OUR TEAM

Roshni is the co-founder of BlueBox, an investment and advisory group nurturing and developing early-stage novel ideas that have the audacious ambition of changing the course of their respective industries. She’s the founder & Managing Partner of Lexicon, a management consulting firm providing end to end solutions from discovering business challenges, building strong foundations, navigating increasingly dynamic trading environments, creating new value and new areas of growth within the business as well as business performance measurement. Roshni has worked across consulting agencies, MNCs and start-ups. She has worked globally and in various regions and industries and held senior management roles centered on building and delivering new value through creative strategy & innovation. She’s a firm believer in the balance between art & science; intuition & data, and profitability and purpose.

Her passion for social causes has seen her launch several initiatives like FutureWise, a skills acquisition program, is a complementary pillar to the current content focused education system. TRIBE, is a social enterprise enabling children & women from underserved communities in Asia Pacific. She’s a judge for Women of the Future awards, providing young women the platform for recognition for their achievements and networking for accelerated growth and she’s passionate about nurturing talent esp. in women and children.

Her businesses have received “Asia Business Outlooks Top 10 Mergers & Acquisition Consultancy” (2023); Business Leader award for “Best Strategic Partner of the Year” (2020) for BlueBox & one of her startups received SME of the Year Award (2015).

She personally has received “Women Achiever of the Year” (2020) at the World Women Leadership Congress; “Asia’s Most Influential CMO” (2015); Best AMEA Leader Award (2013) for leadership & talent development while working at IHG (InterContinental Hotel Group).

Indian by ethnicity, Fijian by birth, Australian by citizenship, Singaporean by residency and Global by mind-set, she has many creative passions but her biggest passion is movie nights and traveling with her husband and two kids.

Jagdish (Jag) is the co-founder of BlueBox, an investment and advisory group nurturing and developing early-stage novel ideas that have the audacious ambition of changing the course of their respective industries. He is also a business strategy, transformation, and data protection expert with over 20 years of experience in advising on financial & operational process improvements. He specialises in holistic solutions & creative problem solving; from articulation of challenges, to embedding sustainable solutions to build business capability and value.

Having grown up in Singapore being exposed to multiple ethnic cultures, experiencing the dynamic Australian environment while at Griffith University, along with the various roles he has held at global MNCs, Jag is extremely adaptable and versatile in overcoming challenges.

Jag an Australian CPA, Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), ISO 27001 Certified Auditor, and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM). He holds a BComm in Accounting and Finance from Griffith University Magna Cum Laude. He is also conversant in Punjabi and Bahasa Malaysia. His passions include listening to music, playing the drums, and movie nights with the family.

Anupam Sharma is the founder and festival director of Australia’s first and only National celebration of Indian Cinema – NIFFA. Anupam is an award-winning filmmaker and film entrepreneur with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Films & Theatre and a post-graduate thesis on Indian cinema from the University of NSW. Widely credited for pioneering Australia’s film links with Bollywood/India, he was named as one of the fifty most powerful and influential Australian film professionals. Anupam is the founding head of TEMPLE, a prolific and award-winning international film production and consultancy firm based out of Disney Studios – Sydney, where he has led a team of film professionals on over 415 projects as producer, EP, or Line Producer.

Anupam is a rare film festival director who is also a prolific filmmaker. He has pioneered unique Indian film festivals in Australia and Australian film festivals in India starting with one of the first Indian films festivals in Sydney called “Bossom, Belly, and Bollywood” by AFTRS and Safina Uberoi, and then was a consultant on Sydney City’s Goat Island Festival of Indian Cinema in 2000 by Peter Castaldi.

Anupam and his team were awarded a prestigious DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Australia) contract to promote Australian films in India at various festivals between 2004 and 2007 when he produced delegations to India and curated Australian films with his team and support from Australian Film Commission.

Anupam Sharma and Peter Castaldi then launched An Australian Film Initiative producing Australian film festival around India with support from Hugh Jackman, Baz Luhrman, and Philip Noyce among others. producing Australian film festivals in India. He has been on the advisory council of Asia Pacific Screen Awards , and advisor (India) on the Australian Academy of Cinema TV and Arts (AACTA) Asia Initiative.

Anupam was voted as Chair of Australia India Film Council the first and only Australian film council promoting film links between Australia and India. In recognition of his work in films and diversity, Anupam has been appointed as an Australia Day Ambassador and appointed to the board of the Diversity Task Force of Screen Queensland.

