ACTF
Australian Children's Television Foundation
For the past three decades, the ACTF has helped to develop children’s television policy; distribute and invest in Australian children’s television series; support new, innovative and entertaining children’s media; and develop valuable screen resources for the education sector.
Anna Potter and Amanda Lotz
Anna Potter is the Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research) School of Creative Industries at the University of the Sunshine Coast and Amanda Lotz is a Professor of Media Studies at the Queensland University of Technology.
Bernadette O’Mahony
ACTF Head of Development and Production
Bernadette O’Mahony oversees the ACTF’s development, production and distribution activities. She has worked in the film and television industry since the 1980s, and her name is linked to a number of prominent Australian productions including The Henderson Kids, The Flying Doctors, Spotswood, The Man From Snowy River (TV series) and Crackers. Since joining the ACTF, Bernadette has worked on Crash Zone, Legacy of the Silver Shadow, the award-winning series Mortified, Lockie Leonard (Series 1 and 2), Dance Academy (Series, 1, 2 and 3) and My Place (Series 1 and 2), Worst Year of My Life, Again and Bushwhacked!
Charlie
High School Student
Charlie completed a week of work experience with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation in 2018.
Chris Tompkins
Former ACTF Legal Manager
Chris has responsibility for the ACTF’s internal legal services (including in relation to development investment and distribution) and government funding. Chris has worked in-house and at law firms in Australia, the UK and New Zealand. Prior to joining the ACTF, Chris set up the legal function at an ASX-listed global sports and media company.
Craig Mathieson
Craig Mathieson has been the film critic for The Sunday Age since March 2012, having previously held the same position for Rolling Stone and The Bulletin. The former magazine editor writes widely on film, music and television, and is still able to quote sizeable chunks of the dialogue from Michael Mann's Heat.
David Tiley
Editor, Screenhub
In his long career, David Tiley has been a researcher, writer and director in documentary, community and corporate education, and a science magazine show for television, both in Australia and the UK, with a side order of script editing in fiction. He has worked for Film Victoria, the former Australian Film Commission, CSIRO, Open Channel, AFTRS and Melbourne University, though the majority of his knockabout professional life has been as a freelancer. Since 2005, he has edited screenhub, and crafted a distinctive mix of curiosity, humour and objectivity. He now calls himself a writer who works in screen media, and admits he is a tragic policy and finance wonk.
Don Groves
Writer, Inside Film Magazine
Don Groves is an experienced entertainment journalist. He writes for Inside Film and C21 Media, and manages the Content Cafe blog for Creative Content Australia. Previously, he spent 24-years working at Variety in both Sydney and London. Don has also worked as an editor and contributing editor of TV Asia Plus, Deadline.com and SBS Film, and as an online movie critic for Australia’s Foxtel and Showtime networks.Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia’s highest profile child and adolescent psychologists. He is the author of 14 books and has held positions on the Board of CanTeen, the Australian Psychological Society, the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.
Dr. Anna Potter
Senior Researcher at the University of Queensland
Dr Anna Potter spent ten years working in the commercial television industry in London for Rupert Murdoch's PAY TV operation BSkyB, where she specialised in program production and classification. Her main research interests include the production and distribution of children's television, the use of program formats and the production practices of transnational independent production companies. Anna has published in high quality international journals such as Media International Australia, the International Journal of Cultural Studies and the International Journal of Learning.
Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg
Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia's highest profile adolescent and child psychologists. He has worked as an academic, researcher, and political lobbyist. He is the resident parenting expert on Channel 7's Sunrise, as well as a social commentator on the Morning Show with Neil Mitchell on Radio 3AW and Sky News.
Ella Barton
ACTF Production Assistant
Ella Barton is the assistant to the ACTF's Head of Development and Production, Bernadette O’Mahony, and handles the day-to-day administrative tasks of the Production department. Ella is also the first point of call for funding and script enquiries.
Emma Field
Media and Communications Manager at the ACTF
Holly Tosi
Former ACTF Production Assistant
Holly is the first point of call for funding and script enquiries. She also manages the day to day administrative tasks of the ACTF's Production department.
Janet Holmes à Court
ACTF Board (Chairman)
Janet Holmes a Court is the Chairman of the ACTF Board. She is passionate about the arts, the environment, children’s television and human rights. Janet believes that you need to participate in life to get the most out of it.
Janine Kelly
National Curriculum Manager
Janine advocates for inclusive and representative screen stories that engage children, affirm their identities, and build empathy in the classroom and beyond. This focus is emphasised in the learning content, programs, and experiences she produces and in her outreach to teachers and schools. Before joining the ACTF, Janine taught in a range of educational settings locally and abroad.
Jenna Guillaume
Freelance Writer and Editor
Jenna Guillaume is a former editor and writer of BuzzFeed Australia and Girlfriend Magazine. She writes about pop culture, feminism and Australian identity. Jenna is also the author of What I Like About Me, a funny and heartfelt YA rom-com.
Jenny Buckland
ACTF CEO
Jenny is the CEO of the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF). She has played a key role in positioning the ACTF as a national children's media and policy hub, and growing the business to become one of the most successful international marketers of children's television programs.
