Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher, Corrie Chen and Film Victoria president Ian Robertson.
Three leading screen practitioners were honoured by Film Victoria at the Seen & Screened event in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
Director/writer Corrie Chen received the Greg Tepper award and Lumi Consulting’s Katie Gall and Lauren Clinnick were presented with the Tim Richards award.
“I feel so lucky to have been so warmly embraced by Film Victoria with opportunities at this early stage of my career, as well as the generosity of a few champions in this industry,” said Chen, who was supported by its writers’ initiative Catapult in 2016.
“The past recipients of this award are all filmmakers I adore and respect so I’m extremely humbled and thrilled to have my name alongside theirs. It’s a pretty exciting time where anything feels possible.”
Inaugurated in 1992, the Greg Tepper award has been bestowed on numerous screen identities including in recent years Kitty Green, Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler, Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw, Joanna Werner, Tony Briggs and Shaun Grant.
Chen paid tribute to her parents as her greatest inspiration, declaring: “My skin, my gender, my sexuality – they’ve made me who I am.”
The Lumi partners said: “We deeply respect the previous winners and it means so much to have the achievements of our brilliant team honoured in this way.
“It fills us with determination every time we see teams breathe life into game projects. We’re proud to be colleagues among diverse creators that are bold in their choices, creating experiences that share personal truths. If the status quo makes you feel weird, you probably inspire us too.”
Launched in 2008, the Tim Richards award was won in recent years by Lisy Kane, Hipster Whale, Loveshack Entertainment, Antichamber and Wicked Witch.
Chen started out shadowing the directors on Matchbox Pictures’ Nowhere Boys, Endemol Shine Australia’s Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door and on the final season of HBO’s The Leftovers.
Subsequently she directed episodes of the Matchbox/ABC teen comedy Mustangs FC, the Endemol Shine Banks/ Network Ten drama Sisters and the SBS/Generator Pictures short-form comedy series Homecoming Queens, which premieres on SBS On Demand on April 12.
Chen said she is co-writing/co-creating the feature screenplay Empty Empire, supported by Screen Australia, with writer Penelope Chai and producer Sue Maslin, and an ABC show with Create NSW.
Founded in 2012, Lumi Consulting provides PR, marketing and consulting expertise to businesses and individuals, specialising in the Victorian games community.
Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher said: “Corrie, Katie and Lauren are incredible achievers in their respective fields and are testament to the passion, leadership and influence of Victorian women in the screen sector.”