He has advised many government and private bodies in relation to Indian films, including Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge, the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Governments of Queensland and NSW among others. In 2012 he was the chief judge and advisor to the first India-centric Australian reality television show on SBS – Bollywood Star.

He is a respected commentator and frequent speaker at various conferences and on television/radio programs including the ABC, the Nine Network, SBS TV, SPA, Art Gallery of NSW, and the Powerhouse Museum.

Raunak Dhupar is a filmmaker and producer with a passion for sharing powerful stories on a global stage.

After earning her degree in Journalism from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, Raunak embarked on her directing journey with the documentary Band Darwazein. She followed this with Khat, an award-winning short film that won the prestigious PSBT Fur Lotus Award.

Raunak’s professional path has led her to roles such as Assistant Director on the Discovery documentary India’s Space Odyssey and producing independent projects and social media campaigns as an Assistant Producer at Vaak Creatives.

Currently specializing in Producing for Films and TV at SRFTI, Raunak’s keen eye for storytelling and attention to detail have caught the attention of both national and international organizations. Her impressive work has led to opportunities with the Australia India Film Council, the first Aboriginal/Indian film Bidjara Kumari, and collaboration on Anupam Kher’s upcoming international co-production, where he is directing.

Farabee Kabir is one of the few female Australian-Bengali film producers, seamlessly merging business expertise with a passion for storytelling. A Chartered Accountant and graduate of the prestigious AFTRS Master of Arts Screen: Producing program, she began her career at Deloitte Australia, where she spent five years managing projects for clients like Matchbox Pictures and Universal Pictures before fully immersing herself in filmmaking. Her work spans short films and feature-length vertical series, exploring psychological horror, magical realism, and dark comedies. Her projects have received international recognition—“Bőr” won the Emerging Australian Filmmaker Award at MIFF 2024 and was nominated at SXSW Sydney 2024. “The Method” won an APDG Award, while “Occam’s Circus” was nominated for the same award. “Cut” premiered at VIFF 2023 before screening globally. Her versatility extends to roles as an assistant director and production manager, having also managed a series pilot as part of the ABC Fresh Blood initiative.

Currently a Development and Production Executive at Films and Casting Temple, Farabee oversees a diverse slate of scripted and non-scripted projects. She also serves as Executive Producer of NIFFA Australia’s inaugural festival, leading its expansion across seven cities and into New Zealand and Fiji. Committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, she continues to push the boundaries of traditional storytelling and deliver bold, impactful stories.

Janine received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and her law degree from Columbia University School of Law in New York. She practiced in the areas of securities, mergers / acquisitions and intellectual property for 6 years at the New York and Tokyo offices of Cleary Gottlieb, a leading international law firm. Thereafter, she worked at the New York offices of Showtime Networks, where she managed television distribution contracts and advised on advertising, antitrust, copyright and trademark law.

In 1998, she moved to Australia and worked at the Film Finance Corporation (predecessor to Screen Australia) in Sydney as Legal Manager advising on the company’s investments in feature films and television drama until 2006. She subsequently joined an entertainment boutique helmed by Nina Stevenson. Since 2008 she has operated a sole practice, JP Media Law + Consulting, where she represents creators, financiers and producers of media projects and advises on all aspects of contract and copyright law, financing and distribution. She has also acted as Executive Producer on several feature films, assisting producers with structuring and securing finance.

She is qualified to practice in Australia and the United States.

Victoria Buchan is a communications expert with 20 years history operating The Lantern Group, a boutique specialist public relations and events company. During that time, Victoria provided a range of communications services to government organisations such as Screen Australia and AFTRS, festivals, productions and leading media companies such as Nine Entertainment Company.

Hema Upadhyay is the founder of 1H Media Consultants, a leading Mumbai-based public relations firm specializing in the entertainment industry. With over 20 years of experience, Hema has successfully managed publicity and communication strategies for a wide array of clients, including films, celebrities, film studios, and major entertainment events.

1H is known for handling high-profile projects like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the Film Bazaar, the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), and the India Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. The firm has also worked on PR campaigns for some of the most prestigious entities in the entertainment industry, including Zee Studios, Sony Pictures, FICCI, NFDC, and Motion Picture Association India, among others.

Hema’s extensive experience spans across Hindi, Hollywood, and regional cinema, having worked on over 130 films in Indian regional languages such as Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and more.

Saesha Senanayke discovered her passion for films studying Media at high school and decided to pursue it formally with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication majoring in Digital and Social Media at the University of Technology Sydney. Her communication skills and high grades led to her getting opportunities at Sky News Australia, undertaking multiple roles as a News Producer, Syndication Producer, Sky News Extra Producer and Liaison Producer. This experience has enabled her to share stories that resonate with the broader public.

