Ask an Expert
With ASK AN EXPERT we’re making it that little bit easier to connect with key female professionals from the entertainment industry.
Dame Changer members are invited each month to participate in the ASK AN EXPERT sessions with an opportunity to meet and chat to industry experts in an intimate online forum.
During these 1-hour sessions, experts will answer business, project, funding, or career queries and will provide participants with strategic insights, insider knowledge and market intelligence.
Some of our past experts
SALLY CAPLAN
Sally Caplan has over 25 years of international experience in the screen production industry. She is a highly respected and seasoned senior executive whose roles have covered all aspects of financing, development, acquisition, production and distribution. Sally began her career as a solicitor specialising in entertainment law. In her most recent role before Screen Australia, Sally was Managing Director of eOne International (eOne), where she oversaw its international film sales operations out of the UK. Before joining eOne, Sally headed the Premiere Fund of the UK Film Council for five years, where she was responsible for funding and overseeing the production from script stage of over 45 films, including titles such as The King’s Speech, Miss Potter and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Prior to joining the UK Film Council, Sally was President of Icon Film Distribution UK and has held senior acquisition, distribution and production positions at PolyGram Filmed entertainment, Momentum Pictures and Universal Pictures International.
LIBBIE DOHERTY
Libbie Doherty is a passionate advocate for Children’s content and brings a wealth of experience to the Head of Children’s role at ABC Entertainment and Specialist (E&S). A creator and producer by trade, Libbie has over 25 years’ experience in television production, with a finely tuned creative expertise has delivered an ambitious and exciting slate to Australian children that reflects and celebrates their lives and experiences. Libbie has a deep understanding of the domestic and international markets and has been instrumental in forging new relationships in the television and digital viewing landscape.
Libbie oversees 60+ internal creatives, producing over 380 hours of internally produced and commissioned content across all genres including preschool, drama, comedy, animation, factual, ob doc for the ABC’s Children’s ecosystem including two dedicated children’s channels, ABCME and ABC KIDS, ABC Kids Listen the ABC Children’s Radio Channel and podcasts. Libbie’s vision for Australian Children’s Content is to be bold, brave and take creative risks that ensures every Australian child feels included. Video and audio content that listens to the audience, makes them feel and laugh and empowers them to be who they want to be.
As a member of the E&S leadership team she contributes to the ABC’s broader audiences, production and business strategy by building quality and distinctive programming that resonates with Australia’s youngest audiences, a responsibility she relishes
As a valued member of the Australian Television and Film Industry Libbie is recognized for forging new relationships and pathways for Australian kids’ content to cut through into the international content marketplace. Libbie has recently extended her passion for storytelling as she serves as Chair on the Board of the award-winning kids theatre company Monkey Baa in Sydney.
KRISTEN DUNPHY
Kristen Dunphy has 25 years’ experience writing, story producing and script editing drama for Australian television. In 2012, she was awarded the Foxtel Fellowship in recognition of the significant contribution she has made to Australian screenwriting.
She is the recipient of three AWGIE Awards, Best Mini-Series Television Drama for THE STRAITS (ABC/Matchbox) 2012, Best Television Series Drama for EASTWEST 101 (SBS/Knapman Wyld) 2008 and Best Television Series Episode WHITE COLLAR BLUE (Network 10/Knapman Wyld) 2003. Kristen has been nominated for numerous other awards, including two NSW Literary Awards and two AFI’s for screenwriting.
She has written extensively for the ABC on series such as MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, WILDSIDE, FALLEN ANGELS, LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD, SOMETHING IN THE AIR, GP, HEARTLAND, starring Ernie Dingo and Cate Blanchett, CORRELLI, starring Hugh Jackman and PULSE. Kristen’s telemovie credits include BLACKJACK SWEET SCIENCE (Jigsaw/Channel 10 and BBC1 (UK), starring Colin Friels, Vince Colosimo and Chris Haywood and SMALL CLAIMS WHITE WEDDING (RB Films/Channel 10). Kristen wrote multiple episodes of the long running series A PLACE TO CALL HOME (Foxtel).
She has written a variety of programs for children and teenagers including HEARTBREAK HIGH, BLUE WATER HIGH, MIRROR MIRROR, THE FERALS, PLAYSCHOOL, CONSPIRACY 365 for the Movie Channel and READY FOR THIS.
Kristen co-created and co-wrote the mini-series THE PRINCIPAL (Essential Media) which was nominated for Best Mini-Series Original at the 2015 AWGIE Awards; a New Creators Award 2015 Mannheim Heidelberg Film Festival in Germany and AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series.
