The Producers adds three new female directors: Olivia Altavilla, Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien, Amber Mealing
The Producers has welcomed three new female directors, continuing its commitment to a more equitable future for film.
Olivia Altavilla, Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien and Amber Mealing are the latest female directors to sign with The Producers, each bringing their distinct lens and voice to the Australian film landscape.
Says Noelle Jones, executive producer and partner, The Producers: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Olivia, Aimée-Lee and Amber to The Producer’s family.
“As a female owned and led company, it’s important for us to nurture the next generation of female talent and create a more equitable set for all, in front of and behind the camera.”
Company owners Tanya Spencer, Victoria Conners and Noelle Jones began their careers in the 90s. Turning 10 this year, The Producers, is a female producer-led production company that celebrates diverse creative perspectives.
Says Tanya Spencer, executive producer and partner, The Producers: “When we started our careers, there weren’t a lot of female directors in the industry. It’s been incredibly reassuring to see this shift over the years.
“It’s really important to us that we provide an opportunity for fresh new voices and support these young women to thrive.
“Olivia, Aimée-Lee and Amber are all incredibly distinct in their tone, approach and craft, which really compliments our current family.”
Olivia Altavilla
Since graduating from VCA with a Masters in Film and TV Narrative in 2018, Altavilla (pictured above) has gone from strength to strength, directing for the likes of Bose, Huggies, PetStock, Heinz and Harris Scarfe. A devotee to detail, Altavilla loves to create work with a rich tapestry of character and heart.
Says Altavilla: “I feel incredibly lucky to work for a company led by three boss-ass women. They’ve supported me in finding my voice and owning it, which is pretty special as a young female director. It’s like having three more mums in my corner.”
Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien
Aimée-Lee is a Chinese-Irish-Australian writer and director working in offbeat comedies. She loves to explore character and elevate reality through richly detailed production design, bringing a lavish visual style to all her films. Her commercial work includes TVCs for Maltesers, CommBank, PayPal, H&M and TikTok. Xu Hsien describes her work as exuberant, playful, irreverent, and full of heart.
Says Xu Hsien: “I’m really thrilled to join The Producers family. I feel incredibly supported by Noelle, Tanya and Victoria in both my commercial work and my other film projects like my web-series. Not only are they absolute weapons on the work front but they’re also just super fun to be around. And being embraced so enthusiastically by the other directors on the roster has been really heartwarming. I couldn’t be more pumped about the serious goals we’re going to kick this year and all the celebratory spritzes we’re going to have to share together!”
Amber Mealing
Amber Mealing’s camp aesthetics, attention to detail and optimistic demeanour have seen her rise to the ranks as one of Melbourne’s most distinct, contemporary directors. Having worked across Australia and New York, Mealing’s work combines bold characters, lush art direction and punchy storytelling across TVC, films, music videos and events. Commercial credits include: Squealing Pig, the Virgin Australian Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF), Vodka Cruiser and Inch Bikini.
Says Mealing: “Joining TP feels like coming home. From the first moment I spoke to producers at TP I felt recognised and supported. TP embraces diverse voices, talent and they are always striving for something fresh – you can see this in the calibre of work they produce and the amazing directors they work with. My visuals, style and even personality can be quite out there, so it means the world to me that savvy and talented producers like the team at TP have my back!”
For showreels, please contact Noelle Jones on: Noelle@theproducers.co
9 Comments
Great to see these fab directors getting representation and balancing out the dude-heavy rosters!
Fab signings @TheProducers, can’t wait to see more work from them.
A massive congratulations to these wonderful directors! Amber, Aimee-Lee and Olivia all have great bodies of works and so glad to see them continue to shine.
As director who happens to be female, I look forward to the day when female directors are just referred to as directors and our work is celebrated on it’s own, rather in conjunction with our gender.
Absolutely don’t want to take away from this awesome news for Amber, Aimee-Lee and Olivia, because it is a wonderful step. You’ve worked hard and it shows. Go get em!
Congrats to the new directors!
Although, I would like to say I find it tiring and dated to see their gender called out.
They should be celebrated as ‘Directors’ not ‘Female Directors.’
Incredible lineup! 🔥🔥🔥
* great directors (rather than ‘female’ directors)
“Women and girls make up just over half (50.7 per cent) of the Australian population…”
On, say a large production company website of 25 directors, only 6 are women. Feel free to take a look.
It’s still an issue. We still need to keep talking about it until it’s not anymore.
Free the bid.
call them “Directors” not “Female Directors”?
Stop ruining these fabulous directors moment about their work with latching onto one word in a headline.
I’m really anti this. Let’s support people at the front of their careers.
Great work everyone. You have already done great stuff here and we look forward to seeing where you go in the future.
Talents to watch for sure.