About Us

Our Board

ASDACS has a maximum of seven board members, two of which must be in good standing with the ADG and DEGANZ. Two non-member directors with specialist expertise may be appointed by the board. ASDACS Members are invited to submit nominations and stand for election at the AGM held in November each year.

Jonathan Brough
Chair of ASDACS

Jonathan is an Aotearoa/New Zealand-born director of film & television. His many credits include the hit comedy Rosehaven (ABC/Amazon), The End (Foxtel/Showtime), The Family Law (SBS), Aftertaste (ABC), Ronny Chieng: International Student (Comedy Central/ABC/Netflix), Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane (ABC/NBC) and The Insider’s Guide to Happiness (TVNZ).
In 2022 he was setup director for Better, a UK-set psychological thriller for Sister Pictures (Chernobyl) and BBC One. His short films have screened at festivals world-wide including Cannes, London, Slamdance and Sydney.
His most recent projects were Bay of Fires (ABC) and Playing Gracie Darling (Paramount+), which is available world-wide on Netflix.
Jonathan is also VP (Television) of the Australian Directors’ Guild.

Mat King
Board Director

Mat King has directed award-winning scripted television in Australia and the UK. His career was established in the UK on British series including Doctor Who (BBC), DCI Banks (ITV) and multiple seasons of Law & Order: UK (ITV). Since returning to Australia Mat has directed series including Pine Gap (Netflix/ABC), the acclaimed Wentworth (Foxtel) and the award-winning Bloom (Stan). He has directed on multiple seasons of the romantic comedy The Wrong Girl, episodes of Underbelly: Razor, House Husbands, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, My Life is Murder, How to Stay Married and the US series Hunters amongst others. Mat recently directed the high rating Return to Paradise (ABC/BBC) and Human Error (Nine). Both were nominated at the Logie Awards for Best Drama and Best Miniseries with Return to Paradise winning Best Drama.

Fadia Abboud
Board Director

Fadia Abboud is a filmmaker based out of Sydney, Australia, who most recently directed episodes of the SBS romantic drama FOUR YEARS LATER, which was filmed across Sydney, Mumbai and Jaipur, as well as the entirety of HOUSE OF GODS for ABC. Produced by Matchbox Pictures/NBCU, HOUSE OF GODS had its international premiere in competition at Series Mania 2024, and follows the lives of an ambitious Iraqi Australian family grappling with newfound power and privilege after their charismatic patriarch is elected head cleric of their local mosque. For her work on this project, Fadia was nominated for an ADG Award. The series also received a nomination for Best Miniseries at the 2025 AACTA Awards. In 2025, she is attached to direct the boundary-pushing sci-fi feature 2 MOONS for Co-Curious.
Fadia’s earlier television directing credits include, YEAR OF, a spin-off of the popular Stan Originals drama BUMP, ABC’s BARONS and LES NORTON, both of which received SPA Award nominations, Nine Network’s AFTER THE VERDICT and HERE COME THE HABIBS!, as well as Seven Network’s AUSTRALIAN GANGSTER. In 2020, she directed the ABC Me series HARDBALL, which won the 2020 Prix Jeunesse International award for Outstanding Children’s Television, and the International Emmy Award for Best ‘Kids: Live-Action’ series. On the second season of Network 10’s FIVE BEDROOMS, Fadia’s episode, ‘Twenty-Seven Weeks,’ was nominated for an Australian Directors Guild Award.
Crossing over into film, Fadia directed a segment of 2022 anthology feature HERE OUT WEST, which opened the Sydney Film Festival in 2021. Additionally, in 2018, Fadia was the recipient of two LGBTQI short film initiatives: SBS Love Bites and ABC Queer for Short. For the former, Fadia directed the short CONCERN FOR WELFARE, a 12-minute narrative fiction, and for the latter, CLUB ARAK, a seven-minute documentary based on a queer Arab dance party (of the same name) of which she is a founder. Funded by Parramatta City Council, her short BIG TROUBLE, LITTLE FISH (2010), which she also wrote, screened at Flickerfest in 2010.
Initially, Fadia rose to prominence in the industry in 2005 with her 26-minute documentary called I REMEMBER 1948, which screened on SBS. Her final film while doing her BA Communications at UTS was IN THE LADIES LOUNGE, which won two awards in the My Queer Career competition at the Mardi Gras Film Festival. Finally, between 2007 and 2017, Fadia Abboud was the co-director of the Arab Film Festival Australia.

