We amplify powerful documentaries to inspire action on important social issues
Our mission and impact
We connect filmmakers, activists, educators and change-makers and empower them to maximise their advocacy and impact goals.
It is our mission to advance awareness and inspire action on important social issues by supporting independent documentary filmmakers and organisations on the front-lines of social change, and amplifying the impact of their works to encourage empathy, activism and social transformation.
Our expertise, guidance and resources help creatives, not-for-profits, educators, and change-makers work together to achieve their goals and maximise their social impact through the power of documentary.
We enable impact documentary projects to raise tax-deductible funding and make it possible for passionate philanthropists to collaborate with filmmakers to tell stories that change lives.
We support documentaries that inspire change across a broad range of issues
Our team
Dr Mitzi Goldman
Chief Executive Officer
Mitzi is a founder and CEO of Documentary Australia, having been instrumental in its realisation since its inception in 2008. With 30 years experience as a documentary director, producer and editor through her production company Looking Glass Pictures, she has created many award-winning international documentaries. Her most recent films include Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation, which was broadcast on the ABC in October 2015 and Night Parrot Stories, which premiered at the 2016 Sydney Film Festival. Previous credits include A Common Purpose, winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival and nominated for Best Feature Doc at the 2012 AACTA Awards. End of the Rainbow (SBS, ARTE, ITVS) screened at over 20 international festivals and was the winner of eight awards including the IDFA 2008 award.
Mitzi’s other credits include Hatred (ABC), Ports of Destiny (SBS), Chinese Take Away (SBS), Bloodlines (ABC), Memoirs of a Plague (NAT GEO) which screened in competition at IDFA 2010, and Love and Sex in an Age of Pornography (SBS 2013). From 2002 to 2008 Mitzi was Co-Head of Documentary at Australian Film Television and Radio School. She has also been Co-Chair of the Australian International Documentary Conference, and co-founded OzDox, a monthly forum on documentary culture. Mitzi holds a BA from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Cultural Studies and Political Philosophy.
Lisa Sherrard
Chief Financial Officer
Lisa came to the film industry after a career in banking and has a strong background in accounting and finance. Lisa Sherrard is a Production Accountant and Producer. Lisa worked on the distribution and impact campaign for Gayby Baby (2015) and with Screen Impact on the distribution of Motorkite Dreaming (2016). In 2018 Lisa gained her Diploma in Production Accounting from the Australian Film and Television School. Lisa most recently worked on Wash My Soul In the River’s Flow (2021) as Production Accountant. She was also a Producer and a part of the impact team for The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone (2022). Lisa had a variety of roles on In My Blood It Runs (2019) including Associate Producer and Production Accountant as well as part of the impact team. She is a founding member of Unquiet Collective. Lisa works part time at Documentary Australia as our Chief Financial Officer.
Annie Scoufis
Office Manager
Commencing with Documentary Australia in January 2017, Annie has 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit sector, including providing NSW/ACT Member Services for Philanthropy Australia, the national peak body for trusts and foundations, and as Grants and Office Manager for the Nelson Meers Foundation. Annie’s career has spanned all areas of philanthropy. She has had a continual interface with Australian philanthropists and non-profit members, and coordinated specialised events for Philanthropy Australia whilst also managing an array of databases and applications; supported the implementation of strategic plans; managed national conferences and coordinated the logistics for a philanthropists’ New York Study tour in 2014. Annie has a passionate interest in documentary film and is excited to have joined the Documentary Australia team.
Connect with Annie on LinkedIn
Stephanie King
Impact & Education Director
Stephanie (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker and impact producer working on unceded Gadigal, Gooniyandi and Bunuba lands. She is known for Undermined – Tales From the Kimberley, which premiered at MIFF and was awarded the Antenna Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary ahead of festivals and a national cinema release. As a director, Stephanie has created short docs for The Guardian, The Australian, The West and National Indigenous Times. Her series Voices of the River premiered at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival and won Best Documentary awards at Sydney Web Fest, Apulia Web Fest, and New Zealand Web Fest, before releasing online with impact partners and achieving a record 43,000 submissions to a government inquiry. She made follow-up series Martuwarra: River of Life with the Martuwarra Council for broadcast on NITV in 2022. Stephanie has consulted on Telly Award-winning Young, Black and Behind Bars (Al Jazeera), Incarceration Nation (NITV/SBS) and Climate Change & Other Small Talk (Why Not Theatre), and was a 2021 fellow with UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art in Brooklyn, NY.
