Writer, director and academic Mark Poole, whose credits include ABC, SBS, Grundy, has died.
Writer, director and academic Mark Poole, whose career spanned film, television, documentary, animation and arts journalism, has died.
Industry site ScreenHub, where he served for more than 15 years, reports his creative career began in the mid-1980s.
His screenplay for A Single Life (1987) won an AFI Award and screened internationally, including on the ABC and the BBC. He wrote more than 25 hours of television drama, including House Rules, Silver Sun, The Power and the Passion, Australia’s Most Wanted, The Adventures of Chuck Finn and Gloria’s House.
As a director and producer, his documentaries included Fearless, India Rising, Autism: The Early Signs, Autism: The Teen Years and Birth of a Film Festival.
Poole worked with many of Australia’s leading broadcasters and production companies, including ABC Television, SBS, the Grundy Organisation, Shine and Barron Entertainment.
He was also one of ScreenHub‘s longest-serving contributors, writing more than 300 articles over 15 years.
Through his coverage of conferences, festivals and industry events, he helped connect practitioners across the sector, reporting with insight on directing, screenwriting, documentary, production, emerging technologies and screen policy. He was highly respected in this role.
He was a respected script editor, assessor and mentor whose advice shaped countless projects and emerging careers. His expertise was recognised with two AWGIE nominations and the Australian Writers’ Guild’s Richard Lane Award in 2008.
Poole’s commitment to the profession extended well beyond his own creative practice. For the Australian Writers’ Guild, he served as Victorian Chair from 2007 to 2012 and as Vice President from 2002 to 2005, and from 2015 was the Melbourne Chapter Head of the Australian Directors’ Guild (current), where he was a tireless advocate for directors and the wider screen community.
He organised industry events, represented the Guild at festivals and forums, championed gender equality and collaboration across the sector, and directed the Foxtel broadcast of the Australian Directors’ Guild Awards. He was the current Chair of the RMIT Screenwriting Industry Advisory.
“His generosity, curiosity and belief in the importance of a strong, connected screen community will leave a lasting legacy,” ScreenHub reported.
“We at ScreenHub send our heartfelt condolences to Mark’s family, friends and loved ones.”
Photo: ScreenHub