Noni Hazlehurst AM joins AFI | AACTA Board
AFI | AACTA is pleased to announce Noni Hazlehurst AM as a new board member.
One of Australia’s favourite and most distinguished performers, Noni is celebrated for her work in theatre, film, TV and on radio. With an outstanding career spanning 40 years, Noni is also an accomplished writer, producer, presenter and director.
Among her many awards, she has received four AFI Awards (Little Fish, Waiting At The Royal, Fran and Monkey Grip), two Logies, an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from Flinders University, and an Order of Australia. Noni has also served on a number of boards, including Film Australia and Belvoir Street Theatre.
Noni has served as Patron or Ambassador for several children’s welfare organisations, including Barnardo’s, and counts her 24-year role as a host of Playschool as a career highlight.
Noni currently stars in Channel 7’s new Australian drama, A Place to Call Home, which debuted recently to media and audience acclaim, attracting 2.6 million viewers.
Noni joins the AFI | AACTA board following the resignation of Sigrid Thornton, who served on the board for two years and is resigning to focus on work and family.
Speaking of Noni’s appointment to the board, AFI | AACTA Chair, Alan Finney, said:
‘’I first met Noni in the 1980s when I was involved in getting Monkey Grip onto local screens. Her passionate and enthusiastic commitment to supporting our film and television industry was obvious and she has made a valuable contribution to Australian audiences’ positive attitude to our product.
‘’Since then Noni has expanded her performance achievements into an incredibly diverse and impressive range, and I am looking forward to her being a part of AFI | AACTA’s recently renewed board as we embark on our challenging but exciting future.’’
Noni Hazlehurst said:
“I’m delighted to be asked to serve on the AFI | AACTA board, and hope to help nurture our filmmakers, and to attract local and international audiences as the industry continues to grow. With 40 years’ experience of telling Australian stories in various media, I look forward to this new opportunity to celebrate and promote our culture and history on screen, and I will endeavour to work to ensure the success and recognition of our artists and craftspeople both at home and internationally.”
Noni joins recently announced AFI | AACTA board members, Geoff Brown, Russel Howcroft, Ian Sutherland and Alaric McAusland, alongside Chair Alan Finney and fellow board members Mike Baard, Jennifer Huby and Robert Sessions, each of whom have served on the board for more than two years.
