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BIographies

Propinquity

Jo Porter Executive Producer

Jo Porter is FremantleMedia Australia’s Director of Drama. Porter, a multi-award winning producer, is currently focused on developing a range of returning and stand-alone drama series. Series one of Wentworth, a reimagining of the Prisoner series, set new records when it premiered in 2013; achieving the highest ever ratings for a drama series on Foxtel and is the highest rating Australian show on UK primetime since 2002. Wentworth has sold to over 80 territories and being remade in two other languages, and counting. It has also received great critical acclaim and many industry awards. Porter created and executive produced Wonderland, for Network Ten. The launch episode of Wonderland was the highest premiere for a new series on Ten during 2013. More recently, Porter executive produced the Network Ten telemovie, Mary: Making of a Princess, which was the highest rating drama on Ten in 2015, both domestic and internationally. Currently she is in pre-production on the Seven Network mini-series, Paul Hogan and Olivia Newton John, while series 4 of Wentworth will air in early 2016. Prior to her time with FMA, she produced five drama series for the Seven Network, including Packed to the Rafters, All Saints and Always Greener.

Rachel Ward Director

In her former life as an actress, Rachel Ward was the recipient of several international drama awards and nominations, which includes two Golden Globe nods. She’s starred in a number of international films throughout the last 20 years including Against All Odds, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, After Dark My Sweet, How to Get Ahead in Advertising and The Umbrella Woman, and the most successful mini-series of all time, The Thorn Birds. In 2008, Rachel adapted and directed, Beautiful Kate, a novel by American author, Newton Thornburg. Beautiful Kate was nominated for 10 AFI awards, winning one for best supporting actress. Beautiful Kate was invited to close the Sydney Film Festival and was screened at the Toronto Film Festival in 2009. In 2010 Rachel directed episodes of Rake (ABC) and My Place (ABC3). She also directed three episodes of The Straits for ABC and of Return To The Devils Playground for Showtime (which won ACCTA and a TV Week LOGIE in 2015 for best mini-series) and directed An Accidental Soldier for ABC, which was nominated for AACTA Best Tele-feature and for Best Director.

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