She was then headhunted by Australia’s first and only national celebration of Indian Cinema. Coming on board NIFFA as a Social Media and Digital Content Creator, Saesha is looking forward to the opportunity to add her South Asian migrant background to the mix, ensuring that South Asian stories can be shared within the multicultural blend of Australia.

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With numerous award-winning credits to her name Lisa Duff’s producing career spans over 20 years Her feature film credits include producer of feature films Last Train to Freo Last Cab to Darwin starring Michael Caton and the Academy Award nominated Jacki Weaver and Unindian the first feature film financed by the Australia India Film Fund starring Brett Lee and Tannishtha Chatterjee

Lisa was producer of the critically acclaimed documentary Sexing the Label for SBS and theatrical release in Australia The Future Makers for Discovery Channel and a number of short TV dramas and documentaries for Australian broadcasters including drama Road for SBS and Leah Purcell’s short drama Aunty Maggie amp The Womba Wakgun for the ABC’s series The New Black

Lisa has completed a Masters thesis on the impact of the global film industry on Australian film making culture has a Juris Doctor degree and most recently worked as a Senior Production Investment and Development Manager at Screen Australia for 5 years overseeing feature film and TV drama projects

Jannine Barnes is a Melbourne-based film producer and the founder of Happening Films, an independent production company established in 2000 to create impactful Australian films for global audiences. With over 15 years of experience in the Australian film industry, she has held various roles, including production manager and production accountant on numerous feature films and documentaries.

Her debut feature film, Downriver (2015), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, marking a significant milestone in her producing career. Barnes’s portfolio also includes acclaimed short films such as The Wilding (2012), Neon Skin (2009), Golden Girl (2011), and Hurt’s Rescue (2014), many of which have been featured in international film festivals.

In recognition of her contributions to cinema, Barnes was selected for the prestigious Berlinale Talents program in 2015, highlighting her as one of the industry’s promising producers.

Cathy is a Creative Producer of film and television, fiction and factual. Her first feature, ‘Unfinished Sky’ (2007) premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and was 4th highest grossing Australian film 2008. She was Australian Producer on Danish/German/ Australian action comedy ‘Ved Verdens Ende’ (2009) and Finnish/German/Australian sci-fi hit ‘Iron Sky’ (Berlinale 2012). Most recently she Line Produced Mark Hartley/Tony Ginnane thriller ‘Girl at the Window’ (2022) and produced feature documentaries ’Bromley: Light After Dark’ (2023), a CinefestOz prize finalist and Adelaide Film Festival Documentary Audience Award winner, and Mark Hartley’s ‘Sweat it Out!’ which releases in 2025.

Ben is one of Australia’s most experienced multi-skilled television practitioners, winning awards in several content genres. A passionate storyteller, format creator, team builder, strategist and mentor, Ben has worked in news, documentary (observational, history, true crime, event), reality, entertainment, comedy (scripted and panel), and lifestyle genres.

He has developed, produced, written and/or directed programmes for all the Australian free-to-air networks, subscription television, UK broadcasters (Channel 4, History, UKTV) as well as US Networks (National Geographic, Fox, Discovery, Health, and Travel Channels).

Reality credits include Shark Tank Australia, Alone Australia, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Australia!, Hell’s Kitchen Australia, Love Island, Farmer Wants A Wife, Bollywood Star. Recent documentary credits include: The Last Goodbye (SBS), Inside Sydney Airport (SBS), Australia Behind Bars (Nine), Nurses (Seven), Inside Central Station (SBS), Life On The Outside (SBS), Who Gets To Stay In Australia? The First ANZACs, Keeping Australia Alive and Keeping Australia Safe.

His programs have won Logies for Outstanding Factual in 2011 (Trishna & Krishna, Network 7), and Outstanding Reality Program in 2022 (I’m A Celebrity, Network 10).

Since leaving ITV Studios in August 2023 (after nearly a decade of fun and fulfilment), Ben has been contracted by BBC Studios, Rawkus, Curio Pictures and BigDog as well as developing and mentoring on a pro bono basis with several Indies.

Ben’s recent foray into short scripted has already yielded several international awards for the short rom com Love & Other Mental Disorders (SBS On Demand) and shortform script Ernest Hemingway, Leo Tolstory, Anais Nin & Jane Austen Walk Into A Bar.