December 2023

SPA Councillors and appointed Advisors announced for 23/24

Stephanie is excited to continue her work with the Screen Producers’ Australia Council having been announced as an appointed Advisor along with Greg Woods (Fremantle Australia), Kevin Whyte (Guesswork TV), Kurt Royal (The Post Lounge), and Mitchell Stanley (No Coincidence Media). Also a big congratulations to newly elected Councillor Kyle Munnich (Goalpost Pictures).

Inside Film / Read Full Article

 

 

November 2023

Access Coordinators announced for Screen Australia training program

Stephanie, having first learned of this role during the Respectability lab in 2022, was excited to learn of Screen Australia’s intention to facilitate a training program that would create a cohort of Access Coordinators here in Australia.

Even more exciting was Steph learning that she had been selected as a participant for the program and would travel to Sydney to learn from UK-based facilitators Bridge06.

The participants chosen for this program bring a wealth of talent, industry knowledge, and most importantly expertise when it comes to meeting Access Requirements for DDN (D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent)  cast and crew thanks to their firsthand experience of advocating for their own access requirements.

Screen Australia / Read Full Article

 

 

February 2023

SPA Leadership Diversity Mentorship Announced

Stephanie is proud to join the Screen Producers’ Australia Council as this year’s recipient of their Leadership Diversity Mentorship.

As someone with aspirations of being a force for positive change within this industry that Stephanie is so deeply passionate about, she is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about how SPA works for the industry on a policy level as well as how they work to inform producers and make the industry one that is open and accessible to a wider wealth of talent.

Inside Film / Read Full Article

 

 

august 2022

Virtual Cohort unveiled for RespectAbility Entertainment Lab 2022

In an exciting announcement, Stephanie has been selected as a Fellow for RespectAbility’s Virtual Entertainment Lab. Thanks to the magic of technology, Stephanie will be participating in the virtual edition of the Lab for 2022 which offers entertainment professionals with disabilities an opportunity to connect with other disabled creatives, professionals and major studio executives, essentially introducing them to the wider industry.

As a non-profit organisation that seeks to combat stigmas for people with disabilities through advocacy, RespectAbility developed the Lab with a goal to “ensure that no one can ever say they could not find a disabled writer, director, producer, or creative professional.” The 2022 Virtual Lab Fellows are Aisha Almada, Alys Murray, Angel Williams, Ariel Baska, Cameron Mitchell, Charo Mato, Chris & Charlie Frazier, Cypher, Graham Kent, Heather Taylor, Isabella Vargas, Kimberly Manky, Matt Opatrny, Maureen McEly, Nina Mahesh, Ophira Calof, Samuel Krauss, and Sarah Fischer.

Through the Lab, Stephanie looks forward to expanding her networks across the Pacific ocean and learning more about the Hollywood system.

Hollywood Reporter / Read Full Article

 

 

April 2022

Speakers announced for Screenworks’ Regional to Global Screen Forum

Additional speakers have been announced for the Regional to Global Screen Forum taking place in Lennox Heads in late May 2022.

Included in the lineup is Dower Productions’ Stephanie Dower. Presented by Bus Stop Films CEO Tracey Corbin-Matchett, Stephanie will be speaking on the Authenticity and Positive Inclusion panel alongside Afro-Australian director, writer, and producer Hawanatu Bangura; non-binary filmmaker Claudia Bailey; and Bus Stop Films’ co-founder and director Genevieve Clay-Smith.

Screenworks / Read Full Article

 

 

march 2022

Sunshine to screen at 46th Cleveland International Film Festival

After having it’s world premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival in 2021 as part of their RIDE Shorts Gala, Sunshine will have it’s North American premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival in early April 2022.

It was announced on March 7th that Sunshine had been selected to screen at the Oscar-qualifying film festival, in contention for Best Live Action Short Film. Sunshine is a short drama film that was produced by Taste Creative and Bus Stop Films and was funded through Screen Queensland’s RIDE Shorts initiative.

IMDb / Read Full Article

 

 

December 2021

Screen Queensland announces Equity and Diversity Taskforce

Stephanie is honoured to be selected as one of the inaugural members of Screen Queensland’s Equity and Diversity taskforce.

Tasked with devising a comprehensive, three-year Diversity Plan for the organisation, the announcement of the Equity and Diversity Taskforce is a demonstration of Screen Queensland’s ongoing commitment to positive change with the aim of increasing the representation of diverse voices and perspectives, both in the stories we tell on screen and behind the camera in practitioner roles.

Screen Queensland / Read Full Article