The Honourable Roslyn Atkinson AO

Chair

The Honourable Roslyn Atkinson AO is a lawyer, former actor and arts administrator, with extensive experience chairing boards, a lifetime commitment to human rights and diversity, and whose main interest outside her profession is in film.

Ms Atkinson was a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 1998 to 2018. During that time she was responsible for many high-profile criminal and civil trials. She was also the Chair of the Queensland Indigenous Justice committee, lead author of the Equal Treatment Bench book and Chair for 12 years of the Queensland Law Reform Commission.

She was also a member of the Board of Expressions Dance Company. In 2015, Ms Atkinson was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the judiciary and to law reform in Queensland, through contributions to the legal profession and to promoting awareness of issues of injustice and inequality in Australia and internationally. From 2019 to 2022, Ms Atkinson was President of LawRight, an organisation which co-ordinates the provision of pro bono legal services by the legal profession in Queensland. She has a life-long commitment to the arts, encouraging diversity and genuine equality particularly for First Nations people and people from diverse cultural backgrounds, women and people with disability.

Patricia Alner

Board Member

Patricia has over 25 years of experience in strategy and finance, asset planning and management, performance management systems, data analytics and digital solutions, change management and business process improvement.

Patricia has a Bachelor of Informatics from Griffith University, a Graduate Diploma in Communication and a Master of Business (Communication studies) from QUT. She has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting from QUT and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA).

Patricia is Chair of Screen Queensland’s Audit and Risk Committee. She is also an Independent member of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC), and Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, and former Non-Executive Director of the Asset Institute Australia.

Lynne Benzie

Board Member

Lynne Benzie has over 34 years in the film, television and entertainment industry. Her career started in the United Kingdom in Engineering. She then migrated to Australia in 1979 where she developed a very diverse background in the insurance, finance, legal, building and information technology industries, which led her to a position with EMI Records in promotion and marketing. Lynne joined Village Roadshow Studios in 1990 as PA to the General Manager of the Studios. After 5 years of being involved in the operations of the Studio Complex, she was promoted to Studio Manager, then to Vice President Studios Operations and in January 2008 was promoted to President of the Studios. In her capacity as President of Studios she is responsible for the day to day running and operations of the Studio Complex including studio financial planning and marketing. She travels to the USA. twice a year and works closely with Screen Queensland and City of Gold Coast to attract productions to Queensland and lobby governments to increase incentives. Lynne was on the Board of the Pacific Film and Television Commission for 7 years and was Chair on Film Gold Coast and a committee member for REDAB (Regional Economic Development & Advisory Board for the film industry). Bond University – Film and TV advisory board, QUT – Creative Industries Faculty Advisory Committee, Jobs Queensland Advisory Committee and in 2018 was on the board for Gold Coast Film Festival. Lynne is now currently on the Board of Ausfilm Australia, Screen Queensland, Gold Coast and Brisbane Film Festival.

Aaron Fa’Aoso

Board Member

Aaron Fa’Aoso is a Torres Strait Islander, actor, screenwriter, director and producer. Since 2013 he has been the Managing Director of his own production company, Lone Star.

Aaron is the producer and presenter of Strait to the Plate, an NITV SBS Food series featuring the culture and culinary traditions of the Torres Strait. Aaron has also starred in films and TV series including RAN: Remote Area Nurse, East West 101, The Straits, Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, Black Comedy and Goldstone.

Aaron actively supports and mentors other film practitioners and is a SBS board member, Indigenous connections committee member of the National Film and Sound Archive and member of the Interim Truth and Treaty body (QLD) and was previously a board member of Media RING—an industry group that developed and enhanced career opportunities for First Nations Australians in the media.

