is time to set a clear and joined-up strategy for the future of film, television and games content that sees local production grow and be rewarded for its risks and efforts.”
The job was advertised in February and Mason leaves in 10 days. Screen Australia’s Moore expressed “profound gratitude” for his “remarkable” tenure.
“Since 2013, Graeme has led the agency through a period of rapid change and the sector has been strengthened by his dedication, passion and leadership,” he added.
Moore’s third term expires on March 30 and deputy chair Megan Brownlow’s third term ends on April 21.
In the 2021-22 financial year, Screen Australia contributed more than $38m (A$60m) – mostly in the form of investment – to the production of projects for the screen.
The biggest slice, nearly $15.3m (A$24m), went to television drama, with $9.2m (A$14.5m) allocated to features, $8.3m (A$13m) to online production including games, $3.9m (A$6.2m) to First Nations stories and $3.8m (A$6m) to children’s drama. A further $3.8m (A$6m) went into development.
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