RICHARD PARTON – 2025 QUEENSLAND CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR Richard Parton has been a stalwart of the industry – not just in Queensland, but nationally 3 for over 60 years. He started In the Industry in 1960 with Independent Film Distributors. In 1970 he joined Roadshow Film Distributors, operating out of Qld by Birch…
FREYA & GRAHAM TIENAN – 2024 QUEENSLAND CINEMA PIONEERS OF THE YEAR Freya commenced as Secretary to the State Manager of Roadshow Film Distributors in January 1974, working originally with Tim Osborne, then Phil Stanley and lastly Tony Burke. Her role encompassed all secretarial and administrative procedures. In 1987 she transferred to the position of…
LEIGH BOAG – 2023 QUEENSLAND CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR Leigh writes… “My wonderful life in the Qld Film Industry. After leaving school, I applied as a film repairer at CIC in Ann street in 1979. Not knowing anything about films I went upstairs and was greeted by Joy Strange. She said the boss won’t…
ALLAN COLLINS – 2022 QUEENSLAND CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR Allan Collins has certainly been around – I reckon most people in the Industry would not know of anyone who has worked in more Cinemas than this bloke! Moreover, Allan would have witnessed a particular event in the Metro Goldwyn-Mayer history that has rarely been…
LARRY LANGFORD – QUEENSLAND CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR 2021 Boy what a career ! In 1954, at the tender age of 14, Larry started work as a ‘Tray Boy’ at the Royal Theatre Killarney, managed at the time by Norm Toyer. His duties selling cigarettes, Fantales, Minties and Jaffas in the interval saw him…
Tony commenced working in the Film Industry with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Brisbane Branch in 1956 as the office junior at the age of 15 years. This was towards the end of the musical era but with the highly entertaining Guys & Dolls and High Society yet to come. The action era followed with Dirty Dozen,…
Beryl Madsen is the 2019 Queensland Cinema Pioneer of the Year, Beryl’s career began in Maryborough in 1963 as a cafe attendant at the Starline Drive-in. The job suited Beryl down to the ground, working nights while her husband looked after the four kids. Beryl progressed to ticket seller and then Assistant Manager. Following Jack…
Most Projectionists toil away out of the public gaze, but not our QLD Cinema Pioneer of the Year for 2018. Uniquely, Ben would go on to not only find himself the projectionist, but at the same time the Theatre owner and also appearing on screen in a film he was screening. And it all happened…
Longreach has its Stockman’s Hall of Fame, the Outback Heritage Centre and the Qantas Founders Museum among other iconic Queensland landmarks, but as far as we’re concerned the most important icon in Longreach is our Cinema Pioneer of the year, Norm Salsbury. Norm’s first became interested in the cinema when he was seven years old,…
Roger and Denice Harrison are Queensland’s first Joint Cinema Pioneers of the year. In the Picture Show business Roger is a pretty rare breed – he has a history of three generations in the Industry. Not many people can claim that sort of pedigree. Denice, a Cinema Pioneer in her own right, also has a…