Sue Maslin has received international recognition for her award-winning documentaries, films and feature films, including the hugely successful Japanese Story which won Best Film at the 2003 AFI Awards. But her latest accolade is particularly special.
This month Maslin, who has seen incredible success in a vastly male-dominated and competitive screen industry, was named the inaugural recipient of the Jill Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry.
“This award is slightly different,” Maslin tells Women’s Agenda. “It’s a particular honour because it acknowledges the work that so many of us do towards the screen industry and our screen culture, over and above the making of films.”
Aside from running her own distribution and rights management company, with business partner Daryl Dellora, Maslin is working to change the landscape of the screen industry and increasing the representation of women in film, television and digital media.
It’s a cause she says is more important than ever during a period of generational change.
“While there have been some improvements, gender equity has all but disappeared from the policy agenda,” Maslin said during her acceptance speech on 12 October, noting that there has never been a comprehensive survey of women in leadership positions within the screen industry.
“Women need to be part of the new leadership if we are to have a healthy and diverse media landscape in the future.”
While Maslin says television has a more stable business culture and more opportunities for career development, the film sector is a much more “risky” career for women, despite her own success.
A founding member of Women in Film and Television (Victoria) and the inaugural president of Women in Film and Television (Australia), in her 30 years as a producer Maslin has taught, mentored and championed a number of emerging filmmakers in the screen industry, which she describes as a “rollercoaster ride at the best of times”.
“Women are still underrepresented,” she says. “There are not very clear career development pathways, for anybody, in the screen business, least of all for women.”
But despite these challenges, Maslin has managed to enjoy much success doing what she loves – a far cry from her original plan to become a marine biologist or zoologist, having initially completed a bachelor of science.
In addition to running her company Film Art Media, and organising the financing of various productions, Maslin is now studying a Masters in Screen Business and Arts.
“Right now it’s a juggle,” she says of trying to achieve a work/life balance. “It’s always going to be a juggle.”
How has Maslin achieved so much success in such a tough industry? She offers her top tips for career success:
- Be a doer: “You become successful if you can keep doing good work. It’s really about survivability.”
- Be focused: “I’ve always found that if you’re focused and you’re clear [about] what you’re asking of anybody, you’re never turned down.”
- Be flexible: “Remaining curious, open to change and being flexible, that’s a very, very important part of it.”
- Be tenacious: “The other really important part is tenacity. Being there for the long haul. Seeing it as a long-distance race as opposed to a series of short sprints. I think that’s the key.”
- Be a sharer: “Women are generally very good at [networking] and I’ve always found that to be an incredibly powerful tool. I’ve just always had a fundamental belief that it’s much more empowering to share information and to encourage others than withhold it and compete with others. That’s something that I feel quite strongly about.”