Australia’s leading Indian cinema authority and practitioner Anupam Sharma is a filmmaker, speaker and author. He is currently managing director of Films and Casting Temple and has successfully managed on 204 projects between Australia and India. He has been widely credited in the media for pioneering the Indo-Australian film and media trade. Sharma has just completed filming the feature film, UnIndian featuring Australian cricket player, Brett Lee.

As Managing Director of films and casting TEMPLE, an award winning production and consultancy firm based out of Fox Studios, Sydney, Anupam has lead a team of professionals working on more than 214 projects between India and Australia which include feature films, television serials, music videos, television commercials, as well as the Australian Film Festival of India since 2011.

Peter has worked in film exhibition, distribution and marketing for the past 34 years. Between 1978 and 1981 Peter co-managed and programmed for one of Australia’s first major Australian independent cinema chains Valhalla Cinemas, in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. In 1984 he began work as a freelance producer and presenter/reviewer at the Australian Broadcast Corporations National Youth Network, Triple J. From 1989 until 2000 Peter worked full-time as a film and entertainment industry journalist, producer & presenter with Free to Air TV at SBS, ABC and Network 10, in national radio across several ABC Networks, and local radio at the highest rating 2GB Sydney , in print at The Herald and Weekly Times, and on Cable for The Movie Network. In 1994 he was the first Australian journalist invited to sit on the Cannes Festival FIPRESCI Jury.

In 2001 with partners he built, programmed and general managed the 3-screen cinema complex in Byron Bay, one of Australia’s’ premium international tourist destinations. From June 2004 until November 2006 Peter was the Big Screen Festival director and project manager for the Australian Film Commission touring Australian feature films to 30 regional towns each year

DeeptiSachdeva is a multiplatform producer, journalist, blogger, and a communications consultant. With a Masters Degree in Film & Television Production Deepti has high end experience in supervising and coordinating award winning field/studio productions and editorial projects.

She was the producer for one of the highest rated current affairs programmes at NDTV 24x7, India, and was a recent winner of the multiplatform screen producer scholarship by Screen NSW. Deepti is currently advising on TV, film, books, and multiplatform projects.

Dr Vikrant Kishore is a filmmaker, academician and a photographer. At present Dr Kishore is working as a Lecturer and Researcher in the School of Design, Communication & IT at the University of Newcastle. Dr Kishore is a member of international professional and NGOs such as International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), Consultancy Development Centre (CDC-INDIA), and Association Nationale Cultures and Tradition (France).

Dr Kishore has 25 documentaries and corporate films to his credit; he has worked in more than 10 documentaries as a “one man crew” and loves directing, editing and camerawork. His documentaries on ‘Chhau Dance’ have been screened in various international film festivals. He has been actively working for the safeguard and preservation of folk and tribal music and dance culture of East India under the aegis of “National Institute for Folk Dances”; and has led the Chhau dance group in international folklore festivals in Canada, France, Switzerland, Netherlands and Thailand.

Aishani Hajare – FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE

Graduated in Media and Law, Aishani has been a part of our various projects for 3 years and has now joined the Australian Film Initiative team.