by FilmInk Staff
The Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers has announced acclaimed producer and passionate film industry advocate Sue MASLIN AO as the recipient of its highest honour, the 2026 National Cinema Pioneer of the Year. Sue will be presented with the award at the Society’s 93rd anniversary celebration in Sydney on 18 November 2026.
Sue Maslin AO is one of Australia’s most applauded and influential screen producers, renowned for a career spanning more than 35 years and a remarkable body of award-winning feature films and documentaries that have shaped the Australian screen landscape.
Her landmark production The Dressmaker, starring Kate Winslet and Judy Davis, became one of Australia’s highest-grossing films, earning more than $20 million at the box office.
The film won five Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards in 2015.
Sue’s distinguished producing credits include Road to Nhill, winner of Best Feature Film at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival; Japanese Story, which received the AFI Award, IF Award and Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Feature Film; Celebrity: Dominick Dunne; and Hunt Angels, winner of the AFI Award for Best Feature Documentary.
President of the Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers, Lori Flekser, is thrilled to be honouring Sue Maslin in this way saying, “Sue is among the most respected and admired
figures in Australian cinema. I cannot fathom how Sue has had the time, energy and persistence to produce so many award-winning films and documentaries while educating
and supporting future generations of filmmakers, advocating for women in the screen industries and promoting a healthier commercial feature film industry.
“And she’s not close to done yet! Amongst other activities, she recently started an Australian film festival in Tasmania. Going “above and beyond” for the benefit of the industry is precisely why Sue personifies the purpose and principles of the National Cinema Pioneer of the Year Award.”
In 2008, Sue and her business partner, Daryl Dellora, founded Film Art Media, an innovative production company dedicated to creating and distributing exceptional screen content across multiple platforms. Their acclaimed documentary slate includes Mr. Neal Is Entitled To Be An Agitator, winner of the Australian Human Rights Award for best Documentary,
Harry Seidler: Modernist and The Edge of the Possible: Jørn Utzon and the Sydney Opera House, which won the prestigious Golden Plaque at the Chicago International Television
Competition.
More recently, Sue produced The Search for the Palace Letters and served as Executive Producer on Brazen Hussies and Anonymous Club – Courtney Barnett.
Beyond her extraordinary achievements as a producer, Sue has been a tireless advocate for Australia’s screen industry, championing storytelling, education, leadership, creative business sustainability and gender equity.
Her commitment to nurturing future generations of filmmakers has earned widespread recognition, including her appointment as Adjunct Professor in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, Adjunct Fellow, School of Film & Television at Swinburne University and the inaugural Jill Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership,
Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry in 2012.
A passionate advocate for women in film, Sue is Patron of Women in Film and Television Victoria and served as President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship from 2011 to 2019, where she played a pivotal role in advancing leadership opportunities and increasing the participation of women across the Australian screen industry.
Sue initiated and steered the Australian Feature Film Forum, a pioneering enterprise uniting producers, distributors and exhibitors and creating a rare space for collaboration, innovation and industry-wide dialogue.
In recognition of her exceptional contribution to Australian cinema and her enduring service to the industry, Sue was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019 for distinguished service to the Australian film industry as a producer and through her leadership with professional organisations.
Reflecting on her remarkable career, Sue identifies the following milestones as among the most significant and personally meaningful achievements of her professional journey: Sydney Opera House – “Tracking down a reclusive Jorn Utzon in a Danish forest in 1997 and filming an extended interview where he told his story of the design and building of the Sydney Opera House. His removal from the project broke his heart but he was enormously proud that Australians embraced what has become an international icon.”
2003 Cannes Film Festival – Japanese Story – “Standing on the 2003 Cannes Film Festival red carpet with Sue Brooks and Alison Tilson at the world premiere of Japanese Story in Un Certain Regard was a very special moment. It was another film that surprised audiences and proved that strong independent ‘art’ films could also be commercially successful.”
Establishing Film Art Media – “In 2008 I founded Film Art Media, a rights management and distribution business with director Daryl Dellora. This has enabled us to connect our documentaries about ideas that matter with audiences over the long term and drive significant social change with impact campaigns such as The Show Must Go On/Screen Well focusing on mental health in the entertainment industry.”
The Dressmaker – “Producing The Dressmaker and seeing it delight audiences has been a true career highlight. Standing beside Mike Baard, Managing Director Universal Pictures International Australasia when The Dressmaker was awarded the Highest-Grossing Australian Film for 2015–2016 at the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) Box Office Achievement Awards was a remarkable moment and one of the most meaningful awards any film producer could aspire to achieve.”
Order of Australia – “Being appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia in 2019 for services to the screen industry came as a wonderful and most unexpected recognition. From contributing as a founding member of Women In Film and Television (Vic), WIFT Australia, Natalie Miller Fellowship and the Australian Feature Film Forum, I have had the privilege of working with many exceptional colleagues to drive positive change and opportunities for filmmakers.
Bicheno Oz Film Festival – “I am so excited to have established the Bicheno Oz Film Festival in 2025 to celebrate outstanding Australian feature films. Taking place each summer on the East Coast of Tasmania surrounded by great beaches, wineries and oyster farms, the festival is fast becoming a ‘must go’ destination. It is huge fun and continues my passion for connecting great Aussie movies with audiences!”
For more information: The Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers
