New director of Film Australia Board

The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, today announced the three-year appointment of Mr Steven Skala to the Board of Film Australia. Mr Skala will assume the position of Chairman of the Board from 1 September 2004, following the retirement from the Board of the current Chairman, Mr Robert Fisher.

'It gives me great pleasure to welcome Mr Skala to the Board of Film Australia,' Senator Kemp said.

'Mr Skala is a commercial solicitor with more than 20 years experience in corporate law and is a senior partner at the Melbourne law firm of Arnold Bloch Leibler.

'In addition he brings a wealth of cultural management experience to Film Australia through his association with the Australian Ballet, as the current Chairman of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the board of the Channel Ten Group, and through his involvement with International Council of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

'I would also like to thank Mr Fisher for his work as Chairman of Film Australia since 1999,' Senator Kemp said.

'Mr Fisher's association with the Australian film and television industry for the last twenty years has been a great asset to the Board of Film Australia.'

Film Australia is an Australian Government-owned production and distribution company with a mission focussing on the creation of an audio-visual record of Australian life.

It is one of the nation's largest producers of television documentaries and educational programs and also supports the independent documentary production sector through the provision of facilities and services.

CANBERRA
24 June 2004

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Media contact: Richard Wise, 02 6277 7350 or 0438 204 554