Nina Oyama
Board Director

Nina Oyama is an award winning writer, director, actress and comedian, best known for her work on Taskmaster Australia, Deadloch and Utopia. Nina’s TV writing credits include You’re Skitting Me (ABC), Love Me (Binge), Yolo Crystal Fantasy(Adult Swim) and Class of 07 (Amazon). In 2023, her episode of Koala Man (Disney Plus) won the AWGIE for Adult Animation. Nina also co- created the AACTA Award winning SBS series Latecomers, which screened in competition atSeries Mania, and was subsequently broadcast internationally.Nina is ADG and AACTA nominated for her directing work on half hour comedy pilots The Angus Project and Urvi Went to An All Girls School - which were both funded by ABC’s Fresh Blood Initiative. As a stand up comedian, Nina has sold out multiple seasons at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, opened for Hannah Gadsby, and appeared on JFL Sydney, Thank God You’re Here, Spicks and Specks and many other panel shows.

Howard Taylor
Board Director

His publicist writes: According to a review of 'Guthrie Smith of Tutira' ("a cracking programme superbly realised via the direction of Howard Taylor") by novelist Peter Hawes, Howard is a "gently thoughtful chappie who has crafted documentaries that slip seamlessly into the national psyche and confirm it." One of New Zealand’s most experienced programme-makers, Howard has created quality programming in many genres and in a variety of roles - editor, writer, director and producer. He has written, produced and directed numerous documentaries, television series, corporate videos and commercials, from the high rating – Location, Location, Location, Country Calendar, Maggies Garden Show – to the high-brow – performance pieces and arts documentaries on such luminaries as Sir Toss Woollaston, Margaret Mahy, Vincent Ward, Michael Parmenter, Lauris Edmond and Billy Apple. The history series Frontier of Dreams made its own history as the most expensive documentary series made to date. Te Whiringa Taura o Whanganui records several hundred years of Whanganui iwi battles to control their river. Howard's programmes reflect the strengths and values of New Zealanders in all their rich unassuming variety - programmes with heart and soul. He currently directs New Zealand’s most popular locally-made series Hyundai Country Calendar. He was a founding board member of the DGNZ (now DEGANZ) and president for 5 years. He resigned from the board in 2022 after 26 years of service.

Poppy Stockell
Board Director

Poppy Stockell is an award winning director, screenwriter, producer and author working across documentary and scripted production. Her films and series have screened at leading international festivals and her work has been recognised with a Logie, AACTA, Walkley and a UN Media Peace Prize. Her recent feature John Farnham Finding the Voice is the highest grossing Australian documentary of all time and her scripted series Triple Oh received the Luna de Valencia Grand Jury Prize. Poppy’s current focus is the creation of bold, original stories across film, television and editorial platforms. She is committed to human centred storytelling and to collaborating with organisations and creative teams that value clarity, purpose and impact. Poppy brings deep experience in creative leadership, contract negotiation and the practical realities directors face in both domestic and international markets to her position on the ASDACS Board.

Darren Ashton
Board Director

Darren is a highly experienced award-winning director and producer across television and film. In his role as director and Creative Executive at Northern Pictures, Darren co-created SPREADSHEET with Kala Ellis and went on to be set up director, for which he was nominated Best Director in a Comedy Series at the Australian Director’s Guild Awards (ADG). More recently he completed production on the ABC/ITV Studios UK/Australian comedy series AUSTIN, Starring Ben Miller (JOHNNY ENGLISH, PROFESSOR T), Sally Phillips (VEEP, BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY) and Michael Theo (LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM). Darren also directed the Emmy Award winning series Hardball, both Season 1 and 2 for Northern Pictures.
Darren co-wrote and directed the successful feature THUNDERSTRUCK (Icon) and RAZZLE DAZZLE which competed in over 20 International festivals – Including Toronto, Berlin, London and New York Film Festivals. Darren was EP on the feature film NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN starring Ryan Kwanten (TRUE BLOOD) and Sarah Snook (SUCCESSION, PREDESTINATION). Prior to joining Northern Pictures, he was set up director for the hit series HERE COME THE HABIBS! for Jungle and the Nine Network and associate script producer on Season 2.
Darren previously served on the Federal Arts Advisory Board, is a current member of the Australian Writers Guild, and President of the Australian Directors Guild.

