SBS and NITV announce new Commissioning Editor appointments

SBS and National Indigenous Television (NITV) have announced the appointment of two commissioning editors, with Bernadine Lim joining SBS as Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, and Marissa McDowell joining NITV as Commissioning Editor.

As a member of SBS’s Unscripted team, Lim will work across SBS’s slate of distinctive commissioned documentaries, championing diverse stories and exploring issues impacting contemporary Australia.

McDowell will join NITV’s commissioning team, working on the development and delivery of a diverse slate of commissioned programming for the channel, including documentaries, entertainment and children’s programs reflecting, exploring and celebrating First Nations stories.  

Lim is an award-winning director and producer with more than 20 years’ experience, and joins SBS from Screen Australia where she has been Head of Documentary since 2018. Born in Malaysia, she began her career as a TV journalist in New Zealand and has worked across a range of factual formats, from current affairs, entertainment, arts, science and documentary, in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia. Her appointment sees her return to SBS having previously been the Executive Producer of Dateline, SBS’s long-running international current affairs program.

Joseph Maxwell, Head of Documentaries, SBS, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Bernadine back to SBS, and bringing her extensive industry knowledge, working across a range of formats, to the documentaries team. Her experience reflects her talent and passion for storytelling, and we’re looking forward to having her join us as SBS continues to deliver a strong and diverse slate of commissioned documentaries in 2021, and has an exciting mix of projects in development.” 

On her appointment, Lim said: “It’s been an amazing time at Screen Australia with a talented team of dedicated people. I’m very excited to make my next move into the creative heart of SBS’s strong factual content team. As a passionate storyteller, it’s a privilege to have this type of role across such compelling content and help celebrate multicultural Australia.”

McDowell, from the Wiradjuri Nation and currently living in Canberra, has worked with Indigenous communities to tell their stories through documentary film making, photography and writing, throughout her career. 

On McDowell’s appointment as Commissioning Editor for NITV, Kyas Hepworth, Head of Commissioning and Programming, NITV, said: “Marissa’s passion and craft for storytelling is matched by her dedication and commitment to supporting the ongoing development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent in the screen sector. Her creativity, expertise and strong industry networks will be a great asset to the NITV team, and we can’t wait to have her on board at a busy time with a number of exciting projects in the pipeline for the channel.” 

McDowell added: “Our people have so many stories which are universal that need to be told. I am excited to be joining NITV, a channel dedicated to telling the stories of the world’s oldest continuing culture, and be able to play a part in bringing these stories to the world.”

A multimedia producer and filmmaker with her production company, Black & White Films, McDowell has produced content for various platforms including NITV, and also facilitates filmmaking workshops for youth and community. In 2016, she was selected as part of Screen Forever’s Ones to Watch development and mentoring program, is a member of First Nations Writer group, Us Mob Writers, and is also a published poet and exhibited photographer. 

Bernadine Lim will commence in the role in the SBS documentaries team on 3 May, and Marissa McDowell will join NITV from 24 March.

For a PDF version of this media release, click here. 

 

More information:  

Bernadine Lim
Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, SBS (from 3 May, 2021)

Bernadine Lim is currently the Head of Documentary at Screen Australia the country’s federal funding body. The unit provides support through development and production funding, targeted initiatives and the Producer Equity Program across formats including features, television, online and XR.

As a director and producer with over 20 years’ experience, she has several awards including two Gold Medals at the New York Festivals Film and TV Awards and was nominated for an Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts Award for Best Direction in a Documentary. She spent five years as Executive Producer of the international documentary current affairs SBS series, Dateline, commissioning close to 100 films which received multiple awards, including a BAFTA.

Living across New Zealand, UK and Australia, she’s developed and produced content for both public, commercial and subscription networks including SBS, National Geographic, BSkyB, Discovery International, BBC World, TVNZ, TV3, Network 10 and NBC Universal.

Marissa McDowell
Commissioning Editor, National Indigenous Television (NITV) (from 24 March, 2021)
McDowell is a Wiradjuri woman from Cowra NSW.  She started her career as an Audio-Visual Assistant and Vision Switcher in live production for the Canberra Raiders and Brumbies at GIO Stadium Canberra.  During this time, she also worked as a News and Radio Operating Assistant in live news production for ABC Canberra.

She launched her independent production business Black & White Films and has worked with Indigenous communities telling their stories through multi-media platforms for over nine years.  Her documentaries have been commisioned and screened with SBS/NITV. 

Marissa is a member and chairperson for Us Mob Writing and had her poetry published in the literary journal Ora Nui, featured work by Aboriginal and Maori writers and as part of Overland’s Emerging Poet Series.  She featured as a contributor in A Pocketful of Leadership in the ACT and Us Mob Writing, Too Deadly Our Voices Our Way Our Business.  Her photographs have been exhibited at The Sydney Living Museum, PhotoAccess, Belco Arts Centre and Tuggeranong Arts Centre.  She has peer assessed for multiple organisations assessing art and film projects.

She has received her Master of Arts Screen Business and Leadership at the Australian Film Television and Radio School and is currently undertaking her Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage at Charles Sturt University.