Dean Gibson

Board Member

Dean Gibson is an Aboriginal filmmaker with over 20 years’ experience in creating, writing, directing, editing and producing content. His work screens regularly on ABC, SBS and NITV and includes children’s television, documentary and drama. Dean’s onscreen highlights in the children’s television space include directing a Sesame Street film Five Kangaroos, featuring Jessica Mauboy. His most recent work Tjitji Lullaby and Marringa Lullaby for ABC Kids plays all Australian toddlers to bed nightly. Dean also created and co-directed the series Handball Heroes, which screened on ABC3.

In documentary, Dean recently delivered Incarceration Nation to NITV/SBS in which he is the Writer and Director. Incarceration Nation is a Feature Documentary focusing on the systemic racism of the justice system within Australia. Its successes include: Logie Award winner 2021-22 for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program, finalist for 2022 Walkley Awards and finalist ATOM Best Feature Documentary. Dean was also the writer and director of Wik vs Queensland that premiered at the 2018 Sydney International Film Festival.

Most recently, Dean directed the 6-part science documentary series First Weapons for ABC, Black Fella Films and Inkey Media, due for release in 2023. Outside of the film industry, he currently sits on the Board of Screen Queensland, Queensland Theatre, Griffith University Film School Advisory Board, Essential Screen Skills Industry Advisory Board and the Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club.

Cathy Hunt AM

Board Member

Cathy is a successful cultural sector consultant and business woman with over 30 years' experience providing research and advice to governments, architects, planners, arts and cultural organisations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, as the co-founding director of Brisbane-based Positive Solutions.

She is the founder of QuickstART, an interest free loan program for artists and creatives and was an advisor to the $1 million Arts Business Innovation Fund (ABIF), a partnership between the Queensland state government and Tim Fairfax Family Foundations. Formerly a festival producer in the UK, Cathy returned to that role in 2014, bringing the WOW (Women of the World) Festival movement to Australia.

As Executive Director of non-profit company One Mind, Cathy has been the Executive Producer of WOW Festivals and events for the last seven years and is a global advisor to the WOW Foundation in London.

Cathy is on the Advisory Committee for the Queensland Women’s Strategy and in 2023 became a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to the arts, culture and women.

Dylan Miklashek

Board Member

Dylan Miklashek has over 25 years’ experience in the video game industry working for Gameloft, EA, Pandemic and THQ. He has lead teams on major franchises including FIFA, WWE, Batman and The Oregon Trail. Dylan worked at Gameloft Brisbane from 2014 to 2023 as Studio Manager and Managing Director. During his tenure the studio delivered My Little Pony, The Oregon Trail, Ballistic Baseball and Zombie Anarchy. In 2022 the studio won an AGDA for Australian Studio of the Year.

Kylee Ratz

Board Member

Kylee is a veteran of the film and television industry with over 28 years of experience. The last 18 years have seen her take the helm of Cutting Edge as Group General Manager, leading a team of over 100 creatives across Australia and Internationally. As Group General Manager Kylee seeks out and provides the context for organisational Information. She helps her colleagues and industry associates make sense of what they read and hear while ensuring information is relevant so every employee knows how they belong in the bigger picture. Kylee is recognised for her focus on building trusted relationships with clients and colleagues and delivering quality productions through a high performing workforce. She has a proven track record for being agile, dedicated and passionate about the industry through her diverse catalogue of work. Kylee started the Cutting Edge Film and TV Mentoring and Internship Program in 2006 which still supports and guides the next generation of creative professionals nearly two decades later. Her ability to transform the landscape of a business and mentoring fellow colleagues is one of the most rewarding parts of her career.

Professor Herman Van Eyken

Board Member

Professor Herman Van Eyken is currently a Director at the Griffith Film School and is appointed as a member of the Creative Arts Research Institute, Griffith University. Professor Van Eyken has a background in script writing, producing and directing. He has directed more than 190 films – shortlisted within international competition of leading film festivals such as Cannes, New York, Montreal and Vienna. Many of his films have received top awards in their respective category. Professor Van Eyken’s research interests lay in film policies, cross cultural collaboration and film training needs for professionals.