by FilmInk Staff
Celebrating its 14th year, the Natalie Miller Fellowship is excited to announce Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd and Nerida Groth as the two recipients of this year’s prestigious grant. The announcement was made at The Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) held at The Star on the Gold Coast. Both recipients receive a grant of $10,000 each, which are designed to recognise, nurture and empower the next generation of female leaders to achieve outstanding success at the top of their fields.
Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller AO, the Natalie Miller Fellowship is open to established women working in the Australian screen industry and aims to provide financial assistance to pursue professional development in their fields.
As Curator, Film, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd curates the Gallery’s acclaimed film program, works with artists on new commissions, and organises time-based art exhibitions. Ruby recently co-curated the major exhibition, Cao Fei: My City is Yours曹斐: 欢迎登陆 (2024-2025), which won Time Out’s Exhibition of the Year. She is also a guest programmer at the Sydney Film Festival, where she curates FLUX: Art and Film, a strand exploring new directions in the moving image. Receiving the grant arrives at a pivotal moment in Ruby’s professional development, as she works to relaunch the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ long-running, beloved film program as Sydney Cinémathèque in 2026. Sydney is the only UNESCO City of Film without an established cinémathèque. Building on their 25+ year history, strong reputation and excellent visitation, the Art Gallery is poised to fill this gap in the city’s cultural landscape with more screenings, new initiatives, and expanded opportunities for local filmmakers.
With the Fellowship grant, Ruby is empowered to promote Australian film on a global stage. Her project involves attending two key industry summits – in Paris and Hong Kong – where she will connect with artists, distributors and archives, and research current directions in innovative contemporary art/film programming. She will also engage in a year-round program of mentorship with senior women leaders in film exhibition, and continue to work with emerging arts practitioners, helping to forge a more inclusive, dynamic screen ecosystem in Australia.
On receiving the grant, Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd said: “I’m honoured to be one of the recipients of this year’s Fellowship. Natalie Miller is an icon of independent film distribution and exhibition, and I look forward to continuing the work of forging a more expansive screen ecosystem in this country.”
Nerida Groth is a highly respected Assistant Director with over 15 years’ experience on major Australian and international productions including Pirates of the Caribbean, Wolverine, Top of the Lake, and Elvis. Alongside her on-set career, she has worked as Industry Programs Coordinator at Screenworks, co-developing Set for Success under Screen Australia’s Skills Development Initiative and teaching AFTRS’ On-Set Onboarding course. In 2024 she co-founded Generate Crew, a social enterprise embedding training and crew wellbeing directly into productions.
Nerida’s mission is to build a healthier, more sustainable culture for Australia’s below-the-line screen workforce, having seen first-hand the pressures faced by crew on large-scale productions. Through Generate Crew, she is helping shape a people-first approach to training and crew development, ensuring that every opportunity creates a real, lasting impact on set. Her project champions the recognition and development of a practical framework for the Skills Development Officer role, ensuring that crew training, wellbeing, and professional growth are properly valued and prioritised. This grant will support Nerida to strengthen her leadership and HR capability through mentoring and targeted professional development. A key part of her project is a trip to Los Angeles, where she will meet with major studios to highlight how budgeting early for crew development and training can benefit productions and strengthen the local workforce. At its heart, Nerida’s project is about leadership with kindness, looking after her film family so the people who make the magic happen are supported, valued, and able to thrive.
Nerida Groth, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Generate Crew said: “I’m honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship. It’s a fantastic opportunity to keep advocating, through my company Generate Crew, for our world-class crews who work so hard to make the magic happen. As the industry grows, we need to keep investing in their development to maintain the high standards Australia is known for. I’m grateful the fellowship recognises leadership that puts people first, that’s how we build a kinder, stronger, and more sustainable screen industry”
President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship Sasha Close said: “The NMF is pleased to recognise two recipients from different sectors of the Australian screen industry this year. Each presented a compelling vision for leadership—proposals that not only outlined thoughtful and strategic plans for their own professional development but also demonstrated a clear and valuable contribution to the Australian screen industry. I commend both recipients on their proposals and look forward to observing their leadership journeys, which are certain to deliver lasting benefits to our industry.”
The Natalie Miller Fellowship is the only grant of its kind in the country and is proudly supported by Principal Sponsor Universal Pictures, with the studio providing $15,000 cash per year for 2024 and 2025 to support the not-for-profit’s mission to provide financial assistance to female and female identifying screen executives to pursue professional development in their fields through attachments, internships, secondments, travel and other means to reach their full leadership potential.
For more information visit the website: www.nataliemillerfellowship.com