Stephanie has also worked in the university sector, winning Green Gown Awards for her social welfare and environmental sustainability campaigns at University of Technology Sydney. She recently worked as a researcher on Indigenous housing, climate change, social equity and policy with the University of Sydney and Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
Sharlene Dadd
Partnerships & Development Director
Lucy Corrigan
Impact & Evaluation Director
Lisa Kanani
Commencing with Documentary Australia in 2016, Lisa has led impact campaigns for award-winning Australian documentary films, including Backtrack Boys (Dir. Catherine Scott), Incarceration Nation (Dir. Dean Gibson), Visible Farmer web-series (Dir. Gisela Kauffman and Producer Carston Orlt), and Delikado (Dir. Karl Malakunas).
Lisa has mentored over 20 environmental films in impact as part of the Documentary Australia Environmental Incubator Program in 2020/21 and is managing the 2023 Environmental Accelerator Program. In 2023, Lisa also leads and mentors Impact Producers in the inaugural Documentary Australia Impact Producer Program.
Lisa has over 25 years of experience in PR, marketing, events, digital communications, and design management working for high-profile agencies and campaigns including Ogilvy, Naked, There Design, Play Events and London-based agencies including Freud Communications.
Emily Carstairs
Marketing & Communications Manager
Emily has a background in marketing and content production with a focus on the not-for-profit, news, travel and entertainment sectors.
Emily believes in the importance of telling the stories that need to be heard, the stories that can help educate, empower and encourage positive change on both an individual level and as a wider community. This is why Emily loves documentaries and enjoys being part of Documentary Australia.
James Johnston
Benson Wu
Diego Garcia Luna
Digital and Communications Manager
Our board
Andrew Myer AM
Chair
Andrew Myer pursues a variety of business interests through the A V Myer Group of Companies, including property development, investment, film and Philanthropy. Andrew developed a range of residential office and retail properties for more than a decade from 2002. In addition to direction of his own investment portfolio he has been a director of The Myer Family Investments Pty Ltd since 2012 and a member of the Audit and Risk committee. He has produced and executive produced numerous feature films, television and documentary since the mid 90’s and his numerous credits include Radiance, Paper Planes, Make Hummus not War, Blueback and The Dry.
His community sector involvement has focused on for purpose organisations operating in philanthropy, the environment, social justice, film and the performing arts. Andrew became Chair of The Sidney Myer Fund in June 2020 and has been a Trustee of The Sidney Myer Fund since 2011. He was previously Vice President of The Myer Foundation from 1999 until 2003.
Andrew was Vice President of Bush Heritage Australia for nine years until March 2016. He was Chair and Deputy-Chair of the Melbourne International Film Festival for seventeen years until 2017. He was appointed Chair of Arts Centre Melbourne Foundation in June 2017 and was a trustee of the Victorian Arts Centre Trust for three years from March 2018 until February 2021. He is Chair elect of Documentary Australia and has been a director since June 2017. He joined the board of Malthouse Theatre in February 2018. He is founder and director of the Andyinc Foundation Ltd a family PAF established in 2002 that focuses on the environment, arts and social justice.
Sue Maslin AO
Deputy Chair
Sue Maslin is one of Australia’s most successful screen producers. Her smash hit The Dressmaker, became one of Australia’s all-time highest grossing films. Sue has produced and executive produced numerous documentaries including The Edge of The Possible, Harry Seidler-Modernist, Jill Bilcock Dancing The Invisible, The Show Must Go On and most recently, Brazen Hussies, and Anonymous Club – Courtney Barnett. Sue is committed to engaging and empowering audiences with ideas that matter. Her innovative rights management company, Film Art Media established in 2008 with Daryl Dellora, develops and distributes screen content across many platforms.
