Screenwest welcomes Melissa Hayward as Documentary Executive
Screenwest is pleased to welcome Melissa Hayward as Documentary Executive.
Melissa will be responsible for managing the day-to-day funding of Screenwest’s documentary funding programs and initiatives, working across both development and production.
The appointment comes as Screenwest prepares to say farewell to outgoing Documentary Executive, Paul Williams, who is set to return to filmmaking. Paul has over 20 years’ experience producing and directing documentaries; his work includes the critically-acclaimed feature documentary, Gurrumul, about Indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.
Paul commenced his role in 2019, overseeing the production and delivery of several groundbreaking Western Australian documentary projects including Ningaloo Nyinggulu, Our Law, and Shipwreck Hunters Australia, as well as special initiatives including WA Reflections and the ABC Factual Formats Initiative.
“I’d like to thank Screenwest and the documentary sector in WA for four wonderful years. It’s been my pleasure to work across so many brilliant projects as the sector has gone from strength to strength. I look forward to handing over the slate to Melissa’s very capable hands, and welcoming her to this fantastic role.” said Paul Williams.
A screen industry professional with over 20 years’ experience, Melissa’s extensive work in broadcast documentary has spanned research, development, story producing, archive producing, writing, directing, and field producing for ABC, SBS, Discovery Channel and National Geographic.
As a producer, Melissa’s independent projects – the award-winning short documentary Something To Tell You (2011) and the critically acclaimed feature documentary Hotel Coolgardie (2016) have earned recognition at prestigious festivals like Hot Docs, Slamdance, and the Sydney Film Festival. Hotel Coolgardie received a successful independently distributed cinema run across over 20 screens in Australasia and has recently been adapted into the feature film The Royal Hotel starring Julia Garner and Hugo Weaving, set to premiere at TIFF in 2023.
Melissa’s passion for screen-based storytelling was ignited while working as a script supervisor on Australia’s most iconic feature films and TV series, including Blueback, Dirt Music, The Slap, Red Dog: True Blue, Mystery Road, and Offspring after she graduated from Curtin University with Honours in a Bachelor of Screen Arts.
“We’re so pleased to have Melissa joining our team; her extensive experience across the documentary sector will no doubt serve the WA screen industry incredibly well. Welcome Mel! I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Paul, who has been an invaluable asset to Screenwest and our industry over the last four years – we wish him all the very best.” said Rikki Lea Bestall, Screenwest CEO.
“Western Australia is home to a remarkable community of internationally-recognised documentary filmmakers and talented creatives. I’m looking forward to promoting these practitioners and their stories, providing support, and fostering new relationships within an industry that I am proud to be a part of.” said Melissa Hayward.
Melissa commences her role as Documentary Executive at the beginning of September.
Contact Screenwest
T: +61 8 6169 2100
E: info@screenwest.com.au
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