Jo Kasch
Development Manager
Joshua M. Griffiths
Joshua M. Griffiths has worked in the property, culture, community and legal sphere and holds arts and law degrees. He is passionate about journalism, policy, underground culture and the arts. Josh runs the culture brand and website ‘The Aither,’ and also writes and volunteers in his spare time.
Julia Fimiani
ACTF Legal and Policy Assistant
Julia’s roles at the ACTF include research into children’s television at both a local and international level as well as other policy related research. Additionally, she also assists with legal matters.
Karl Quinn
Writer, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
Karl is a senior entertainment writer at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He co-hosts podcast 'The Clappers' and regularly talks film on ABC radio Melbourne with Raf Epstein.
Karsan Hutchinson
Classroom Teacher, Thorndon Park Primary School, South Australia
Kim Dalton
ABC Director of Television, 2006-2012
Koa Whittingham, Amy Mitchell and Ben Mitchell
The University of Queensland
Koa Whittingham is a Psychologist and Research Fellow at The University of Queensland, Amy Mitchell is a Research Fellow at The University of Queensland and Ben Mitchell is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland.
Kylie Bracknell
Kylie Bracknell (formerly Kylie Farmer) [Kaarljilba Kaardn] is an accomplished actress, voice-over artist, TV presenter, writer and director from the south west of Western Australia - the Noongar nation.
Lauren Thuys
Receptionist at ACTF
Liam Burke
Associate Professor Liam Burke is the discipline leader of Cinema and Screen Studies at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia and part of the Australian Children's Television Cultures (ACTC) team investigating Australian kids' TV as part of a landmark four-year study.
Lily Pavlovic
ACTF Digital Communications Officer and Education Coordinator
Lily manages Digital Communications, including content creation for the ACTF's website, eNewsletters, social media profiles and blog. For Education, Lily coordinates webinars and professional learning events. She also provides administrative support for the development and delivery of education resources.
Melody Wilkinson
Former ACTF Intern
Melody completed a communications internship with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation in 2019. She has recently completed her Master's studies in Global Media Communication at the University of Melbourne.
Michael Carrington
ABC Head of Children's and Education
Millie Holten
Screenwriting Student - Victorian College of the Arts
Millie completed a two week internship with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation. She is currently studying screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts.
MIPTrends
MIPTrends is the place where can you learn, share and get inspired by the biggest trends in television and digital content, through exclusive content based on expert analysis. This article was written by Andy Fry, edited by Julian Newby, and appears in the MIPJunior Preview Magazine.
Nathanael Cooper
Nathanael Cooper is the deputy culture editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Paul Gartside
Paul has worked in the Australian screen industry for 15 years as a writer, script editor and script producer. He has a passion for compelling, heartfelt storytelling, and believes content for younger viewers should be just as emotionally complex, thematically rich, and (most importantly!) edge-of-your-seat entertaining as content for grown-ups.
Peter Maggs
ACTF Head of Education
Peter Maggs is the Head of Education at the ACTF. Peter's main role has been to empower teachers and children to become innovative, creative and collaborative digital participants.
Rachel Clements
Producer/Writer, Brindle Films
Rachel has produced over 80 hours of film and television, from remote Aboriginal communities to international locations. Films produced by Rachel have won many awards including AFI and Australian Writers Guild Awards. She has produced documentaries, television comedy series, children’s television drama, short dramas and magazine-style television.
Roberta Di Vito
ACTF International Sales Manager
Roberta is a part of our friendly Sales team. She negotiates program sales which see ACTF programs screened all over the world. Roberta manages territories across Asia, Canada, Eastern Europe, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Africa.
Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield
Mitchell Peter "Mitch" Fifield is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Victoria for the Liberal Party since March 2004.
Tim Hegarty
ACTF International Sales Manager
ACTF International Sales Manager, Tim Hegarty, negotiates program sales that see ACTF programs screened all over the world. Tim's distribution territories include the USA, Latin America, Western Europe (excluding Italy, Greece, Portugal and Spain), Middle East and the Pacific.
Tony Thorne
Little J and Big Cuz Director & Designer
Tony’s endearing character design and vivid sense of place for Little J & Big Cuz is the culmination of his rich and diverse experience as an animation director, illustrator, visual artist, author of graphic novels and comic book illustrator.
Tony has worked on a series of senior animation positions in the UK on high profile features including Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, The Hunger Games, Happy Feet II, District 9, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ella Enchanted, and Valiant.
Tyson Mowarin
Producer and Director
Tyson, through his production company, Weerianna Street Media, has produced, written and directed factual content and short films since 2009. Tyson’s award-winning short films, including Mabuji (2009) and Ngurra Wangaggu (2013), have screened at key Australian and international festivals. Tyson is the co-director and co-producer of children's drama series, Thalu.
Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler
Gristmill
Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler are actors, writers, directors and producers who run the Australian production company, Gristmill. Hope and Butler are the creative forces behind popular children’s series including Little Lunch and The Inbestigators. Between them, the duo has co-created, wrote, produced and directed series including The Librarians, Very Small Business and Upper Middle Bogan.
Will Hall
Will has an emerging career in the arts and has trained as an actor at the Victorian College of the Arts. He has worked as a performer, dramaturg and notetaker in the independent theatre scene in Melbourne. He believes children are experts in bold and energetic storytelling and he hopes to emulate these traits in his own work.