Film Criticism

Mel Campbell is a freelance journalist and critic who co-hosts the fortnightly literature and culture podcast The Rereaders. She is a columnist on writing at Overland magazine, and a university lecturer and writer-for-hire on film, TV and media. Her first book was the nonfiction investigation Out of Shape: Debunking Myths about Fashion and Fit (2013), and she’s currently co-writing a second romantic comedy novel with Anthony Morris; their first was The Hot Guy (2017).

Since 1979, Dr. Adrian Martin has combined work as a professional writer and film critic with a university career.

He was film reviewer for The Age between 1995 and 2006. For his numerous books, essays and public lectures he has won the Byron Kennedy Award (Australian Film Institute) and the Pascall Prize for Critical Writing, and his PhD on film style won the Mollie Holman Award. He is the author of four books and hundreds of essays on film, art, television, literature, music, popular and avant-garde culture.

Fenella Kernebone is the host of ABC TV’s new weekly half hour arts show, Art Nation.

In conjunction with the ABC’s new Arts Gateway, Art Nation follows on from the ABC’s previous arts show, Sunday Arts, which Fenella began working on as a presenter and producer in 2006.

Fenella continues to report on current significant art trends and interviews local and international filmmakers and artists. Feature interviews include; Geoffrey Rush, Phillip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Michael Nyman and Ang Lee amongst others.

Fenella’s passion for the arts started over a decade ago after she volunteered at the local community radio 2SER at the age of seventeen. At twenty-one Fenella won a competition to be a Triple J presenter as part of the youth arts festival Noise. Soon afterwards Fenella was selected to host the youth arts program, Artery (1999-2004) interviewing hundreds of performers, actors, artists, filmmakers and musicians. In 2003 Fenella launched a new show on Triple J called The Sound Lab, which she continues to host every Sunday night.

Fenella moved into television in 2004 as one of the hosts of The Movie Show on SBS TV. Reviewing hundreds of films each year, Fenella also reported from the Toronto and Berlin International Film Festivals and interviewed scores of filmmakers and actors such as Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Tilda Swinton and Keanu Reeves.

In addition to her television and radio commitments, Fenella has also presented awards at the Lexus IF Awards, MC’d the Melbourne Leg of Tropfest, hosted Q & A sessions at the Art Gallery of NSW as part of their Art After Hours series, hosted The APRA Classical Music Award as well as providing her services as a judge at film festivals and art competitions. She also has written for various magazines including film reviews for Limelight and has extensive voice over experience.

Peter Mares is lead moderator with The Cranlana Programme, an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to developing the ethical decision-making skills of Australia’s leaders. Peter is also contributing editor at Inside Story magazine and adjunct fellow at Swinburne University’s Centre for Urban Transitions. He is a former ABC broadcaster and the author of three books, including No Place Like Home: Repairing Australia’s Housing Crisis (Text 2018).

Gillian Armstrong is one of Australia’s most successful directors with credits including My Brilliant Career and The Last Days of Chez Nous.

Gillian Armstrong first came to prominence for her debut feature, My Brilliant Career. At the film’s release Gillian Armstrong held the distinction of being the first woman to direct a feature-length movie in Australia in almost 50 years. Alternating between period pieces and edgy modern works, Armstrong frequently fashions stories built around strong, independent-minded women. Her feature credits include Star Struck, Mrs Soffel, High Tide, The Last Days of Chez Nous, Little Women, Oscar and Lucinda, Charlotte Gray, Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst and Death Defying Acts.

Her films and documentaries have screened at numerous international film festivals including Berlin, Singapore, Sundance and Cannes. Gillian has been nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards and received awards from the Australian Film Institute, the Film Critics Circle of Australia, the Houston Film Festival, Festival International de Creteil the US National Society of Film Critics, the British Critics Association and the British Academy. Love, Lust and Lies is the fifth installment in the series of documentaries which follows the lives of Kerry, Diana and Josie and was released in May 2010. Gillian has received an AM for services to the Australian Film Industry, a Doctor of Letters from the University of NSW, an Honorary Doctorate in Film from Swinburne University and the Hollywood Crystal Award for Women in Film.