Screenworks Annual Fundraising Raffle 2025

Lisa Shaunessy

A passionate film and television executive and creative producer, Lisa has a proven track record as the producer of multiple commercially successful and critically acclaimed films & television series.

In 2020 Lisa produced 2067 (XYZ/RLJE/Netflix), starring Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ryan Kwanten and Deborah Mailman. 2067 set the record for an Australian film on Netflix (ANZ), and was a commercial success domestically and internationally – reaching No 1 on Hulu and  iTunes in North America and selling to China in an unprecedented sale for an independent Australian film. 2067 was nominated for AACTA, ADG, SPA, APDG, AEAF, ACS and ATOM Awards in 2021.

Lisa produced SXSW 2022 breakout hit SISSY, starring Aisha Dee. Ahead of its World Premiere, SISSY sold to Shudder in a multi-territory deal and was nominated for three AACTA Awards, including Best Film (2022). SISSY was also nominated for Best Film at the Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Awards (2023).

Other feature producing credits include Sydney Film Festival Audience Award runner up IN VITRO (Madman, 2024); Sundance hit KILLING GROUND (IFC, 2017); streaming and genre festival favourite THE FURIES (Shudder/StudioCanal, 2019) and BLACK & WHITE & SEX (IFF Rotterdam, 2013).

In television, Lisa produced WHILE THE MEN ARE AWAY (SBS, 2023), which premiered internationally at Berlinale Series Selects 2024. The series was nominated for Best Miniseries at the 2024 AACTA and 2024 SPA Awards, winning Best Music, TV Comedy at the APRA AMCOS Screen Music Awards. Lisa also produced AACTA award-winning series HIPSTERS (SBS, 2015) and SLAMMIN’ SAM (Foxtel, 2013), winner of the Australian Sports Commission Media Award for Best Profiling of an Athlete, 2014.

Lisa is an AFTRS, TAP and Small Giants alumni.

Tracey Vieira

Tracey Vieira is the Chief Content Officer for Emmy® and BAFTA Award winning film and television production company Hoodlum. Hoodlum operates between Australia, the US and the UK.

Since joining Hoodlum in 2019, Tracey has produced the 2022 Netflix number one global hit A Perfect Pairing, a romantic comedy feature film starring Adam Demos and Victoria Justice, produced feature film Christmas on the Farm for Stan which was released in December 2021, Executive Produced action-thriller feature Land of Bad, starring Russell Crowe and Liam and Luke Hemsworth due for release in early 2024 and the ABC series In Our Blood which premiered in March 2023.

Prior to Hoodlum Tracey was the CEO of Screen Queensland where she led the organisation through significant cultural change and growth from February 2014 to August 2019. Vieira was named in the 2018 Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence and is the 2016 Telstra Queensland Businesswoman of the Year. Vieira is currently the President of Screen Producers Australia, Chairs the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Chair of Griffith Film School’s Advisory Board.

Tracey is a passionate animal advocate and spent four years as a company director for RSPCA Queensland.

John Godfrey

John Godfrey is Head of Commissioning at SBS, overseeing SBS’s distinctive commissioned content offering across original unscripted and scripted programming.

Prior to his appointment in this role in November 2022, John was Head of Unscripted for SBS, overseeing commissioned documentaries, factual entertainment, food and entertainment across SBS channels and platforms. This includes everything from the Eurovision Song Contest, Mastermind and The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, to the broad range of original SBS standalone documentaries and series like Alone Australia.

He joined SBS in 2008 and during his time with the network has been responsible for some of SBS’s highest rating and iconic programs, including Go Back to Where You Came From, First Contact, Struggle Street, and Filthy Rich and Homeless.

John has been in Australia since 2003, working in the UK prior to that for 10 years, series/exec producing for Channel 4 and BBC2.

Yeesum Lo

Yeesum Lo is the Head of Development at Paramount Australia and New Zealand. Appointed in 2020, Yeesum is responsible for identifying and progressing content commissions across Network 10, Paramount+, MTV and Nickelodeon.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yeesum’s career has spanned New York, Los Angeles and Sydney. As a content executive, Yeesum spent close to a decade at Endemol Shine Group (Banijay) in the US and Australia, with a number of roles spanning Office of the CEO, M&A, C-level project management and strategy, and was recognised as a B&T 30 under 30 winner. In her role as Director of Digital for Australia, Yeesum had a remit across digital content and commercial strategy for programs<

Tony Ayres

Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director, and one of the founding members of Matchbox Pictures. In 2018 Tony established his own production company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), developing and producing feature films and television for global audiences and international marketplaces.

Overall, Tony’s feature films and TV shows have been nominated for over one hundred Australian and international awards, and has won over sixty of these awards  including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, a Golden Horse (the Asian Oscars), six AACTA awards, and six Logies.