Sue joined the Board of Documentary Australia in August 2018 and currently holds the position of Deputy Chair. Her contribution to the screen industry has been recognised in numerous ways and in 2019 she was appointed as an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia.
Ben Ferris
Director
Ben Ferris is an internationally-acclaimed film writer and director, and an AACTA-nominated producer. In 2020 he co-founded Breathless Films, which has since produced its first five feature films: Birdeater (SFF 2023), Tennessine (SFF 2023), Love Road (SFF 2023), The Longest Weekend (SFF 2022) and Lonesome (SFF 2022). As a writer and director he has made four features: In(di)visible (Antenna FF 2022, nominated Eurimages Project Lab Award, Karlovy Vary FF), Great Observers (WWFF 2021), 57 Lawson (SUFF 2016) and Penelope (Pula FF 2009). He also Executive Produced the award-winning feature Three Blind Mice (TIFF 2008). In 2004 he won the inaugural Akira Kurosawa Memorial Grand Prix for his short film The Kitchen (2003). He was one of the original founders and then Artistic Director of the Sydney Film School (2004-2018).
Ben joined the Board in February 2019.
Anita Jacoby AM
Director
Anita Jacoby is a highly awarded television producer, media executive and company director.
She has worked in senior roles with all the commercial networks, ABC, SBS and Foxtel. In the independent sector, Anita managed Zapruder’s Other Films, executive producing original productions including Enough Rope and The Gruen Transfer, along with documentaries such as Angels & Demons and God on My Side. She was subsequently Managing Director of ITV Studios.
A leading advocate for women in media and leadership, Anita chairs the ABC Advisory Council, Co-chairs Women in Media, is a non-executive director of Documentary Australia, Chief Executive Women, PIJI and the UK Board of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation.
Anita is passionate about storytelling and the powerful role documentaries play in educating and fostering social change.
James Logie-Smith
Director
James Logie-Smith is an experienced finance professional with significant experience in finance, strategy and corporate development in the digital, consumer products and media industries. Currently with Coates Group, James has previously held CFO positions for Sara Lee Corporation’s Australia and New Zealand business, Valspar Australia and New Zealand, and Pinnacle Bakeries. James has contributed to several non-profit arts organisations in an advisory capacity in both Sydney and Chicago. James holds an MBA from Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University, has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course and is a member of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Andrew Wiseman
Director
Andrew Wiseman is a solicitor specialising in intellectual property and technology. He works with high profile international and domestic clients across many sectors, including advertising, communications, entertainment, food and beverage, franchising, IT, pharmaceutical and other wellbeing.
With the benefit of long litigation and commercial experience across the entire IP spectrum Andrew is regularly called upon to find solutions in complex strategic matters, including bringing about legal change through the courts and the legislature.
With a long love of the arts it is no coincidence that they feature prominently. Highlights include 30 years working with Sony Music and Sony Publishing and over 20 years with orchestras, painters and writers amongst many other art forms including from indigenous communities (through Art Centres and directly from community outreach). Pro bono plays a significant part of Andrew’s practice.
Michael Radovnikovic
Director
Michael Radovnikovic is the founding Director of 9Springs, a privately held Australian property investment and advisory group working with ASX listed organisations, private companies, family offices and not-for-profit clients. Michael has held multiple roles with high growth organisations focused on driving strategy and has had experience in international capital markets, including managing the delivery of projects up to A$2b. Michael is a mentor and early-stage investor to a number of Australian start-up companies. Michael comes from a family of professional musicians and is a strong advocate for the arts in Australia. Michael is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Michael joined the Board in May 2019.
Winsome Bernard
Director
Winsome Bernard embarked on an international career in 1985, joining the Business Adia Acquisition team and relocating to Australia from the UK.
In 1994, she established a successful recruitment business, later selling it to a Japanese Multi-national company in 2019.
Transitioning into mentoring and leadership, she now works as a Business Advisor and Leadership Coach and facilitates transformative issue-processing sessions for CEOs and business owners.
Her work extends to philanthropy, where she actively contributes her business skills as a board member for two charities’.