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$60,000 SQ Mentorship Program backs diverse talent on the path to success


$60,000 SQ Mentorship Program backs diverse talent on the path to success

Screen Queensland has just announced the three recipients of its inaugural SQ Mentorship Program. The 2018 recipients are Meg O’Connell, Ben Southwell, Maxine Williamson each being awarded $20,000 to help them reach their career goals.

The SQ Mentorship Program is part of Screen Queensland’s commitment to ensure that talented people from diverse backgrounds who represent the rich culture of our state, are given the chance to excel in their careers in the screen industry.

It is an opportunity for Queensland practitioners across a range of roles to design their own program that sets ambitious career goals and works with experts in their field to help reach them and elevate their professional practice.

About the 2018 SQ Mentorship recipients:

Meg O’Connell is an exceptional producer and creative who has built significant credits in her career so far.  While at WildBear Entertainment she worked on Australia Doesn’t Just Want to Kill You, A Tale of Two Cities and 1984, and from there moved to Ludo Studio where she’s been Development Manager on Bluey as well as producer on The Sketchy Show and Doodles. Meg’s mentorship program will traverse film, TV and online across Australian, American and European markets, assisting her ambitions to become a showrunner.

Townsville-based director Ben Southwell is on the cusp of making the next big step in his career. He directed the Screen Australia-backed short On Stage which played at festivals across Australia, as well as the NITV broadcast half hour Stand Up: Karen Edwards. Most recently, Ben took part in a director’s internship on the blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok. He will be mentored by prolific Queensland director Ivan Sen to define his career strategy and reach his aspirations of directing his first feature film.

Maxine Williamson has a long history in international film exhibition, having helped establish APSA and working as director of BIFF 2017 and BAPFF 2014-16. She is now looking to transition into producing and, with mentors in the local distribution and international production space, will work towards the goal of producing her first feature film.

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