Des Aston
Here are the Committee members, a dedicated bunch who keep the administrative nuts and bolts of the Society in place!
Jess sailed from Boston to Australia 20 years ago with her husband and two sons and never left. Jess's background was art and theatre and she worked for a few years in Sydney with a set designer and painted. Moving to Brisbane in 1994, Jess studied theatre at QUT where she heard about Neil Cameron and the Folk Festival in Maleny. When Jess drove up the Range the first time, she knew that this was the place for her – so beautiful, with good coffee and great films to boot. So the Film Society was one good reason to move here. Jess worked on fire events and shared a beautiful property with Neil and Faridah and when they moved to Tasmania, she branched out and joined the Film Society. Jess believes it has opened new opportunities, including making films. She worked as Mike Rubbo’s assistant on Even Emus, then made the short film The Platypus Man, and last year she says she had the honour to make Reconstructing Peter about local hero Peter Erdmann. Jess travels extensively and still thinks Maleny, the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef are the most beautiful places in the world.
In a former existence ‘down south’, Robin worked in scientific pursuits and teaching. In the late nineties, Norman and Robin moved to Queensland and established the Eureka Pottery and Craft Gallery in Montville. Attendance at MFS film nights, whilst living in Buderim, influenced their decision to move to Maleny, and Robin joined the MFS committee shortly after taking up residence, nine years ago. As well as being passionate about ‘bringing the best in world film to Maleny’, Robin is an enthusiastic gardener and a member of various cultural and environmental groups. Numerous overseas house exchanges in the past few years have provided a welcome opportunity for new travel adventures.
Maleny became Clem's and his wife Pauline's home in 1980 when they moved to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane. After a few years of building their home, they returned to their professions as teachers. Clem took a position as a principal of a P-12 school through to 2001. Then it was time for another change, and Clem moved to small business and the dynamics of digital photography. Currently Clem enjoy sports photography, which is a part of his and Pauline's photo processing business in Maleny. Film Society, their grown-up kids, granddaughter, camping, fishing, the vegie garden and wonderful friends, all go to make living in Maleny a real blessing for the Davies.
Jill is an award-winning children's author, publisher and editor, who has lived in Maleny for 22 years and is an original member of the Peace of Green artists' collective. Jill recently returned to her early ABC-producer career by making a Maleny-based historical documentary. She lives at the Book Farm at Reesville with her husband Richard Dent, where the pair look after wildlife, plant native trees and preserve a remnant rainforest on the Obi Obi Creek.
Nora is the Volunteers Co-ordinator for the Film Society. She is an active founding member of Bridgecreek Community Gardens, a carer at Erowal and a member of "I dolci Venti", the well-known recorder consort.
65 years old and, he says, he doesn’t look a day younger! Brian is now well into his third career, combining the roles of professional Maleny volunteer and regular tennis player. The first 20-year career was as a professional engineer in the RAAF, followed by an entrepreneurial seizure, which took Bryan and his wife into 22 years of hard yakka as small business operators, incidentally winning some industry accolades along the way. Bryan’s volunteering includes the Maleny Info Centre, the Community Centre committee and going on for twelve straight years on the Film Society committee. Someone said to him the other day…”have a good day”…and Bryan’s reply was that he has had 65 years of good days, so why stop now!
Prue Mason
Prue has lived in Maleny for nearly ten years but was busy running a B & B for half that time and is still recovering from the experience. Before sheand her husband, Kerry, came here they lived in Canada and the Middle East for many years. While in the Middle East Prue worked as a writer for a children's newspaper and wrote articles and stories and had a counselling column where she answered problems that ranged from how to prevent pimples to how to get out of an arranged marriage.
She also edited the memoirs of Maryam Behnam, a diplomat in the Shah of Iran's government. Zelzelah, A Woman before her Time, was published by Motivate Publishing in London and Dubai.
Camel Rider, published by Penguin Books, Prue¹s first children¹s novel was winner of the 2005 Queensland Premier's Award.
Prue loves stories writing them, reading them, listening to them and watching them and is pleased to be a part of an interesting group of people who select the great films for the Maleny Film Society and who keep the spirit of community alive in Maleny.
Mary Meadows
Since moving to Maleny in 1993, I have been active in the Co-op movement, initially on the committee for Wastebusters, and then eight years as Secretary to the Maple Street Co-op. Apart from my day jobs, I was also involved with organic certification and on the committee for the Australian Herb Society and the Organic Growers of Australia until they merged with the Biological Farmers Assn two years ago.
My interest in the arts started in my teens when I dabbled with pottery to doing back stage work with Canberra Repertory to being in the Art and Craft business in Canberra. I volunteered my time as treasurer to Australian National Capital Artists. The committee of ANCA along with 50 artists brought about the construction of Artists studios for Industrial and Semi Industrial Artists. During my time in Canberra I was also on the Board of the ACT Crafts Council and worked with numerous others on the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation.
I have had a bit of a break from committees until now, but look forward to being of benefit to the Maleny Film Society.
I have lived in Maleny for the past 24 years and during that time I have been actively involved in community life with a particular focus on the arts, and over the past six years I have dedicated a great deal of energy to the promotion of the visual and performing arts here on the Blackall Range. I am a practicing visual artist myself working as a sculptor using clay and paper and discarded materials as my tools. My particular passion is in arts administration, and this - coupled with my love of the cinema - brings me to the Maleny Film Society as Manager. It is a delight to work with such a dedicated and enthusiastic team of volunteers bringing to the Maleny district a wide selection of contemporary films.
