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Kirsty Stark Producer

Kirsty Stark co-founded Epic Films in 2010 and began producing in 2011 with Wastelander Panda. Prior to this, she worked in the camera department with some of Australia’s most prominent directors and DPs, giving her a comprehensive background working on set. Kirsty first produced the series Wastelander Panda: Exile for ABC iview (Director, Victoria Cocks), followed by her first feature film, A Month of Sundays (Director, Matthew Saville). Her upcoming work includes Goober, a comedy series for ABC iview, written by Ben Crisp and directed by Brendon Skinner and Simon Williams. As a producer, Kirsty’s strengths include her intuitive sense of story and ability to think outside the box, which led to the innovative online journey that brought Wastelander Panda’s two series to life and saw Kirsty awarded the 2013 South Australian Screen Award for Emerging Producer. Kirsty is now the sole owner and Director of Epic Films, a South Australian Film Corporation Seed Company.

Shideh Faramand Writer / Director

Shideh Faramand’s childhood was filled with Sundays watching Bill Collins and old Hollywood Movies with her mother and grandmother. It seemed interesting to her that even though these women spoke little, “Me no English”, they completely understood Robert Redford and Greta Garbo, and could tell you every plot, storyline and summary of these films. Quite astonishing she thought, considering she was used as their lackey translator everywhere else, but not on Sundays. Cinema really was magical. It was at this young age, that Shideh began to develop a passion for storytelling, and a love of cinema. Completing a Bachelor of Theatre Arts in acting at the University of Southern Queensland, Shideh has made a natural progression into screenwriting and directing, with a focus on character. Her films have been well received by audiences worldwide, screening at international film festivals including Vancouver, Edmonton, and Flickerfest.

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