It is with great sadness that the Guild writes of the recent passing of writer, director, author, industry advocate, and a long-time active Victorian AWG member, Mark Poole.
Mark filled many Guild roles over some four decades, including Victorian Committee member; Victorian Chair; Victorian rep on the then Management Committee; Victorian Vice-President on the NEC; and AWGIES State Judging Coordinator. First joining in the early 1980s, before the advent of emails and websites when much of the Guild’s activities were run from the local branch office, Mark was instrumental in helping maintain the Victorian office, whether working with the then part-time managers – including Joy Boyko – or going in himself, on their day off.
Mark’s quiet, effective manner often meant simply doing something himself, rather than bother asking someone else. Meanwhile, he helped secure Film Victoria funding for VIC branch activities, the AWGIES and National Screenwriters’ Conference; and facilitated relationships with Open Channel and RMIT Screenwriting, and the Melbourne and St Kilda Film Festivals. As a result, he became the 2008 recipient of the Richard Lane Award for his dedicated service to the AWG and its spirit and ideals.
Later, having expanded his creative skills to include directing, Mark joined the Australian Directors’ Guild – going on to become ADG Victorian Chapter Head – stepping back from his former AWG roles, although he still retained his association with the AWG’s Victorian Branch including helping organise joint AWG-ADG Christmas events and other industry functions.
Mark’s career ranged across feature film, TV drama, documentary and animation, with a wide body of work in Australia and internationally. His feature script, A Single Life (1987), won an AFI Award and screened on both the ABC and the BBC. He wrote over 25 hours of TV drama including for House Rules, Silver Sun, The Power and the Passion, Australia’s Most Wanted, together with The Adventures of Chuck Finn and Gloria’s House. His documentary credits include Fearless, Besieged, Autism: The Early Signs, Autism: The Teen Years and India Rising, which he wrote and directed. He also spent three years at ABC TV, writing, directing and producing. In addition to further being a published author, Mark was respected for his work as a script editor, script assessor, and mentor for emerging and established writers.
Holding a PhD – with his thesis being The Creative Process of Australian Screenwriter Jan Sardi, past AWG President and subject of a similarly-titled documentary – Mark was driven by a deep commitment to Australian screen storytelling and those who create it. His generosity, and belief in the importance of a strong, connected screen community, leave a lasting legacy.
The AWG offers its sincere condolences to Mark’s partner and fellow St Kilda Films production company founder, Lisa French, to their sons, Dan and Liam, and their friends and colleagues.
– by Michael Harvey
A celebration of Mark’s life is to be held by the family on 31 July, in Melbourne. Please access the following invitation-link for more details, and to RSVP if wished: https://pp.events/markpoole
