Media Release

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) is proud to announce acclaimed producer and screen industry leader Penny Chapman as the Hector Crawford Memorial Lecturer at this year’s SCREEN FOREVER 40 conference, taking place on Queensland’s Gold Coast from Tuesday 28 April to Thursday 30 April 2026.

Since its inception in 1992, the Hector Crawford Memorial Lecture has been a keynote feature of the annual SCREEN FOREVER conference. The lecture honours the legacy of pioneering producer Hector Crawford and highlights the enduring importance of independent screen production in Australia’s cultural and creative landscape.

Penny Chapman brings decades of leadership and creative achievement to this year’s lecture. As a founding partner of Matchbox Pictures, she played a pivotal role in building one of Australia’s most successful production companies, delivering 91 film and television titles over 18 years with a combined production value of $1.4 billion. Her producing credits include landmark screen works such as Secret City, Deadline Gallipoli, Devil’s Playground, The Straits, Leaky Boat, Sex: An Unnatural History and My Place.

Prior to Matchbox, Penny produced a diverse slate of acclaimed projects through Chapman Pictures, including RAN, Darwin’s Lost Paradise, Rampant: How A City Stopped a Plague, The Cooks, Temptation, The Road From Coorain and The Track. Earlier in her career, she served as Head of TV Drama and later Head of Television at the Australian Broadcasting Commission, where she commissioned and executive produced significant Australian dramas including Brides of Christ, The Leaving of Liverpool and Blue Murder.

Her longstanding contribution to the screen sector has been recognised through numerous honours, including the inaugural IF Award for Contribution to the Television Industry in 2010 and Screen Producers Australia’s Maura Fay Award for Services to the Industry in 2013. Penny is currently developing new television drama projects through Chapman Pictures.

In her Hector Crawford Memorial Lecture, Penny will reflect on the evolution of Australia’s screen production landscape, the enduring role of independent producers and the opportunities ahead for Australian storytelling in an increasingly globalised market.

"I am delighted to be invited to give the Hector Crawford Memorial Lecture. Its theme will be creative courage in turbulent times. We have much to tell the world," Penny Chapman said.

SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said Penny’s appointment as this year’s lecturer recognises her exceptional impact on the industry.

“Penny Chapman’s career reflects the creative ambition, entrepreneurial leadership and industry stewardship that the Hector Crawford Memorial Lecture seeks to celebrate. Her work has helped shape the modern Australian production sector and her perspective on navigating change will resonate strongly with producers at every stage of their careers,” Mr Deaner said.

Delegates are encouraged to register now via screenforever.org.au to secure their place at SCREEN FOREVER 40 and hear one of Australia’s most respected producers deliver this year’s keynote lecture.

Link to media image HERE.