Our Team

Sophie Harper
Executive Director (interim)

Sophie Harper is the Executive Director of ASDACS (interim) as well as the Executive Director of the Australian Directors’ Guild. She brings over 20 years’ experience in screen, policy, and creative leadership, with a strong track record in advocacy and institutional development. Sophie has held senior roles at Screen Australia and Screen Canberra, and was Vice Principal and Head of Documentary at the European Film College in Denmark. She is also the creator of the critically acclaimed documentary podcast series Not By Accident. Sophie is dedicated to strengthening the rights and recognition of screen directors in Australia and internationally.

Jennifer Davis
Distribution Officer

Jenn is responsible for both local and international partner member registrations for domestic and international royalty claims. Jenn also researches and matches all royalty data for the annual distribution to our members, handling distribution documentation and related members queries. Jenn came to ASDACS in 2020 with over 6 years’ experience with APRA / AMCOS as a Mechanical Payments and Blanket Licenses Officer / Distribution Control and Integrity Analyst. She has qualifications in Information Technology from Ultimo Tafe and a strong interest in Film, Theatre and tabletop role playing games. Jenn also has experience as a Line Management Supervisor for Supanova Pop Culture Expo and Response Team Leader for PAX Gaming Expo.

Scott Pietriche
Rights Manager

Scott is responsible for resolving conflicts that arise on Screenrights retransmission rights registrations on behalf of both local and international partner members. Scott comes to ASDACS with over 10 years experience as a Senior Talent Manager, having previously worked at Creative Representation and Lisa Mann Creative Management. During this time, Scott led the modernisation of the Australian Television Repeats and Residuals Agreement and has represented many high profile creatives such as Leah Purcell, Eddie Perfect and Angus Sampson. Scott is a passionate advocate for empowering creatives, ensuring they have access to the resources and knowledge necessary to understand their rights and focus fully on their artistic pursuits.

Brooke Linnegar
Membership & Digital Media Content Coordinator

Brooke is responsible for assessing and processing new membership applications, researching and recruiting new members, keeping our members credit registrations up to date, as well as managing all ASDACS digital media channels, including the website, enews and social media sites. Brooke comes to ASDACS having worked as both an Administrator (Creative Documentary Research Centre) and Senior Research Assistant at Macquarie University. Brooke is also a Sessional Teaching Academic at Macquarie University, where she completed her Master of Research and Bachelor of Arts in Screen Practice and Production, and has been a Screen Studies Tutor at AFTRS. Brooke has worked on a number of short films and continues to pursue her passion for filmmaking.

Positions Vacant

There are currently no open positions, but please check here regularly for future opportunities

Governance

ASDACS was incorporated in 1995 as a company limited by guarantee and is bound by its constitution, policies, international partnership agreements, Code of Conduct for Copyright Collecting Societies and CISAC’ professional rules.

CISAC

ASDACS is a full member of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC); a not-for-profit organisation set up to protect the rights and promote the interests of creators worldwide. Based in France, CISAC oversees international collective management organisations to ensure royalties flow to authors for the use of their works. ASDACS’ policies and implementation are subject to international scrutiny through its membership of CISAC. More information here.

Code of Conduct

Australia’s Code of Conduct for Collecting Societies establishes standards for collection and distribution policy and manages complaints against which all the collecting societies’ practices and policies are evaluated. The activities of ASDACS are overseen and subject to annual review through the Collecting Societies Code of Conduct, which can be accessed at https://www.copyrightcodeofconduct.org.au.

Policies & Procedures

Unilateral* and Reciprocal Agreements

DBCA - Brazil
DHFR – Croatia
DILIA – Czech Republic
DGJ* - Japan
DGK* - Korea
EAU – Estonia
EASA – Egypt
FILMJUS* - Hungary
Kopiosto – Finland
LATGA – Lithuania
LITA – Slovak Republic
MRIGHTS* - Italy
NORWACO - Norway

SABAM* - Belguim
SACD – France
SCAM – France
SDGI - Ireland
SEF - Türkiye
SGAE*- Spain
SIAE* – Italy
Spautores – Portugal
SSA – Switzerland, Liechtenstein
Suissimage – Switzerland
VDFS – Austria
VEVAM – Netherlands
ZAPA – Poland

Cross-Payment Agreements

DGA - United States of America
DGC / DRCC - Canada
DUK - United Kingdom