One of Australia’s most admired directors Rowan Woods has today been elected as President of the Australian Director’s Guild.
On his election, Rowan Woods said, “The screen director’s job is to enthral audiences: to make them think, emotionally, intellectually, politically. The ADG is our director’s union and our cultural hub. Through 2020 and 2021 we grew like never before with membership increases and a structural make-over under Sam Lang’s formidable Presidency and Executive Alaric McAusland arrival. We are now more resilient, inclusive and more formidable than ever. As a TV and feature director and Head of Directing at AFTRS, I am excited to continue on the ADG board as President. Our work continues.”
Nadia Tass has been re-elected for a further term to the ADG Board as Vice President – Feature Films and Jonathan Brough has been re-elected for a further term as Vice President – Television.
New to the ADG Board is longstanding ADG member Partho Sen Gupta. Partho is a Sydney based film writer and director. They started working as Art Director and Production Designer on feature films, TV series and commercials in India and are a graduate in Film Direction of the FEMIS film school in Paris. Partho’s ‘Let the Wind Blow’ (2004), their first feature film, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. ‘Sunrise’ (2014) their second feature film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and screened at Tribeca, Munich, BFI London, Sitges and other international film festivals. ‘Slam’ (2019) their third feature film, an Australian-French co-production premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and has since screened at the Sydney and Melbourne FF amongst others. Partho also works at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) as Senior Lecturer in the Master of Arts Screen in Directing.
Out-going ADG President Samantha Lang, steps down today after serving twelve years on the ADG board and six years in the role of president where she oversaw an exponential growth in the number and diversity of ADG members, championed the Gender Matters program, expanded the range of professional development opportunities for ADG members and raised the Guild’s industrial influence and standing. “It’s been a great honour to advocate for Australian screen directors across all platforms during my tenure. I’m leaving at a moment where the composition and structure of the Australian Directors Guild is incredibly robust, and I am so excited that Rowan Woods has agreed to take on the mantle of ADG President.”
Rowan Woods’ feature film debut THE BOYS (1998) was nominated for nine AFI Awards, winning Best Director, and was selected in competition for the Berlinale. He directed LITTLE FISH (2006) starring Academy Award winner, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving, which was nominated for 13 AFI Awards, 11 FCCA Awards and eight IF Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. His US feature Fragments starred Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker. In 2016 Rowan was set-up director for the multi-award winning THE Kettering Incident – winner of Special Jury Prize winner at Series Mania, Paris. He was also awarded the ADG Award for Best Direction in a Telemovie for The Broken Shore and has directed all series of the multi-award-winning TV series RAKE for ABC TV. Rowan’s reputation as a drama director is complemented by directing international VFX-driven TV series including Farscape, Spartacus and Hunters for Executive Producer Gayle Anne Hurd. More recently, Rowan won a Children’s BAFTA for his set-up episodes of the children’s series Nowhere Boys for ABC TV and he directed The Commons in 2020 for Stan, Playmaker and SONY.
Visit https://www.adg.org.au