Most recently, Tony was Executive Producer, Showrunner and writer on upcoming Netflix series THE SURVIVORS, and he was EP on two seasons of ABC/BBC children’s series THE SPOOKY FILES. Previously, Tony was the creator/showrunner on THE SLAP, NOWHERE BOYS and global number one Netflix hit, CLICKBAIT. He co-created and was an Executive Producer on GLITCH, STATELESS, and FIRES. He has Executive produced acclaimed shows such as BARRACUDA, SEVEN TYPES OF AMBIGUITY, WANTED, CREAMERIE, THE DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, OLD SCHOOL, UNDERGROUND: THE JULIAN ASSANGE STORY, THE STRAITS, and THE FAMILY LAW.

In feature films, Tony directed CUT SNAKE (2015), THE HOME SONG STORIES (2007), and WALKING ON WATER (2002).  He has also executive produced award winning feature films such as ALI’S WEDDING and LOU. His films have premiered and screened at A-list festivals around the world including the Berlinale and the Toronto Film Festival.

Amanda Duthie

Amanda is a passionate advocate for Australian storytelling.

Amanda Duthie is the Head of Stan Originals, encompassing  scripted series and features, entertainment and factual features and series.

Stan Originals has commissioned critically acclaimed and award-winning fiction content including BLACK SNOW, BUMP, POPULATION 11, THOU SHALT NOT STEAL, PROSPER, CAUGHT, TEN POUND POMS and EXPOSURE. Across the Revealed slate of feature documentaries, titles include HOW TO POISON A PLANET, RENEE GRACIE: FIREPROOF, OTTO BY OTTO, DANIELLE LAIDLEY: TWO TRIBES, BEN ROBERT SMITH, and THE CAPE.

Amanda has been Head of Arts & Entertainment at ABC TV, a/g Head of Drama SBS, Head of Production, Development and Studios at the South Australian Film Corporation and Creative Director/CEO of the Adelaide Film Festival, leading both the festival and its investment fund and Creative Director/CEO of Adelaide Festival of Ideas.

Isabella Torv

Bella joined the Foxtel Group Scripted Originals team as their Scripted Development Executive in 2023. In this role Bella works closely with the Head of Scripted Originals, Lana Greenhalgh, to commission and develop bold, brand-defining Scripted television for Foxtel Group.

Prior to Foxtel Group, Bella was the Development Executive at renowned Australian production company Easy Tiger where she worked on multi-award-winning projects such as COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS (Binge/Foxtel), THE TWELVE (Binge/Foxtel), TERRITORY (Netflix) and many more in various stages of development.

Helen Panckhurst

Helen (she/her) is a Matchbox Pictures founder and Head of Production for the company, supervising production of the entire Matchbox and Tony Ayres Productions (TAP) slates.

Matchbox/TAP credits include long-form series CRITICAL INCIDENT, HOUSE OF GODS, BAD BEHAVIOUR, CLASS OF ’07, IRREVERENT, FIRES, CLICKBAIT, STATELESS, HUNGRY GHOSTS, SAFE HARBOUR, SECRET CITY, SEVEN TYPES OF AMBIGUITY, WANTED, BARRACUDA, GLITCH, THE FAMILY LAW, DEADLINE GALLIPOLI, the serial THE HEIGHTS, feature film ALI’S WEDDING, children’s series SPOOKY FILES, TURN UP THE VOLUME, MUSTANGS F.C and NOWHERE BOYS and unscripted series REAL HOUSEWIVES and MADE IN BONDI.

Helen has produced and executive produced television drama, documentaries and feature films. She recently executive produced THE GIANTS and FREEMAN with Laurence Billiet and Rachael Antony’s company General Strike and counts both documentaries as personal passion projects. Other highlights include feature film ALI’S WEDDING, ABC TV series OLD SCHOOL and THE STRAITS, documentary feature MRS CAREY’S CONCERT, Blackfella Films’ First Australians, and Curtis Levy’s THE MATILDA CANDIDATE. Helen has a particular interest in working with colleagues and industry partners to strengthen sustainability in film and television.

Veronica Fury

Veronica Fury is an award winning Producer, Executive Producer and Principal of WildBear Entertainment. WildBear produces over 200 hours of factual screen content every year and has offices in Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney and Dunedin (Aotearoa). Veronica has over 85 commissioned television and feature documentaries to her name and produced over 250 hours of screen content including, GEM HUNTERS DOWN UNDER (Network 7) WILDLIFE ER (Disney+), AND WE DANCED (ABC) and WILD WINTER (All3). Veronica produced AACTA nominated BROCK: OVER THE TOP and FORD V HOLDEN (Universal), Award winning biopic (with EP’s Elton John & David Furnish) HATING PETER TATCHELL (Netflix) and A LEAGUE OF HER OWN for ABC. Veronica is a Screen Producers Australia Councillor and sits on the Board of Curriculum at Bond University and the Industry Advisory Board of GFS.

Chris Hilton

Chris Hilton is one of Australia’s most prolific and award-winning producers who has made films and television across a broad spectrum of genres with many of the world’s major broadcast platforms and distributors. Previously co-founder and CEO of the Essential Media Group and a founding partner and managing director of Hilton Cordell Productions, Chris has financed, executive produced or produced over 500 hours of content from feature films and scripted series through feature docs, true crime, CGI and animation driven series for broadcast clients including Disney, Fox, Discovery, National Geographic. ViacomCBS, A&E Networks, PBS, BBC, Channel Four and Arté France and Germany as well as all Australian television networks.

