Screen Australia hires new head of production and head of legal services
Screen Australia has refreshed its senior leadership team with Sally Caplan named as the new head of production and Jane Supit the association’s head of legal services.
Caplan joins Screen Australia from Entertainment One (eOne) Films International where she was managing director from November 2011 until May this year. Caplan, who has 25 years’ experience across all aspects of financing, development, acquisition, production and distribution, set up eOne’s sales division in the UK and oversaw international film sales operations.
Before joining EOne, Caplan headed the UK Film Council’s Premiere Fund for five years and oversaw the production of more than 45 films including The King’s Speech, Miss Potter and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. She has also worked with Icon Film Distribution, Momentum Pictures and Universal Pictures International.
Supit, an Australian Government Solicitor heading the AGS commercial team, has acted in the legal services role since August.
Screen Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Graeme Mason, said Caplan’s experience with the UK Film Council is highly relevant to her new role.
“She has been extremely successful in combining her strong creative, commercial and business acumen within a government body,” he said. “Her tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise is a huge asset to Screen Australia.”
He said Supit’s commercial experience and specialist knowledge in intellectual property issues in the area of information communication technology will be invaluable to Screen Australia as the industry increasingly moves towards multi-platform formats.
“She has a great passion for the screen production industry, and together with the committed team of entertainment law specialists at the agency led by Jane, I believe our legal services department is a great asset to the industry,” Mason Said.
Caplan will start as head of production early in the new year after relocating from the UK, and Supit will officially commence her new role December 10.
Let’s hope that Sally and Graeme can effect a huge turnaround for Screen Australia. Australian films at the box office if you exclude The Great Gatsby is absolutely woeful and the worst in years. It really needs some bright ideas combined with great experience which they both have. I wish them luck.
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Oh dear god, people who seem suitably qualified working for a government screen funding body! I never though this day would come.
Let’s hope they can breakdown the bad-club mentality and start supporting young and innovative new film makers to try and turn the industry around.
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Harry, let’s hope that they can spell “affect”.
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@ The Doctor… Uhh… I think Harry meant ‘effect’ just as he wrote! It is a verb, after all.
Contributor niggles aside, a great appointment for Screen Australia. To have that broad international experience embedded in the key funding body can only be a good thing. It is particularly relevant that she has experience in both commercial and government bodies.
Good luck to her and all of us she affects!
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