Writer, director and producer Rachel Perkins is the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award.
She will be honoured by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers at the Screen Music Awards next week.
With a career spanning over 30 years across film and television, Perkins has created television drama, documentaries and feature films including Bran Nue Dae, Jasper Jones, One Night the Moon, Radiance, Mabo, Mystery Road, Redfern Now, The Australian Wars and Total Control.
Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, adds: “Rachel’s impact on Australian film isn’t just remarkable, it’s transformative. Her ability to tell stories that can both rattle and resonate the heart and the soul of this nation has contributed to the way we see and understand ourselves, not just as Australians, but as citizens of the world.
“Through Rachel’s storytelling, we see the power of film to bridge divides, to reflect our struggles, our triumphs, our shared humanity. Her stories, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, have become woven into the fabric of our national story. They challenge us to look deeper, to understand more fully and to walk in the shoes of those whose experiences may be different from our own.
“It is an honour to welcome Rachel into the esteemed ranks of Distinguished Services recipients, knowing that her work will continue to inspire, to move and to shape the way Australians see themselves for generations to come.”
Previous recipients of the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award include Bruce Beresford, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Nigel Westlake and Robert Connolly.
Screen Music Awards are held Tuesday 29 October 2024 at Forum Melbourne, Naarm.
In 1992, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, a production company focused on Indigenous representation and culturally significant stories, told by and with Indigenous screen creators. One of these is the landmark, award-winning seven-part documentary series, First Australians (co-written, directed and co-produced by Rachel), which is the highest selling educational title in Australia.
Perkins has made significant contributions to the screen industry through her various leadership roles. From 2004 to 2008, she served as a Commissioner with the Australian Film Commission and since 2009, she has been a distinguished member of the Screen Australia board. Earlier this year, Rachel was appointed Chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School Council, a body she previously served on from 1998 to 2003.
Rachel Perkins has received numerous awards throughout her illustrious career including multiple AACTA, ADG and AFI Awards. In 2011 she was awarded the Australian International Documentary Conference Stanley Hawes Award in recognition of her contribution to documentary filmmaking in Australia and in 2017, Rachel won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Dreamtime Awards, in recognition of her contributions to film and culture.
Her continuing body of work as a screenwriter, producer, director, board member and festival director is a testament to her passion, advocacy and skill in bringing Australian Indigenous stories to the screen.
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