Senator the Hon. George Brandis S.C.

Minister for the Arts and Sport

The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator George Brandis, said today the Government had decided to nominate Ms Sandra Levy as the Director of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School for a three year term.

Ms Levy’s appointment will take effect subject to the Governor-General in Executive Council formalising the decision.

Senator Brandis said Ms Levy will offer leadership that will strengthen the Australian Film, Television and Radio School’s position as an industry leader in education and training for the creative sector.

Ms Levy has held several important leadership roles in Australia’s film and television sector over the past 20 years. She was Head of Drama at the ABC from 1986–1989, part of the successful leadership team at Southern Star for 10 years, and rejoined the ABC from 2001 until 2005 as Director of Television, where she played a vital role in increasing ABC TV audience numbers.

Ms Levy has produced many hours of critically acclaimed feature films and television drama and received major Australian and international awards, including selection of The Well for competition at the Cannes Film Festival, the award winning High Tide and the television mini-series Palace of Dreams, as well as Police Rescue, and Secret Men’s Business amongst many others.

She is a former board member of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, the Film Finance Corporation Australia and the Australian Film Commission, and is currently on the Board of the Sydney Theatre Company and NSW Cultural Management Ltd.

The Australian Film, Television and Radio School is Australia’s leading professional education and advanced training school for film, television and radio and is receiving funding of over $20 million from the Australian Government in 2006-07.

Visit www.aftrs.edu.au for more information about the Australian Film, Television Radio School.

Media contact:  Travis Bell 0448 950 248

14 June 2007

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