Sally Riley (producer) facts for kids

Sally Riley is an amazing Australian filmmaker, writer, and producer. She is known for her important work in film and television. As of 2021, she was the Head of Scripted Production at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which is a big TV and radio company in Australia.

Sally Riley's Early Life and School

Sally Riley is a Wiradjuri woman. She grew up in a town called Narromine in the Central West of New South Wales. When she was 16, her father passed away. She still finished high school at Narromine High.

After school, Sally worked as a secretary at a local metal factory until she was 19. Then, she went on an exciting three-year trip around Australia. She traveled in a special off-road vehicle with her boyfriend at the time. They explored and looked at ancient Indigenous rock and cave paintings.

After her travels, Sally worked for a while helping Aboriginal land councils. These councils work to protect and manage Aboriginal land. Later, she decided to go to the University of Wollongong (UOW). She planned to study acting there.

Sally graduated from UOW in 1991 with a degree in Creative Arts (Theatre). But she changed her mind about acting. Instead, she went to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney to study directing. She finished her studies at NIDA in 1993. Around 1994, she started a special training program at Film Australia.

Sally Riley's Career in Film and TV

Starting Out as a Filmmaker

Sally Riley began her career as an independent filmmaker. This means she worked on her own projects. She was a director and a freelance writer.

She spent some time as a writer at CAAMA Television in Alice Springs. CAAMA stands for Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association. Sally also directed plays for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Urban Theatre Projects in Bankstown, Sydney.

Working at Screen Australia

In 2000, Sally Riley became the head of the Indigenous Branch of the Australian Film Commission. This group later became the Indigenous Department of Screen Australia in 2008. Screen Australia is a government organization that supports Australian films and TV shows.

In her role, Sally helped create many important projects. One famous film she helped produce was Samson and Delilah in 2009. This film was directed by Warwick Thornton and won many awards.

Sally also helped start the careers of other talented Indigenous filmmakers. These included Wayne Blair, Beck Cole, and Darlene Johnson. Under her leadership, Screen Australia also supported the amazing series First Australians (2008). This series was made by Rachel Perkins and Darren Dale. Sally was very focused on helping Indigenous producers and film crews grow. She wanted to make sure there were many talented Indigenous people working behind the scenes in film and TV.

She also helped create a guide for filmmakers called Pathways & Protocols. This book helps filmmakers understand how to work respectfully with Indigenous people, culture, and ideas.

Leading at the ABC

In 2010, Sally Riley became the first head of the Indigenous department at ABC Television. While in this role, she was an executive producer for the film Mabo (2012). She also worked on the TV series Redfern Now (2012–).

Redfern Now was a very special show. It was the first TV drama that was created, written, acted, and produced by Indigenous Australians. This show created many jobs for Indigenous artists and won a Silver Logie Award in 2013 for Most Outstanding Drama Series. Sally also helped bring other shows to the ABC, like The Gods of Wheat Street, Cleverman, 8MMM, and The Warriors.

In May 2016, Sally got a new job as the Head of Scripted Production at the ABC. In this role, she is in charge of all drama, comedy, and Indigenous programs on ABC Television. Some of the popular shows she has helped bring to the screen include Stateless, Mystery Road, Total Control, Aftertaste, Rosehaven, Wakefield, and The Newsreader.

Sally wants to find projects that will attract new viewers to the ABC. She also focuses on making sure that different kinds of people are shown on screen and work behind the scenes. This includes people of different ages, races, genders, and abilities.

Sally Riley's Short Films

Sally Riley wrote and directed several short films early in her career:

• Fly Peewee, Fly! (1995): This film was about a young boy teaching his white grandmother and Aboriginal father about perspective. It was nominated for an AWGIE Award in 1996.
• In Search of Archie (around 1998): This was a 30-minute documentary about a writer named Archie Weller. He was trying to find proof of his Aboriginal background.
• Confessions of a Headhunter (2000): This drama was based on a short story by Archie Weller, who also helped Sally write the film script. It explored the challenges between the Noongar people around Perth and colonial culture. The story is about two men who seek revenge after a statue of their ancestor warrior Yagan was damaged. This film won the AFI Award for Best Short Film in 2000. It also won other awards, including the script category of the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards in 2001.

Awards and Recognition for Sally Riley

Sally Riley has received many awards for her important work:

• In 2008, she was given the Public Service Medal. This was for her work in helping more Indigenous Australians get involved in the film and television industries.
• In 2011, she won the Australian Directors Guild's Cecil Holmes Award. She shared this award with Erica Glynn.
• In 2016, she was named one of the "FP Top 100 Global Thinkers."
• In 2017, her old university, the University of Wollongong, gave her the Alumni Award for Social Impact. They said she used her voice and talent to help people around the world understand Indigenous culture better.
• In 2020, Sally Riley was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscars. She was invited because of her amazing work in supporting diverse stories in Australia and around the world. Being a member means she can vote for the Oscars.
• Sally is known for being very influential and good at bringing great TV series to the screen. For example, Stateless and Mystery Road were chosen for the Berlin Film Festival in 2020.
• In 2023, Sally Riley received the Adelaide Film Festival's Don Dunstan Award. Larissa Behrendt wrote that Sally's work goes beyond just the shows she has helped make. It's also about helping First Nations artists grow in the film and TV industry. She has also helped make First Nations stories a central part of Australia's national story.

Sally Riley's Family Life

Sally Riley has a son named Eli. Eli is also a filmmaker, following in his mother's footsteps. Sally is divorced from Eli's father.