Film Victoria President, John Howie, has announced the appointments of Robert Murray, CEO of game developer Firemint, and Academy Award nominated screenwriter, Jan Sardi to the Film Victoria Board. Robert and Jan’s expertise across the digital media and screen production sectors will bring valuable hands-on experience and perspective to Film Victoria as it continues to drive and support screen activity.
Jan Sardi is an Academy Award nominated screenwriter with extensive film and television credits to his name including Shine, The Notebook, Love’s Brother (which he also directed) and most recently Mao’s Last Dancer, the upcoming film based on Li Cunxin’s best selling memoir, to be directed by Bruce Beresford.
John Howie said, ‘We’re thrilled to have Jan appointed to the board. He has more than 25 years experience, predominantly in writing but now also directing Australian film and television productions with many high profile credits to his name.’
Jan is excited about his new role with the board that will see him contribute to the success of the industry in a new way. ‘The relationship between local screenwriters, producers and industry bodies like Film Victoria, is critical to the ongoing success of the industry. I’m excited to take on this position where I can share my knowledge and experience to the benefit of other Victorian practitioners.’
During his 15 years experience in the game development industry, Robert Murray gained hands-on knowledge developing on PC and console for Torus Games before starting his own company, Firemint. Under Rob’s leadership, Firemint has grown to more than 30 people and has won awards including ‘Best Startup’ and ‘Best Mobile Game’ from the Australian Game Developers Conference (2005), ‘Best Mobile Game’ from the Game Developers Association of Australia (2006), ‘Best of E3 – Mobile (Sports)’ from the Internet Gaming Network (2006) and Excellence in 3D from the International Mobile Gaming Awards (2007). Firemint’s strong financial and export performance was recently recognised with a Commendation in the Governor of Victoria’s Export Awards – Information and Communication Technology category (2007).
John Howie said, ‘Robert is another exciting addition to our board. The state’s digital media sector is evolving at a rapid pace, and Robert’s extensive technical and managerial background will be invaluable in maximising opportunities for digital media practitioners and production houses.’
In his role at Firemint, Robert oversaw the development of numerous proprietary software engines and secured mobile phone game projects such as Need For Speed Most Wanted, EA Sports Madden NFL ’07 3D, EA Sports Madden NFL ’08 3D, The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive, FIA World Rally Championship and Ratatouille, working with leading publishers including EA, THQ, Disney and I-play. Robert has also been instrumental in the development of Richmotion; innovative software that allows designers and developers to create interactive content for mobile devices such as phones and PDAs.
Robert commented on his new appointment, ‘It’s an exciting time for the digital media sector; it’s increasingly a key contributor to screen industry growth. Film Victoria has displayed strong support for the Victorian digital media industry and I’m excited to be in a position to help further the success of local talent and projects.’
[release from Solid Ink]