MahVeen Shahraki
Co-Founder/ Producer
MahVeen is an award winning producer. Originally from Iran, MahVeen soon found her home within the Australian film industry with her strong eye for identifying compelling stories and marketplace, linking gifted individuals to launch original work.
MahVeen has produced and delivered outstanding national content with international impact including; Ellie & Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt) which featured as a program highlight in Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and the New Zealand International Film Festival and was the winner of the 2021 AACTA Award for Best Indie Film.
As Executive Producer, MahVeen worked on the international title The Translator with multiple global partners and locations, which has been selected for TIFF industry selects. The Translator had its world premiere in Tallinn in November 2020.
MahVeen was selected as a 2020 ‘One To Watch’ Producer by Screen Producers Australia for her creative passion, commercial knowledge and ability to deliver quality international products.
David Kelly
Co-Founder/ Creative Producer
David is a graduate of International Film School Sydney and has 12 years’ experience in the film industry as an editor, virtual reality and in visual effects and story editor.
His work through Dream Channel has been recognised at the Cannes Film Festival as part of this collaboration David was the lead technical producer. David was part of the editing team of Horizon, one of the first web series which garnered over 10 million subscribers.
David brings extensive experience in technical production and working with creative teams to develop innovative and ground-breaking works. In 2019 he consulted for Star Time Live helping them troubleshoot and adapt their business to the current Covid climate by expanding their live streaming capabilities and streamline their production workflow.
In 2020 David formed Thousand Mile Productions with MahVeen where together they have curated an exciting slate of projects. Of which they have completed production on the feature film “The Rooster” as well as having their Documentary “For the Record” in post-production.
Sayuri Kawamura
Project Manager/ Producer
Sayuri is a multicultural film producer based in Sydney, whose extensive global experience has shaped her unique perspective. Born in Kyoto and raised in São Paulo, Sayuri’s understanding of diverse cultures was further expanded during her time living in NYC, Milan, and Sydney.
Although her interest in film started at a young age, Sayuri initially pursued a career as an operations manager at a multinational tech company. It wasn’t until later in life that she decided to follow her passion for film production, recognizing that her project and crisis management skills were the perfect foundation for a career in the film industry.
Sayuri’s diverse portfolio includes producing several short films such as the multi award-winning Sansone (Italy, 2019) and How to Be Queer (Australia, 2020), as well as working on the feature film Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt) (Australia, 2019), her first collaboration with Mahveen Shahraki. Sayuri and Mahveen have since worked together on many other successful projects.
For Sayuri, film is all about connection. She believes that through storytelling, we can bridge cultures, share diverse perspectives, and spread understanding and compassion. This belief is reflected in her approach to working with the crew and cast, where building connections and fostering collaboration are paramount.