by FIlmInk Staff
Applications are now open for the 2026 Natalie Miller Fellowship, with two grants of $10,000 each to be awarded to women pursuing bold professional development in the Australian screen sector.
This year marks the Natalie Miller Fellowship’s 15th year investing in the future leaders who will influence and redefine the industry. The grants aim to encourage and empower the next generation of female leaders to pursue leadership opportunities in the screen sector.
The Natalie Miller Fellowship is the only grant of its kind in Australia. Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller AO, the Fellowship is open to women working in the Australian screen industry in traditional sectors (e.g. distribution, exhibition, production, post-production, financing etc) and emerging sectors (e.g. immersive media, digital content and gaming) and aims to provide financial assistance to pursue professional development in their fields.
Since 2012, 15 Fellowships have been awarded to Katrine Elliott (Director-Founder, Art Screen Events), Genevieve Grieves (Co-creator and Creative Director of GARUWA); Dr Sian Mitchell (Senior Lecturer, Deakin University & Festival Director, Melbourne Women in Film Festival); Bridgette Graham (Founder and Principal Researcher and Strategist, Path to Audience); Pauline Clague (Head of First Nations Engagement at the National Film and Sound Archive, Founder and Artistic Director of Winda Film Festival); Anna Kaplan (Co-founder / Head of Impact Production, Regen Studios & Co-Founder/Board Member, Sustainable Screens Australia); Miriam Katsambis (VP Business & Legal Affairs APAC, Lionsgate); Kristy Matheson (BFI Festivals Director, British Film Institute); Sasha Close (Head of Marketing and Business Development, Mercury CX, Director of Skipping Stone Media, and President, Natalie Miller Fellowship); Courtney Botfield (Producer and Founder, Denim Pictures and Distribution and Marketing Specialist, CB Consulting); Rebecca Hammond (Former Post Production Manager and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Deluxe); Harriet Pike (Chief Operating Officer, WildBear Entertainment); Rachel Okine (Head of Scripted, ABC); and in 2025 to Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd (Curator, Film, Art Gallery of NSW) and Nerida Groth (Co-Founder and Managing Director, Generate Crew, and Assistant Director).
The Natalie Miller Fellowship is unique in its role of passionately promoting female leaders across the spectrum of the Australian screen sector, and as a support network for women in the industry. Its vision is to achieve gender diversity in screen leadership, resulting in a greater breadth of storytelling, better company performances, innovation and a dynamic, inclusive and robust industry for all. The Fellowship delivers significant benefits to both the applicant and wider Australian screen community.
President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, Sasha Close says: “As the Natalie Miller Fellowship marks 15 years of championing women in Australia’s screen industry, we’re proud to open applications for the 2026 program. With two $10,000 grants available, the Fellowship continues to invest in women with bold ambitions to lead, innovate and shape the future of screen. Over the past 15 years, it has built an impressive alumni network spanning exhibition, distribution, production and other sectors of the industry, with Fellows going on to make a lasting impact across the Australian screen industry. I encourage women working across both traditional and emerging screen sectors to apply and pursue bold professional development opportunities that will challenge them, expand their leadership and help shape the future of our industry.”
Applications are now open. All applications for the 2026 Natalie Miller Fellowship must be received by Friday 4 September 2026 at 5pm AEST. The recipients will be announced at the Australian International Movie Convention, held on the Gold Coast between Monday 26 October to Thursday 29 October 2026.
For more information, Fellowship guidelines and to apply, visit the website: www.nataliemillerfellowship.com
