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Vale Judith McCann

13 October 2022

The SAFC was saddened to hear of the passing of former SAFC Chief Executive Judith McCann on 4 October, 2022.

Producer and former SAFC CEO Helen Leake AM has written this tribute.

Chief Executive from January 1994 for five years, Judith took the reins at a time when the very existence of the SAFC was hotly debated after a decade of turmoil.

She re-shaped the SAFC from being a loss-making producer into a support organisation for the local industry.

Under her watch she supported the careers of aspiring directors Scott Hicks, Rolf de Heer, Mario Andreacchio and Craig Lahiff, producers Kerry Heysen, Julie Ryan, Helen Leake, Mark Patterson and young talent wherever she found it. 

She was a tireless campaigner to successive governments without fear or favour, to show the value of what we do.

Her Thank God Its Friday (TGIF)  gatherings put aspiring and experienced people in the room together.

She knew the importance of relationships and shared her own personal network of national and international contacts with any South Australian filmmaker showing ambition.

Judith was energetic, generous and always working to support industry in multiple ways, her Thanksgiving turkey lunches are legendary!  Vale Judith, thank you.