cast I key creatives I technical I investors I the producers

KEY CREATIVES

STEPHEN JOHNSON (Director/Executive Producer)

A seasoned traveller by the time he took his first steps, Johnson was born in England but spent his early years in the Bahamas before his family moved to Africa. From Africa, the Johnsons travelled the globe, eventually landing in Australia where they based themselves in the Northern Territory.

Johnson's formative years were spent in Darwin, where his father was a senior teacher at Kormilda College, a secondary school for Aboriginal students. Given his culturally eclectic childhood, he relished the chance to mix with the local Yolngu people and in the process made many life-long friends.

Following a stint in London where he studied acting and trained as a cameraman, he returned to Darwin in 1990, intent on one day making a movie that would encourage people to appreciate the cultural wealth of the Aboriginal race and the untamed beauty of the Northern Territory terrain.

Establishing the Darwin-based production company, Burrundi Pictures, Johnson's cinematic ability and close relationships within the Yolngu community led him to direct most of Yothu Yindi's music clips. He also directed the acclaimed special Tribal Voice, on the life of his good friend, and Yothu Yindi lead singer/songwriter, Mandawuy Yunupingu.

In addition to an extensive portfolio of corporate documentaries, commercials and music videos, Johnson has enjoyed a six-year relationship with the Australian Children's Television Foundation that commenced when he directed documentaries for the ABC TV series, Lift Off. In recent times he has directed episodes of The Genie From Down Under and Crash Zone for the ACTF. His association with the ACTF ultimately led to the making of YOLNGU BOY.
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PATRICIA EDGAR (Executive Producer/Producer)

Patricia Edgar has long been at the forefront in the development of children's television in Australia. Her exceptional contribution to children's education via the medium of television is nothing short of inspirational.

She holds a BA and a BEd from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Arts from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from La Trobe University where she was appointed in 1970 as the first Chairperson of the Centre for the Study of Educational Communication and Media. She is also the author of seven books.

The Victorian Task Force Director for the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation in the early eighties, Dr. Edgar became the ACTF's director upon its incorporation in 1982. Prior to accepting that position, she was the first chairperson of the Children's Program Committee, an advisory committee to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal on children's television. Her expertise has also seen her serve on a number of film/media related government committees and from 1988 until 1995 she was deputy chairman of the Australian Film Finance Corporation Limited.

As director of the ACTF, Patricia Edgar has been the responsible producer for the ACTF's award-winning $85 million production slate that has seen its programs sold to 101 countries. In 1995 she also conceived and hosted the first World Summit on Television and Children; a seminal event involving 637 delegates from 71 countries that led to like international forums. The 3rd World Summit on Television for Children will take place in Athens in 2001.

In 1986 Patricia Edgar was made a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia for services to children's television and the media, and in 1992 received the Award of the Archbishop of Sydney Citation on World Communications. Additional local and international honors have followed, including the Australian College of Education Medal in 1998 for her outstanding contribution to education through the medium of television.
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GORDON GLENN (Producer)
Glenn has been active on the local film scene since the early seventies. His long-term association with the ACTF, extensive experience as a producer, writer and director and 'hands-on' approach, made him a valuable member of the team behind YOLNGU BOY.

Glenn first met Stephen Johnson whilst directing the ACTF's documentary, First Day, which he also wrote and co-produced. The program presented children across Australia as they experienced their initial taste of school and won several awards both locally and abroad. First Day was one of two projects undertaken by Glenn for the ACTF that presented events through a child's perspective, as was Songs Of Innocence - A Child's View of Family Life, which he co-produced with Dr. Patricia Edgar in addition to writing and directing. Celia, the internationally acclaimed 1988 feature co-produced by Glenn, also explored a dramatic issue through the eyes of a child and received two AFI nominations.

For television, Glenn has directed the tele-movie, Just Us, and the award-winning drama Anna, which he wrote and co-produced. He has also directed a slew of award-winning commercials and has served as an AFI Judge on two occasions. Recently he produced and directed The Never Too Late Show for SBS Television and Artist Services; a ten-part adult literacy series.
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GALARRWUY YUNUPINGU (Associate Producer)
Galarrwuy Yunupingu, AM, is an elder of the Gumatj clan at Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula and a prominent leader in the Northern Territory. He is the Chairman of the Northern Land Council and has served on many government and community committees and industry boards. In 1978 he was honored as 'Australian of the Year' and in 1985 was made a
Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Aboriginal community.
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MANDAWUY YUNUPINGU (Associate Producer)
Mandawuy Yunupingu is the lead singer, songwriter and founder of Yothu Yindi and a member of the Gumatj people.

In 1992, Mandawuy followed in his brother's footsteps by being named 'Australian of the Year' in recognition of his commitment to forge greater understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and because of his burgeoning role as an ambassador for all Australians.

He was also the principal of the Yirrkala Community School and in 1989 implemented a radical both-ways curriculum that combined Balanda (European) and Yolngu (Aboriginal) educational processes, designed to present students with the best aspects of both cultures.
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CHRIS ANASTASSIADES (Writer)
Anastassiades has often been content to work behind the scenes, but his outstanding ability as a writer has been responsible for many an industry success.

