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Sophia Zachariou departs Create NSW

Sophia Zachariou.

Sophia Zachariou has resigned as Create NSW’s director, screen investment, engagement and attraction, and has already departed the agency.

The highly-regarded executive, who was previously head of development and production at Screen NSW, quit late last week. She went to the office on Monday to inform the staff.

A Create NSW spokesperson told IF that Zachariou had decided to leave to “pursue other opportunities within the screen industry,” adding: “We thank her for her passion and commitment to Create NSW and wish Sophia all the best for her future endeavours.”

Senior manager Sally Regan has been appointed as acting director, screen investment, engagement and attraction, and a recruitment process to appoint a new director will begin soon.

IF understands she clashed with Elizabeth W. Scott, Create NSW’s executive director, investment and engagement, who started in August, replacing Michael Brealey.

Some staffers who transferred across to Create NSW when Screen NSW merged with Arts NSW are known to have been unhappy with the enlarged department’s bureaucracy and management instability.

Courtney Gibson quit as Screen NSW CEO and later took the helm of the SAFC. Brealey departed in late March and in June was appointed as Screen Australia’s chief operating officer.

Previously Zachariou was deputy head of entertainment at ABC TV, where she was the network executive producer on the Gruen series, Kitchen Cabinet with Annabel Crabb, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, The Chaser’s Media Circus, The Chaser’s War on Everything, Saturday Night Crack Up, Agony, The Checkout and At the Movies.

She also developed digital formats including comedy series Fresh Blood and Canberra Al Desko with Annabel Crabb for iview.

Scott – who has worked in the arts for 25 years across the US, UK and Australia – joined the agency from New York. She has previously worked as the chief media and digital officer at the Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts, counselled leading arts and cultural organisations and digital start-ups as an industry advisor, and managed Major League Baseball’s film and television production and licensing businesses.