Unscripted highlights include DEALING WITH THE DEMON, SHADOWPLAY, DYING TO LEAVE, MY BROTHER THE SERIAL KILLER, THE FLOATING BROTHEL, THE GARAMMAR OF HAPPINESS, LIVING UNIVERSE and CITIZENS AT WAR: A YEAR IN UKRAINE. Scripted highlights include the feature film SAVING MR BANKS (Tom Hanks & Emma Thompson), comedy-drama RAKE (5 seasons for ABC starring Richard Roxburgh and a US adaptation for Fox with Greg Kinnear), crime series JACK IRISH (3 telemovies and 2 seasons for ABC starring Guy Pearce) and most recently TROPPO (with Thomas Jane).

Susie Jones

Susie Jones is the Head of Documentary and Specialist at the ABC, responsible for all internal and external Factual commissions, including documentaries, formats and series. Since joining the ABC in 2023 she has led the development, production and commissions of many high-quality, thought-provoking factual programmes including the new series THE ASSEMBLY and I WAS ACTUALLY THERE. She has also launched a new Australian Documentary Features strand showcasing the country’s best contemporary factual storytelling. Before joining the ABC, she has worked for Netflix ANZ; SBS, Matchbox Pictures, BBC Comedy.

Joseph Maxwell

Joseph oversees commissioning for all unscripted content at SBS Australia. This ranges from cutting edge documentaries, to travel and food shows and big entertainment events.  His slate of shows at SBS range from returning series such as WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? to landmark documentaries such as  THE AUSTRALIAN WARS and international entertainment events such as EUROVISION. In 2023 he oversaw the commissioning and launch of ALONE AUSTRALIA – the highest rating commission in SBS’s history.

Lois Randall

Lois Randall is an award-winning Australian Producer and founder of Magpie Pictures. She was Producer and EP on Magpie Pictures’ scripted series SWIFT STREET that had its world premiere in competition at CANNESERIES 2024, before its Australian premiere on SBS. Other recent credits include Goalpost Pictures’ global hit series BLACK SNOW starring Travis Fimmel (Stan and Sundance Now), the Dollhouse feature SERIOUSLY RED, starring Krew Boylan, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, and Magpie’s acclaimed children’s series GRACE BESIDE ME (NITV, ABC, Disney Channel).

Tracey Mair

Tracey Mair is one of Australia’s leading film and television communications specialists.  Tracey has extensive strategic communications, issues management, marketing and PR experience across the screen sector, including in film and television production, film distribution and television broadcast. She has provided strategic advice to various screen organisations, including Screen Australia, Screen NSW, SPA and the ADG, and production companies including Goalpost Pictures, See-Saw Films, Matchbox Pictures and Lingo Pictures.

Tracey has acted as unit publicist on dozens of Australian and international film and television productions including Black Snow, After the Party, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, The Power of the Dog, Lion, Ride Like a Girl and I Am Woman  and has managed the national PR campaigns for high-profile Australian and international feature films, including the upcoming Spit, OneLife, Lion, Ride Like a Girl and I Am Woman and TV shows such as Warwick Thornton’s The Beach.

Tracey grew up in country Victoria and, after establishing her business in Sydney and several years in Byron Bay where she raised her family, she now lives in East Ballina.

Helen Bowden

Helen is one of Australia’s most prolific and highly awarded television drama producers.  In 2015 she formed Lingo Pictures with Jason Stephens and together they have made ten series in eight years.  This includes two seasons of The Secrets She Keeps starring Laura Carmichael and Jessica de Gouw, and two seasons of Upright starring Tim Minchin for Sky and Foxtel.

In 2023, Helen delivered Erotic Stories, an anthology series for SBS and ITV Studios, After the Party, a thrilling drama starring Robyn Malcolm and Peter Mullan for TVNZ, ABC, and ITV Studios, and Queen of Oz, an original comedy created by and starring Catherine Tate for BBC1 and Fifth Season.

Helen was a founder and Managing Director of Matchbox Pictures, which sold to NBCUniversal in early 2014. In 2022 Helen and Jason sold a majority stake in Lingo Pictures to ITV Studios International.

Rachel Okine

Rachel Okine has recently joined the ABC as the Head of Scripted, overseeing the Australian broadcaster’s scripted Drama and Comedy slates. After starting her career over 20 years ago in acquisitions at FilmFour, Rachel Okine was the first employee of Hopscotch, later becoming the Acquisitions Executive for eOne ANZ and Head of Development for Hopscotch Features. Okine moved back to Europe in 2015 to become Paris-based VP of International Production and Acquisitions for Studiocanal and was subsequently appointed VP of International Acquisitions for STX. Returning to Australia in 2020, Okine was appointed Managing Director of Academy Award-nominated production company Aquarius Films to strategically lead its film and TV operations. Okine joined Australian streaming service Stan in 2021 as Senior Commissioning Editor, overseeing a slate of scripted drama and comedy, feature films and feature documentaries.