Meet the Ausfilm Team and find out what they have been up to during isolation: Plus some hot tips on what to watch, listen, read or eat!

KATE MARKS
AUSFILM’S CEO

What I’m watching … Season 2 of Mystery Road and loving it as much as the first season. The Australian landscape is truly spectacular and it’s a test in patience with one episode airing a week. I also recently binged the series Upright and Lambs of God, both shows that aired in Australia last year but are heading to a screen in the US shortly. Keep your eyes out for them all!

What I’m listening to … Continually love the friendship banter between Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb in the podcast Chat 10 Looks 3. For those wanting tips on what to read, watch or listen to in isolation I highly recommend.

What I’m doing in isolation … Cooking!  Like many out there, I have embraced the kitchen through this isolation. Having spent the past 5 years in LA with an hour commute home each day, I’m enjoying the benefits of remote working and time that affords me to have a glass of wine; speak with my mum down in Melbourne and cook up something new for dinner.

ERIN STAM
AUSFILM’S SVP OF INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION

What I’m watching … Extraction with Chris Hemsworth. A thrill ride from the first minute with such inventive and well-shot action. I was on the edge of my seat.

What I’m listening to … A podcast called Winds of Change hosted by New Yorker journalist Patrick Radden Keefe. It’s a look into the possibility that the US CIA wrote the hit 90s rock song Winds of Change by the Scorpions as Cold War propaganda.

What I’m eating … Lots and lots of Cheezels.

What I’m reading … The Great Successor by Anna Fifield, which is the rise and reign of Kim Jong Un. She’s the Beijing bureau chief for the Washington Post, so she has amazing connections and insights about North Korea.

RACHELLE GIBSON
AUSFILM’S DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS

What I’m listening … to Nick Cave and the Bad Seed’s album Ghosteen from 2019. I’m a bit late to the party for this album, but I’m a long-time fan and have seen Nick and the Bad Seeds play live half a dozen times. I love the raw, harrowing and consistently creative expression, through deeply honest lyrics, by these amazing Australian musicians. I also receive Nick Cave’s weekly emails called The Red Hand Files where he answers fans’ questions, honestly and beautifully. He never disappoints and is often very funny.

What I’m reading … Pema Chodron’s Start Where you Are – How to accept yourself and others. Pema is a resident teacher of Buddhism at Gampo Abbey in Cape Breton, Novia Scotia in Canada. She has a delightfully light and digestible way of guiding the reader on how to be a better human through practical examples and meditations. In this strange time it’s a very helpful and practical book.

What I’m loving … when I take breaks whilst WFH I make sure I get in a few juicy cuddles with my son, Dexter (pictured) and one of our Cornish Rex cats. The cat in this photo is Meemow and he has an Instagram account with his brother Hendrix. Meemow’s favourite WFH position is in my bed or on my keyboard.

OLIVIA LOCASCIO
AUSFILM’S RESEARCH & MEMBERSHIP OFFICER

What I’m watching … I have just finished the first season of The Gloaming and I absolutely loved it. I’m always attracted to films and television shows that have a noir setting. I’ve started Lambs of God and am completely mesmerised by the lead performances. A friend of mine is also an actress in The Secrets She Keeps so I’m looking forward to starting that when I can. Even though the series has finished, I continuously tell almost everyone I know to watch Rake.

What I’m listening to … After reading Leigh Sales’ book Any Ordinary Day last year, I’ve become a regular listener of Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb’s podcast Chat 10 Looks 3. It is always a very entertaining and informative listen.

What I’m doing in isolation … Completing the last semester of my Law degree. After six years of face-to-face lessons, it has been an eye-opening experience to undertake online learning. We are so lucky to be living in a time where we are capable of doing that. I’m also exercising at the park and doing half an hour of yoga every morning – it’s so important to stay fit and healthy especially during these times.