Cathy Henkel holding a camera filming a documentary in Borneo.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) WA Screen Academy Director Cathy Henkel has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for her outstanding contribution to the documentary industry.
The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) today announced Associate Professor Henkel as the winner of the 2023 Stanley Hawes Award, a prestigious honour bestowed on a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian documentary and factual sector.
The award recognises an exceptional practitioner from any facet of the industry, including producers, directors, broadcasters, distributors, educators, editors, archivists, cinematographers, impact producers, sound recordists, and other crafts persons and technical specialists.
Professor Henkel has been Director of ECU's WA Screen Academy since 2014 and is an unfailing nurturer and supporter of emerging documentary talent.
Her award-winning career spans more than 30 years as a documentary producer, director and writer, with credits including The Burning Season, I Told You I Was Ill: Spike Milligan, Rise of the Eco-Warriors, and Laura's Choice.
Professor Henkel said she was truly honoured to receive such prestigious recognition.
"As only the second Western Australian recipient of the award, and someone who worked in Northern NSW for much of my career, I am very pleased that the AIDC acknowledges practitioners working outside of the eastern states capital cities," she said.
"I also see this award as recognition of activist filmmakers and people working independently on passion projects."
ECU School of Arts and Humanities Executive Dean Professor Matthew Allen said he was thrilled to see Professor Henkel receive the industry recognition she richly deserves.
"Cathy is a first-class educator, researcher, and mentor, giving so freely to our student filmmakers of her passion for storytelling, and her wealth of industry knowledge," he said.
This award shows that ECU's students are learning from the very best.
The Stanley Hawes Award was established in 1997 to honour documentary producer and director Stanley Hawes, who was Producer-in-Chief of the Australian National Film Board and Commonwealth Film Unit from 1946-1969. It recognises the significant support he gave independent filmmakers in the documentary sector. Since its inception, 24 recipients have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the documentary and factual sector in the tradition of Stanley Hawes. The recipient receives a $5000 cash prize.
