YOLANDI FRANKEN
Frankendipity Enterprises
Founder and Producer

Originally from South Africa, Yolandi Franken is a Film and TV Producer, TV-host and industry all-rounder. Nominated as Australian of the Year in 2015, she has produced four feature films, two unscripted television series and a three-part documentary series, as well as hundreds of shorter format stories. These productions were accepted and awarded at numerous prestigious film festivals, going on to receive worldwide distribution with platforms such as Amazon Prime, Tubi, Google Play, Apple TV, Plex and many others and had theatrical distribution for three of her feature films.

Her film Streets of Colour was nominated for an AACTA and SPA award in 2024. She is also the NSW Board Member of WIFT (Women in Film & Television) and previous secretary. She is the creator of Cause Film Festival, which she ran for three years before passing on her role as Festival Director. She has worked all over the world, including China, Hong Kong, South Africa, India, Dominican Republic and the USA.

REBECCA HARDMAN
See-Saw Films
Head of Legal and Business Affairs (Australia)

Rebecca Hardman is a film and television lawyer with over 20 years professional experience in the industry. She is currently the Australian Head of Legal and Business Affairs at See-Saw Films (the production company responsible for The Power of the Dog, The Stranger, Lion, Top of the Lake and The Kings Speech.

Prior to taking that position in 2015, she held senior legal and business affairs positions at Flying Bark Productions, Screen Australia, Film Finance Corporation and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Rebecca's professional expertise in the media industry encompasses all elements of the development, financing, production and distribution of feature films, television programs and online content.

Nick has spent his entire career in the film business, working across both exhibition and distribution. Prior to Umbrella, Nick has been Head of Sales and Acquisitions at Icon Films for a decade. He has also been Head of Dendy Cinemas and held senior management roles at the Sydney Film Festival and Hoyts Cinemas.

Nick has also served as a board member of Independent Cinemas Australia from 2010-2023 and Vice President of the Australian Independent Distributors Association 2017-2023.

 

Jonathan Page has worked in multiple capacities in film, television and live theatre for 25 years.  In 2010 Jonathan established Bonsai Films to work with distributors, sales agents and producers providing practical and viable solutions to exploit rights, develop projects and fund films. 

 

Through Bonsai Films, he licenses content to Australian broadcasters, streamers, airlines and online platforms and has theatrically released or consulted on over 50 feature films. Recent theatrical documentary releases include Franklin, The Rooster, Limbo and In My Blood it Runs.

 

Jonathan has executive produced numerous Australian films including The Babadook, Of An Age and Knowing the Score.

 

JANINE PEARCE
JP Media Law
Lawyer

Janine received her law degree from Columbia University School of Law in NYC. She practiced in the areas of securities, tax, mergers + acquisitions and intellectual property for 6 years at the New York and Tokyo offices of Cleary Gottlieb, a leading international law firm.  Thereafter, she worked at Viacom, where she managed distribution contracts for the Showtime and Sundance channels and advised on advertising, antitrust, copyright and trademark law.

In 1998, she moved to Australia and worked at the Film Finance Corporation (predecessor to Screen Australia) in Sydney as Legal Manager contracting investment in feature films and television drama until 2006. After a 2-year stint at a law firm helmed by Nina Stevenson, she opened JP Media Law + Consulting in 2008, where she represents creators, financiers and producers of media projects and advises on all aspects of contract and copyright law, financing and distribution.  She is qualified to practice in Australia and the United States.

Rakel Tansley is the Marketplace Manager at Screen Australia, where she provides analysis and works with producers to make sure they are getting the best commercial terms for their projects, and in turn, the best possible return for themselves and their investors.

Rakel's experience in the film and television industry spans more than 30 years in various roles in production, post-production, marketing and with sales agents at companies including Seven Network, Global Television, TVSN, CTC Productions, Zealot Productions and Arclight Films.