by FilmInk Staff
The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) has announced a new partnership with the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund to establish the Women in Sound Scholarship and Graduate Prize.
The partnership will provide one scholarship for female and gender-diverse final-year sound elective students of the Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, and one graduate prize for a BA or postgraduate female or gender diverse sound practitioner for excellence in sound design. The prize and scholarship will both be offered annually.
Andrew Plain (1953-2013, pictured) was an Australian film sound designer, innovator, writer, educator and advocate for the Australian screen industry. A passionate mentor and champion of emerging talent, Andrew guest lectured at AFTRS on numerous occasions and was widely recognised for his generosity in supporting students and early career sound practitioners.
Andrew’s partner, Adrienne Parr, administers the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund, which was established with support from the Australian Screen Sound Guild.
Applications for the 2027 scholarship and prize will open in November and close in December 2026, and then annually thereafter.
“When I first heard about the Sonic Sorority initiative, I knew it was a perfect fit for the fund,” Adrienne said. “Andrew had a particular interest in, and commitment to, screen sound education – both in its practice and its theory. He made it a point to work on all types of productions (features films, documentaries, shorts, etc.) to broaden his own understanding of screen sound.”
AFTRS’ Sonic Sorority is one of three extra-curricular sorority programs – including cinematography and directing – that provide visibility, encouragement, professional connections and hands-on learning experiences for female and gender-diverse students. Created in response to the underrepresentation of women in screen discipline and technical roles, the sororities help develop a stronger, more diverse pipeline of future practitioners.
Adrienne said Andrew also had a personal connection with AFTRS.
“While working in the industry and running Huzzah Sound, he guest lectured at AFTRS, as well as other tertiary institutions, and wrote articles for screen journals,” she said. “He forever found time to assist and encourage anyone interested in furthering their knowledge and understanding of sound. Although he wasn’t an AFTRS graduate, the proximity of Huzzah Sound (located at the then Fox Studios) to AFTRS meant that his door was always open to AFTRS students. Indeed, a number of them went on to work at Huzzah Sound.”
When first establishing the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund, Adrienne quoted Andrew saying: “The more we learn about sound, the more we understand the magic and seemingly infinite possibilities it brings to screen production.”
AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood said AFTRS was thrilled to partner with the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund, which is supporting the School’s commitment to removing barriers for under-represented creatives in the screen sound industry.
“Andrew Plain was a passionate advocate for screen sound education and for nurturing emerging talent,” Nell said. “This scholarship and graduate prize honour that legacy while creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of female and gender-diverse sound practitioners. We are so grateful for the support of the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund, in helping us build a more diverse and representative screen industry in Australia.”
