Sydney Film School is fortunate to be infused with passionate, committed and experienced teaching staff who all have current experience within the film industry. The staff have, furthermore, worked together as a cohesive educational team over the last ten years.
Ben Ferris - Director
Ben Ferris studied Latin and Classical Greek at the University of Sydney, winning both the Salting Exhibition and Coopers Scholarship. In 1998 he graduated with First Class Honours after reconstructing the surviving fragments of the “Alexandros”, a play by the Athenian tragedian, Euripides.
Ben was the Director of the UBS Film School at the University of Sydney from 2000 – 2004, and in 2004 he was one of the founding partners of the Sydney Film School where he is currently Director.
Ben is a film writer / director / producer with Australian production company Artemis Projects. A pioneer of the global resurgence in “one take” cinema, Ben’s film “The Kitchen” screened alongside “Russian Ark” at the Inaugural One Take Film Festival held in Zagreb, Croatia in 2003. In 2004 he went on to win the Grand Prix at the same festival for his film “Ascension”. In 2006 he was invited back as an international jury member.
His film “The Kitchen”, which also screened at the prestigious L’Etrange Film Festival in Paris in 2004, attracted international critical acclaim by winning the Grand Prix at the Inaugural Akira Kurosawa Memorial Short Film Festival held in Tokyo in 2005. It was selected for the 20th Singapore International Film Festival in April 2007. In 2007 “The Kitchen” had a theatrical release in Tokyo and worldwide DVD distribution.
Ben’s feature film “Penelope”, the first Australia-Croatia co-production, was released in Croatia in 2009 and in Australia in 2010, and in 2011 has received worldwide release on DVD. “Penelope” screened at the One Take Film Festival and 56th Pula Film Festival in Croatia, the Sydney Underground Film Festival and Australian Film Festival in Australia, and won the Van Gogh Award at the Amsterdam Film Festival in 2010.
In his capacity as Director of Sydney Film School he has also Executive Produced a host of award-winning student short films and documentaries, and in 2009 the multi-award winning Australian feature film “Three Blind Mice”.
Leslie Oliver - Head of Teaching & Production
Leslie Oliver attained a BA in Art from Alexander Mackie College of Fine Art, University of New South Wales and a BA in Film & Television Directing (with recognition in Editing) from the Australian Film Television and Radio School.
In 1986 Leslie was a student, Academy Award nominee as writer/director of the graduation film Tennis Court Opera. The film was also commended at the St Kilda Film Festival and played at Melbourne International Film Festival.
Leslie was writer/director on You Can’t Push The River, an Australian Film Commission funded feature. The film was a finalist at Mannheim/Heidelberg International Film Festival – Germany, and screened at numerous other international film festivals to critical acclaim.
Leslie worked in the industry as a director, editor and consultant and went on to establish filmmaking at St Aloysius College where his students won national film awards. As a sculptor, Leslie has attracted numerous corporate and private commissions, had 16 solo exhibitions, been included in over 40 group shows in Australia and abroad and lectured at the Australian Catholic University. He also lectured in writing and directing for Screen in the Faculty of Architecture, University of Sydney. Leslie was part of the team that established the UBS Film School (1994-2004) at the University of Sydney.
John Buckmaster - International Relations Manager
John Buckmaster; BFA, Dip.Ed, MA, MA (res) John Buckmaster; BA in Fine Art (film), Dip. Ed and Masters in Education, and has completed a Doctorate in Film and Philosophy; writer/director.
The Kiss, Best Film, Atom Awards, The Heist, selected, Met Fest, Harvest, worked on feature film Sample People and many others. John is one of the founders of UBS Audio Visual later renamed UBS Film School. He was the course co-ordinator then director of UBS Film School, overseeing Certificate IV accreditation and RTO status; taught and devised curriculum in film studies for UBS Film School, the University of Sydney Centre for Continuing Education and the University of Sydney, Faculty of Architecture and Design Science (Post Graduate Stream).
John is one of the founders of the Sydney Film School, a Board member and works as the International Relations Manager. He has worked in training and education for over ten years devising vocational programmes, educational video productions and media packages.
Uracha Oliver - Course Coordinator
Born Thailand; post Graduate Diploma in Communication / Film & Television, UTS; BA in Fine Art / Thai languages & literature, Sri Nakharinwirot University Bangkok; Associate Diploma in Television, KVB College of Visual Communication, Sydney, Certificate in Entertainment Management, Australian Institute of Music, Certificate in Directing / Acting for Screen UBS Film School; Travel Writer / photo journalist 2 yrs, Travelling Companion magazine, Thailand; television documentary writer / producer 2 yrs The State if Things Channel 3, Thailand; Writer / producer / Director, children’s TV Channel 9 Thailand; Freelance production roles Australia.
Kathryn Milliss - Advanced Diploma Coordinator
Kathryn Milliss graduated from the Swinburne Film and Television School, winning the Kodak Prize for Best Achievement in Cinematography. She has been lecturing at the University of Technology Sydney, AFTRS & Sydney Film School.
As a Director of Photography her credits include more than 20 projects: features, documentaries and TV series. In 2003 she was a DOP on 'Helen's War' directed by Anna Broinowski. The 50 minute long documentary won Best Documentary Award at the 2004 AFI Awards. In 2006 Kathryn and Anna collaborated again on the feature documentary 'Forbidden Lies' which won 9 awards including Best Feature Documentary Award at the 2007 Film Critics Circle Awards.
She has also worked in 3D technology as one of three DOPs on the 2009 documentary ‘Cane Toads 3D’. Her latest project is feature film ‘Careless Love’ directed by John Duigan. The film is to be released in 2012.
Geoff Barter - Operations Manager
Ira Keller - Communications Manager
Ira has a Masters of Journalism from the University of Zagreb in Croatia, where she graduated writting the thesis about effectiveness of Cultural Diplomacy (Art Exchange) in building meaningful and peaceful relationships between different countries. After arriving in Sydney at the end of 2007 she joined the Sydney Film School where she manages the school's website, newsletter, press releases, job bulletins and co-ordinates the SFS Film Festival. Ira worked on SBS Radio, producing and hosting the youth program Umrezeni in the Croatian language. She is also a hatha yoga teacher.
i07;eller@sydneyfilmschool.com
Caite Adamek - Implementation Manager
Having undergone a mid life crisis and deciding that she had spent enough time in the corporate world as an IT project manager, Caite came to SFS as a student in 2006 where she completed her Diploma.
She has since worked on a number of short films as a producer, production manager and editor and is currently working as co-producer on a Turkish/Australian co-production feature film, Iki Kisilik Dunya, combining her fascination with filmmaking and Turkey which she visits as often as possible.
In her role as Implementation Manager, Caite is responsible for VET Fee-Help, ensuring SFS meets it legislative requirements and the implementation of the new Student Management System.
cadamek@sydneyfilmschool.com
Stefanie Loffel - Distribution Manager
Stefanie has Produced, Directed and edited various short dramas and documentaries. She works for the Sydney Underground Film Festival and is currently completing an Honours degree at Sydney College of the Arts.
Stefanie's work has been screened and showcased at various film festivals and exhibitions where she has won awards for both her producing and directing work in documentary and drama.
distribution@sydneyfilmschool.com
