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Reel Women - WA producers making their mark in film & TV - By Brooke Hunter

26 Nov 2010

Reel Women…WA producers making their mark in film and TV

WA film and television producers, Celia Tait, Sue Taylor and Rikki Lea Bestall, revealed their success stories to a diverse group of women at the second Women in Media event for 2010.

The event was held at the WA Screen Arts Academy on Wednesday August 4 with talks from three women who have succeeded in the national and international screen industries.

After some delicious drinks and nibbles, the WIM attendees eagerly filed in to hear the women talk of their journeys breaking into film, the growth of Western Australia’s industry and roles for females.

Sue Taylor interested WIMers with stories from over 25 years experience as an independent producer.
Sue initially produced television documentaries in the 80s when she realised she wanted to do fiction and began to develop children’s drama projects.
“Documentaries were too close to the bone and as a newer producer it was easier to get into fiction through children’s drama,” she said.
She then established Taylor Media which has produced various children’s series, mini series, documentaries and feature films.

These include The Last Train to Freo, The Shark Net and 3 Acts of Murder.
“I kept taking risks and chances. Mostly I kept doing things and getting out there. When a door opens that much, I grab it.”
Her most recently co-produced film, The Tree, was selected to close Cannes Film Festival in 2010 and is in the running for best feature at this year’s Australian Film Institute Awards.

WAAPA film and television graduate Rikki Lea Bestall was another inspirational speaker at the event.
Rikki talked about how hard it was to find work experience after completing university.
“It was extremely hard being an independent producer in Perth…10 years ago in WA there was no work experience in film,” she said. 
She then moved over east and worked behind the scenes on Australian series Neighbours and Blue Heelers to get her foot in the door.

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