Kristen created, co-wrote and produced WAKEFIELD, an 8 x 1 hour miniseries for Jungle Entertainment, the ABC and BBC Studios. The series screened on Showtime in the US in October 2021.
CLAIRE GANDY
Claire Gandy has worked in the entertainment industry for over 16 years. After completing drama and arts studies, she worked her way to the film department of Event/Greater Union becoming a film programmer, where she gained the knowledge, skills and contacts in the distribution, exhibition and film making community. With that experience she moved to Dendy Cinemas where she was the National Film, Content and Programming Manager, gaining more industry knowledge and perspective from the independent landscape.
During this time, she became involved in the acquisitions process at Icon Films, learning about the creative and business aspects of film distribution and how to acquire strong and engaging films for Icon, becoming Development and Film Acquisitions Manager in tandem with the Content Management for the cinema side of the business, working across all aspects of content, acquisitions, finance, incorporating evaluation of material at any point in its development pathway, forecasting against market trends and financial modelling for acquired content in the Australian market. Claire also began working with producer Bruce Davey assessing varied material for development.
In 2017 she was offered the role of General Manager of Content for Event Cinemas, the largest and most successful cinema chain in Australia and New Zealand, where she is focusing on supporting and nurturing Australian and local content, and expanding the film palettes of the Event audiences with interesting and engaging film and content outside of the broader commercial content offerings.
DR MITZI GOLDMAN
Dr Mitzi Goldman has been working in the film industry for over 35 years as a documentary director, producer and editor. Alongside her production career she has worked in the academy teaching documentary production and screen studies and Murdoch University WA before being employed as co-head of documentary department at the national film school, AFTRS for 6 years. Mitzi’s credits include: as Producer – KaChing! Pokie Nation; Night Parrot Stories; Memoirs of a Plague; End of the Rainbow. As Director – Jez: A Letter for life; A Common Purpose; Chinese Take Away; Hatred and as Executive Producer – Incarceration Nation; Backtrack Boys; Undermined: Tales of the Kimberley; Leunig Fragments; Zach’s Ceremony; Constance on the Edge; I Am a Girl; Surgery Ship.
Mitzi Goldman has a Phd in Cultural Studies. She co-founded and is the CEO of Documentary Australia Foundation, which has developed a new paradigm for funding and outreach of social impact documentary films. Documentary Australia Foundation is a not for profit organization that connects philanthropy and filmmaking to inspire social change.
She has been a board director of the Film and Television Institute in Western Australia and AIDC (Australian International Documentary Conference where she served as co-chair for 3 years). She was Jury President at APSA in 2018 and has participated on juries of film festivals in Australia (SFF, AACTA, ADG, Walkleys, Logies, Persian International Film Festival), in Iran (Tehran International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival) China (Guangzhou Documentary Film Festival).
CHARLOTTE KOH
Charlotte Koh is President of Confluential Films. A three-time Emmy-nominated executive producer, she is the founder of original programming at Hulu, the former Head of Digital Media and Unscripted at Hello Sunshine, and was an executive at Marvel Studios and Fox Searchlight.
She is an adjunct professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts Peter Stark Producing Program, from which she earned an MFA. She holds a BA from Stanford University.
BEVERLEY MCGARVEY
With over 25 years’ experience in television internationally and in Australia, Beverley McGarvey was appointed Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President of ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand in March 2020.
Beverley possesses vast experience as an Australian media business and creative leader. She is responsible for all content and creative activities related to the company’s networks and digital properties in Australia and New Zealand including 10, 10 Peach, 10 Bold, 10 Shake, 10 Play, 10 Speaks, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and streaming service Paramount+.
RAKEL TANSLEY
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.
ELIZABETH TROTMAN
Elizabeth Trotman has over twenty five years experience in the entertainment industry.
After completing her BCOM/BA, she started her career working for The Walt Disney Company in New Zealand and then across Asia.
During her tenure with Disney, she worked on THE LION KING, TOY STORY and the global re-branding for WINNIE THE POOH.
This led to a position working for Warner Bros in London where she worked with industry giants such as William Friedkin on the re-release of THE EXORCIST and Will Smith on WILD WILD WEST.
She moved to Australia to take up a role for BBC Worldwide overseeing the launch of Teletubbies across Asia, including China.
In 2002, she returned to New Zealand to oversee the marketing of both the Hoyts cinema chain along with Hoyts Distribution theatrical films.
Over the past 10 years she has distributed more than 250 films covering all genres and scale, including SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE QUEEN and PASSION OF THE CHRIST.
Elizabeth has also been an active participant across multiple industry bodies and fighting piracy is a personal objective of hers.