Ana Tiwary: Spotlight on a story-teller

Ana Tiwary has been in Australia for little over a year and she has already made her mark in her field.

Ana Tiwary was awarded the NSW Woman of the Year Award for setting up the Media Mentorship for Women. While this is her achievement, her career prior to her reaching Australian shores is both extraordinary and inspiring. Tanu caught up with this talented film-maker who wanted to be a doctor when she was young but decided to give it up on finding that she could not dissect even a mouse. She currently works at Distribution Co-ordinator at Goalpost Pictures.


Tell us a bit about this programme and the inspiration for starting such a scheme.
I established the Media Mentorship for Women (MMW) program in early 2008 as a major initiative for Women in Film and Television (WIFT) NSW. The program has been designed to redress the gender imbalance in the media and to encourage women from minority ethnic and indigenous groups to take advantage of this opportunity. MMW establishes one-to-one mentor relationships between industry professionals and emerging women filmmakers who are seeking to further their careers in key technical areas where women are consistently under represented.
When I first moved to Australia in 2007, I did not know where to start and felt I would greatly benefit from being mentored by a seasoned media professional. An inspiring speech by Tania Chambers, the CEO of the NSW Film and Television Office, gave me the confidence to take the initiative and set-up the program.

What kinds of women make use of this opportunity?
I was surprised to see how many mainstream women felt that they needed more support and were very thankful for the opportunity to participate in the program. Our participants come from many different backgrounds and ethnic groups. Of the 75 women who were accepted into the program in Round 1, several belonged to multi-cultural backgrounds and at least 5 had Indian heritage. We also received applications from women with disabilities, women who had recently moved to Sydney, women based in regional areas and women who were tyring to re-enter the industry after a gap.

Are there things that you would like to change or areas you would like to develop further?
The program is progressing way better than I had imagined and has generated support from numerous Government bodies, industry organizations as well as private sponsors and patrons. We have received 80 applications in Round 2 and the matching process is under way. The program also organized several workshops in areas such as scriptwriting, media law and cinematography.

The areas we would like to develop more are providing more online support to women who are not based in Sydney. We would also like to encourage more women from indigenous and minority groups to participate and, as with any non-profit run program, we would love to have more volunteers and sponsors on board.

Tell us about Goalpost Pictures and your new role as Distribution Coordinator there.
Goalpost Pictures is a dynamic independent production company that produces compelling screen stories. My role at Goalpost Pictures involves coordinating the publicity and distribution of their recent film Closed for Winter which stars Natalie Imbruglia in the lead role. I perform a whole range of tasks that range from organizing preview screenings to managing grass-roots publicity and distribution.

How did you discover your love of story-telling?
I have been involved with the media world since I was 16 and started my BA in Video Production. Before that I was leaning towards becoming a doctor, but I was not strong enough to even dissect a small mouse, so gave up that dream after studying science in High School. I always loved telling stories, photography, dance and theatre, so the media industry was the right choice. I get immense creative satisfaction from telling untold stories and collaborating with some fantastic people in the industry.

Apart from being a woman, you are also from an ethnic minority. Which do you find is a bigger challenge?
I think being a woman from an ethnic minority has its own unique set of challenges. The expectations from ethnic women from within their own culture are enormous and they find it harder to find a work-life balance. Being in a new country adds another layer of difficulty. It is important to seek out the smallest doors of opportunity rather than be overwhelmed by the thick walls of prejudice surrounding us. My advice to women who are in a similar situation is that every challenge is an opportunity in disguise -- all you need is an open and positive attitude. It is extremely important to be involved in mainstream society but instead of wasting a lot of time in trying to fit in, my advice would be to focus on what unique ideas you are able to bring to the table to enrich your adopted country.

How long have you been in Australia? What were your first impressions?
I have been in Australia about one and a half years. I moved here from Washington DC, where I was based for 4 years. My first impressions were that the weather is lovely and I was glad that it did not snow here. It was hard starting from scratch in a new country but now I feel that I belong here. My friends at Women in Film and Television NSW have been extremely helpful and have made the transition much easier.

What advice would you give to new arrivals from a media background?
The media industry is very different from any other field of work in that it is inherently deeply rooted in the culture, language, society, politics and history of the country. Also in every country the culture within the media industry is different, so it will take a couple of years to understand the subtleties about how networking works and how projects get made. My advice to new arrivals would be to join non-profits organizations and guilds to network, attend events and get to know people in your area of interest. The best way to achieve this is to volunteer. You could always create opportunities for yourself by establishing your own company. Set clear goals but remember it is important not to be too pushy and to have the patience and determination to stay in this tough industry.

Where did you grow up? What place do you call home today?
I grew up mostly in India but have lived in many parts of the world such as Germany, the US and now Australia. In India I have lived most of my life in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya and a part of me is always haunted by its memories. I also love Lucknow and miss Mumbai all the time. My home is where my mother is and at the moment she lives in Delhi. I have very strong roots in India but I am aware of the contrast in my life and can never take any of the opportunities offered by Australia for granted.

Have you picked up any particular Aussie habit?
Of late I have noticed that I have started to say ‘no worries’ a few times!