New role for Adelaide Film Festival director
Film & TV
Adelaide Film Festival artistic director and CEO Amanda Duthie will step down from her role after next month’s festival to take up a new position with the South Australian Film Corporation.
The SAFC announced this morning that Duthie has been appointed head of production, development, attraction and studios, which will see her responsible for “investment in screen content development and production”, as well as attracting national and international productions to the state.
Duthie said that after six years working on the Adelaide Film Festival, it was “time to pursue new challenges”.
“It is an incredibly exciting time in screen production in South Australia,” she told InDaily of her new role.
“SAFC’s new development guidelines have opened the door to new, fresh and diverse voices and I look forward to working with the local industry and beyond to develop and support their stories to the screen.”
Duthie moved to Adelaide in 2011 to take up the Adelaide Film Festival position, having previously been head of arts and entertainment at ABC TV. Since 2017 she has also been CEO of the tech-based Hybrid World Adelaide.
She has commissioned 58 projects for the Adelaide Film Festival Fund, including award-winning films such as Warwick Thornton’s Australian western Sweet Country (winner of last year’s Venice Special Jury Prize) and Rolf de Heer’s Charlie’s Country.
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Another AFF Fund movie, The Nightingale, directed by Australian Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), won the Special Jury Prize at last week’s Venice Film Festival. It will have its Australian premiere at next month’s Adelaide Film Festival, as will fellow fund recipient Hotel Mumbai, by SA filmmaker Anthony Maras, which recently earned glowing reviews at the Toronto Film Festival.
“The Adelaide Film Festival has been extremely fortunate to have Amanda Duthie at its helm and her legacy is incredibly rich,” festival chair Sandra Sdraulig said in a statement.
“With her exceptional talent for investing in the bold, diverse and distinctive talents, Amanda has driven the success of the Adelaide Film Festival Fund to phenomenal new heights, collecting major prizes from Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance and beyond.”
SAFC CEO Courtney Gibson said Duthie’s “creative vision and strategic leadership” would be a great advantage to the corporation – “we couldn’t be happier that she’s joining us”.
Duthie’s final Adelaide Film Festival program will be presented over 12 days from October 10, and features more than 130 features, documentaries, animation, shorts, VR, installation and moving image works, including 17 world premieres and 30 Australian premieres.
Recruitment for a new Adelaide Film Festival CEO and artistic director will begin ahead of the next biennial festival in 2020.
Read Amanda Duthie’s recent interview with CityMag about the role of a festival director here, and see our 2018 Adelaide Film Festival preview here.
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