For television he has penned scripts for GP, Acropolis Now, Lift Off 2, Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers, Shark Bay, Round The Twist 3, Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left and The Col'n Carpenter Show. He has also served as script/story editor on many other programs from the popular TV series' Flying Doctors, Acropolis Now (Series 3,4, & 5) and Shark Bay to the short feature, Five Easy Pizzas.

Theatrically, he has co-written Legends, Acropolis Now, Lift Off Live and Effie Exposed, the hilarious one-woman show for comedienne Mary Coustas.

In marked contrast to the dramatic issues explored in YOLNGU BOY, Anastassiades' comedic flair was recently showcased in the big-screen feature Wog Boy, which he co-wrote with actor/comedian, Nick Giannopoulos.
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BRAD SHIELD (Director of Photography)
With over twenty years behind the camera, Shield brings a wealth of experience and a keen eye to YOLNGU BOY. Trained in the USA, Shield has worked both locally and abroad and first met director Stephen Johnson some five years earlier when both filmed a series of Northern Territory commercials that focused on domestic violence.

Shield has more than 1,000 commercials to his credit and has lent his expertise to numerous features from The Crossing, Beyond Rangoon, Street Fighter, Dumbo Drop, The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Phantom to The Thin Red Line. His assignment prior to YOLNGU BOY was the action blockbuster, Mission Impossible II, for which he took charge of second unit photography.

YOLNGU BOY marks his debut feature as director of photography.
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MARK OVENDEN
Yolngu Boy's composer, Mark Ovenden, has been heavily involved in the music industry for over two decades and is regarded as one of Australia's leading composers and producers.

As composer of the soundtrack for Yolngu Boy, Mark was responsible for bringing the film's music together including the commissioning of the bands Yothu Yindi and Nokturnl as well as approaching Regurgitator for the inclusion of their song Black Bugs on the soundtrack. A musician himself, Mark is also responsible for playing a number of the instruments for the scores that you can hear on the soundtrack of Yolngu Boy.

Mark is now based in Germany and over the years has toured and recorded extensively. He has worked with some of Australia's hottest talent including Midnight Oil, Yothu Yindi, Neil Finn and You Am I .
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KEN SALLOWS (Editor)
With a resume replete with innumerable screen highlights and awards from Australia's film industry, Sallows commenced as a script assistant with Crawford Productions; the first step in a career that has seen him emerge as one of the country's finest editors.

Over the past decade, Sallows has edited Malcolm, Rikky And Pete, Celia, Return Home, Isabelle Eberhardt, Proof, That Eye The Sky, Love And Other Catastrophes, True Love And Chaos, Doing Time For Patsy Cline, Crackers, The Missing, Strange Planet, Strange Fits of Passion and the recently released Chopper, based on the life of notorious underworld figure, Mark 'Chopper' Read. His credits also include a broad range of documentaries, television series and shorts.
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SARAH STOLLMAN (Production Designer)
Raised in Chicago, Stollman was born in Columbus, Ohio, USA. After graduating from Washington University with a BA in Architecture, she relocated to New York. An early career in architecture and design preceded her involvement in the film industry. After switching vocations Stollman worked on features such as John Hughes' Serial Mom, Todd Haynes' Poison, Alan J. Pakula's The Pelican Brief and The Unbelievable Truth, directed by indie filmmaker Hal Hartley. She also took charge of art direction on the Moscow-based production of Mad Dog Coll.

Since moving to Australia, Stollman has continued to work extensively in film and television and is a sought-after guest lecturer at industry forums and colleges. Recent movie credits include The Nice Guy, What I Have Written, Life, Radiance and Soft Fruit.
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JILL JOHANSON (Costume Designer)
Johanson enjoys a career that spans film, television, theatre and opera. Born in Melbourne, she studied at the Melbourne College of Textiles and was named 'Apprentice of the Year' within her chosen field. Upon graduating she moved to London to complete her training, returning to Australia in the early nineties.

A versatile artist, Johanson has created imaginative costumes for many theatrical productions ranging from period to contemporary and has applied her skills to the following television programs; The Man From Snowy River, Kangaroo Palace, Good Guys, Bad Guys, Queen Kat, Carmel & St. Jude, High Flyers and The Never Too Late Show.

Her cinematic experience includes Road to Nhill, Crackers and Muggers. YOLNGU BOY is her first major feature as costume designer.
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MAGGIE MILES (Casting)
Maggie Miles' casting credits include assisting Mullinars on Phillip Noyce's feature Rabbit Proof Fence, Top End Coke commercials and the German Tele-Movie In the Heart of the Unknown. Maggie also cast and produced commercials for the award winning domestic violence campaign for the Northern Territory Government It's Got To Stop.

Working on the interface between a complex community structure in a remote cultural environment and a production crew with taxing creative standards and tight schedules was a great challenge. Maggie's grounding advice to herself throughout the process of making Yolngu Boy was "one step at a time".

Maggie is passionate about acting and trained at East 15 Acting College in London. Acting credits include Nightmares of Nature series for the BBC, leading stage roles in Yerma, Oedipus, Choking in the Comfort Zone and Women of the Broken Circle. Maggie is currently producer for Northern Territory based production house Burrundi Pictures having previously spent four years as Artistic Director of the NT's Corrugated Iron Youth Theatre.

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©2000 The Australian Children's Television Foundation