Tele-Navigator secures top talent + Closing date fast approaches!

Three of Australia’s best television practitioners - Amanda Higgs, Sue Masters and Tim Pye - have been confirmed as the consultants for Tele-Navigator Consultation Week. Taking place over the week of November 1-5, 2010, the consultation program is primarily for teams (writer, producer and director) with projects that have potential market interest. However, individual writers with well-developed scripts without a producer attached will be considered.  Applications for the Tele-Navigator Consultation Week close at 5:00PM on Monday September 6.

Following the workshop, the participating projects will be considered for $15,000 development funds and other support, leading to presentations to network executives.

The Tele-Navigator program is presented by ScreenWest in association with the Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) and Screen Australia.

Please refer to the Tele-Navigator Development Program for details on how to apply.

AMANDA HIGGS
Amanda produced the first three series of the television drama The Secret Life of Us. It was the most watched Australian drama in its target demographic of 16-39 year olds three years running and in 2004 won the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series three years running. The series was nominated for 14 AFI Awards, winning three for performance; it also garnered two AWGIES and a Bronze Medal at the NY Festival Awards for Best Television Program. Amanda’s script editing credits include Police Rescue, Fallen Angels, High Flyers, Wildside and Water Rats, and the feature films Praise, Walking on Water, Somersault and the short feature Jewboy. In 2004 Amanda was recipient of the Cecil Holmes Award for services to directors from the ADG. She is also on the board of the Australian Film Institute. And from 2007 worked at ABC-TV Drama as an Executive Producer and Acting Head of Drama for six months in late 2009. Amanda is currently script editing The Slap, and in development on her own television and film ideas.

SUE MASTERS
Sue is one of Australia’s most accomplished producers and executive producers. As Head of Drama at Network Ten and the ABC she executive produced Mary Bryant, Jessica, Society Murders, White Collar Blue, Joanne Lees, After the Deluge, Tripping Over, Blackjack, Seachange, White Collar Blue, The Cooks, Wildside, Janus The Bite, Something in the Air as well as many other series, serials, telemovies and mini series. As a producer, Sue created and produced GP for ABC TV as well as Law of the Land for Channel 9. She produced Brides of Christ, Paper Man and The Damnation of Harvey McHugh for ABC TV and Prisoner for Network Ten following a period as Head of Development at HBO where she produced multiple episodes of entertainment and comedy specials and wrote multiple episodes of The Love Boat. In 2009 Sue was Executive Producer on The Circuit 2 and is currently story producing a 13 part drama series Dusty which is also for SBS TV. Before working in Los Angeles, Sue was a Specialist Trainee at the BBC after BA Hons in Sociology.

TIM PYE
Tim has worked in television and radio as a writer, producer, story editor and executive producer over twenty years. Tim’s television writing and producing credits include: COPS: L.A.C., Scorched, Stupid, Stupid Man, Emerald Falls, Black Jack, Lockie Leonard, Erky Perky, Answered By Fire, Changi, Grass Roots, Love Is A Four Letter Word, All Saints, Seachange, Wildside, Water Rats, Fallen Angels and G.P. He has won several awards for his script writing: AFI Award – Wildside; 2 Australian Writers Guild Awards - Stupid, Stupid Man and G.P.; The Henry Lawson Award - Fallen Angels. Between 1999 and 2001, Tim worked as an executive producer at ABC TV Drama. Currently, Tim is working as a writer / producer on the Nine Network police drama, COPS: L.A.C.  and is also developing several of his own drama and comedy projects in association with Beyond International. Tim is President of the Australian Writers’ Guild.