This Award was originally known as the “National Film Man of the Year” until 1994, when it was changed to “National Film Pioneer of the Year”. Then in 1998, it was re-named again to read “National Cinema Pioneer of the Year”.
SANDRA ALEXANDER – NATIONAL PIONEER OF THE YEAR 2021 Sandra came to the screen industry from a background as a teacher and academic, where she pioneered a film study and film-making course in NSW high schools and made instructional videos for Macquarie University. She joined the Sydney Filmmakers Co-op and soon became a board member.…
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JOHN CRONIN – NATIONAL PIONEER OF THE YEAR 2020 It was obvious from a very young age that John Cronin was destined to be a showman. As a young primary school student he would often stage backyard concerts and invite his school mates to pay him a penny to see him perform “Take Me Out…
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RON REYNOLDS – 2019 NATIONAL CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR. Ron has had a career as a projectionist of 73 years and 9 months as at date of publication of this Bulletin. We are delighted to celebrate Ron as National Cinema Pioneer of the Year. He has had a long and storied career serving…
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RUSSELL ANDERSON – NATIONAL PIONEER OF THE YEAR 2018 Commencing his career in the motion picture industry at 16, Russell joined GUO Wests Theatre in Adelaide as an Office Boy in January 1965. Not long after, he was offered a position as Assistant Projectionist at the Majestic Theatre in King William Street. Later becoming a Dispatch Clerk at United Artists, Russell…
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Zareh Nalbandian began his career in the film industry as an intern at Australia’s then leading film post production group, Colorfilm. Already an avid photographer, he quickly developed a passion for film optical effects and worked in Colorfilm’s optical effects department on various iconic Australian films in the 1980s. Zareh took on several diverse management…
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