At its October meeting the WIFT Board voted to confer Honorary Life Membership on a woman many of you will know - Judith McCann. Judith joins a select group of life members - the others are Philippa Boyens, Robin Laing, Fiona Milburn and Glenis Giles. Congratulations Judith!
Judith was CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission from 1989 to 1994 and was encouraging of and instrumental in, the establishment of WIFT in New Zealand. In 1992 she made NZFC staffer Rhys Kelly available to survey women working in the industry to ascertain the level of interest in setting up a WIFT chapter here. Once the organisation was established she joined immediately and encouraged female staff members of the NZFC to join and to participate in WIFT events. Shortly afterwards she left NZ to take up the position of CEO at the South Australia Film Commission and her membership lapsed but she rejoined on returning to this country as CEO of Film New Zealand which position she held until 2009.
Judith was a strong advocate and supporter of female creatives in the film industry - she supported the development of Alison McLean (Crush), Jane Campion (An Angel at my Table), Gaylene Preston (Ruby & Rata) and a good 20 other women developing and producing short films whose careers were established and/ or flourished under her tenure. Judith is currently living in Ottawa where she has a consulting company mPICS.