Story time with Kirsty Stark
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday, CityMag talks to Emmy-award-winning producer Kirsty Stark about the importance of telling stories and why supporting communities in Adelaide is crucial for a sustainable film industry.
When asked why she became a producer, 40 Under 40 alumnus Kirsty Stark laughs, “it’s a little bit of a long story”.
“I used to read hundreds of novels as a child and teenager. I just always had an interest in storytelling,” Kirsty says.
It was this fascination that drove Kirsty to study film at Flinders University, starting her career as a cinematographer before founding her own production company, Epic Films.
“I was working with another camera assistant and we both wanted to shoot our own projects, but we couldn’t find anyone who would fund them,” she says.
“We ended up putting in $2000 each of our own money and telling all of our friends that we had private investment in a film fund and encouraged them to submit their scripts.”
What originated as a means of shooting their own stories kickstarted Kirsty’s passion for producing.
“I found out that I loved the overall skill set, strategy, and business decisions,” she says.
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One of Kirsty’s projects.
Kirsty describes a producer as a “CEO of a film”. They pitch the idea, put the finance plan together, and oversee the project to ensure it’s delivered on time and budget.
“First Day”, her company’s most recent project, follows a transgender girl’s journey navigating high school and has been recognised with multiple international awards including a GLAAD Media Award, Kidscreen Award, Rose d’Or, BANFF Rockie Award, and an Emmy.
“We’re really thrilled to have created something that had so much resonance around the world,” Kirsty says.
The series’ success internationally is just one of the many South Australian projects that Kirsty says are shaking up the industry.
“There have been so many projects that have been made in South Australia that have had an almost unusually big impact on the global level compared to what they should have for their budget or their scale,” she says.
Kirsty Stark was inducted into our 2023 40 Under 40 list of young leaders. This picture: Samuel Graves.
Kirsty highlights the winner of Sundance Film Festival’s Directing Award, Sophie Hyde, and Teddy Award winner for Best Feature Film, Lesbian Space Princess, as prime examples.
“We have an incredible lifestyle and creative community of people who are really supportive towards each other in building projects,” Kirsty says.
“Having a slightly cheaper cost of living than the eastern states mean we’re able to work for a living, but also create work that creatively fulfills us, and I think that makes a big difference.”
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However, Kirsty says a lack of a consistent pipeline of work within the state is challenging.
“It can be a bit of a feast or famine industry. You might get three projects filming at once and then a gap where nothing is happening,” she says.
To help bridge this gap, Kirsty launched a tech start-up called Crew HQ which aims to transform the hiring process and create sustainable career pathways for freelancers.
Crew HQ combines a tailored industry hiring platform with career resources including online or face-to-face coaching sessions that teach filmmakers successful promotional strategies.
“People having agency over their career and having the ability to drive their careers in a direction that makes sense for them in the context of their life as a whole is really important,” she says.
Kirsty is also the co-chair of the Mercury Cinema, a not-for-profit supporting local up-and-coming filmmakers that provides access to facilities, equipment, workshops, and funding opportunities.
“It’s a place I’m really passionate about because it helped launch my career and now, I want to give back to the next generation,” Kirsty says.
Although Kirsty highlighted that various male and female mentors have uplifted her throughout her journey, she recognises there are still a lot of barriers to break down when it comes to women’s representation in the industry.
For the budding filmmaker, Kirsty emphasises the importance of forming a community where each person’s challenges can be supported and successes celebrated.
“I think the film industry in its best version of itself has the capacity to make change in people’s lives,” she says.
“The people I’ve worked with have always had really strong values and a desire to create positive change in the world so I’m proud to have met and worked with them in South Australia and built the projects that I have.”
40 Under 40 helps to bring attention to a new, younger generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in the state.
Nominations for the 2025 awards close on Monday, 17 March.