Staff

Karena Slaninka :: director

Karena is an award winning writer/producer and has worked in film and television in Australia and the UK for over fifteen years.

After graduating from the BA Producing program at the AFTRS in 1996, Karena set up independent production company Pagan Films, developing and producing a range of projects including: CHRIS DOYLE: STIRRED NOT SHAKEN, Winner of the ATOM award for Best Documentary 2000 - a bio-pic on maverick Australian cinematographer Chris Doyle, who won the prestigious Camera D’Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2000. LOVE AND ANARCHY: THE WILD WILD WORLD OF JAIMIE LEONARDER, a revealing insight into the former presenter of the SBS Movie Show, ALIEN UNDERWORLD, Winner Grand Jury Prize Beijing Science Film Festival 2002 and the winner of the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism . Her films have screened at numerous international festivals including Edinburgh, Chicago, Clermont Ferrand, New York, Cork, Sydney, Shanghai, Taipei, Helsinki, Turin, Hong Kong, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, St Kilda, and sold to networks worldwide including Showtime, Channel Four UK, and Canal+ France.

Prior to moving to Tasmania, Karena was the Senior Project Officer at the NSW Film and Television Office where she managed the New Feature Film Writers Scheme, and assessed projects for production and development investment. Projects she was instrumental in supporting whilst at the FTO include: Mary Bryant, Bryan Brown’s Two Twisted series, Unfolding Florence, Hating Alison Ashley, Blue Water High (Series 1&2), The Colony, Hell Has Harbour Views, Disgrace, Ten Empty.

Karena has also worked for brief periods in the positions of project co-ordinator and production manager at the Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC) and has taught producing and production management at Metro Screen, Sydney University evening college and the AFTRS. She was formerly the NSW chapter head of the Screen Producing Association from 2000 – 2002.

Karena.Slaninka@screen.tas.gov.au

Peter Howard :: business manager

Peter joined Screen Tasmania in 2004 following eight years in arts administration and event management.

Peter spent four years with Opera Australia, finishing as Company Manager in 2000 to take on the role of Cast and Production Co-ordinator for segments of the Sydney 2000 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.  In October 2000 he joined Sydney company 4-D International as Production and Event Manager for a number of events, including the Opera in the Vineyards series.

As Business Manager for Screen Tasmania, Peter liaises with all stakeholders involved with the programs of assistance, including producers, funding agencies, legal representatives and broadcasters as well as acting as liaison for intra-governmental communications.

Peter.Howard@screen.tas.gov.au

Lynne Vincent McCarthy :: project manager

Lynne Vincent McCarthy is an experienced screenwriter, script editor and assessor and has worked in the film & television industry for over 10 years, primarily in the area of film development.  She studied screenwriting and script editing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School where she graduated with a Master of Arts in 2000. While at AFTRS she wrote and script edited short films that have won awards and screened at festivals all over the world.

She has since focused on developing original feature film scripts and adaptations whilst working as a freelance script editor and external assessor for the NSW Film & Television Office, Film Victoria, The Pacific Film & Television Commission and Screen Tasmania. She has also worked as a script editor and assessor for productions companies including Mushroom Pictures, Stewart & Wall Entertainment, Beyond and New Town Films. Her recent credits as script editor include the television series Two Twisted and the feature film Acolytes for which she also wrote additional material.

Lynne’s original screenplay Axe-fall was a recipient of the NSW Film & Television Offices Aurora Script Development Initiative in 2002 and is currently in the financing stage. Lynne also designed and taught a ‘writing the short film’ course for the UBS Media centre, Sydney University, and has been a guest lecturer in script editing at the AFTRS. Prior to her film work Lynne spent many years working as a film projectionist and cinema manager for Dendy Cinemas, Sydney.

Lynne.VincentMcCarthy@screen.tas.gov.au

Chrystal Dean :: communications and events officer

Chrystal joined Screen Tasmania from Sport and Recreation Tasmania in May 2008.

In her previous role she had been responsible for the running of the prestigious Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame and the widely popular Tasmanian Sports Awards. She also undertook a review of communications between the organisation and the sector, resulting in the launch of a new-look newsletter and a soon-to-be-launched website.

Chrystal has a BA in Communication Studies, with majors in Public Relations and Media Production – making her role at Screen Tasmania a perfect fit.

As Communications and Events Officer, Chrystal is responsible for building and maintaining the brand of Screen Tasmania. Her role includes managing the flow of information between Screen Tasmania and the outside world, liaising with the Minister and the media, as well as coordinating events hosted by the organisation.

Chrystal.Dean@screen.tas.gov.au