Lori Flekser

Industry leader Lori Flekser has had an extensive career in the Australian film and television industry.  Beginning as a Production Coordinator at Film Australia, she worked on documentaries, reality TV and corporate videos, as well as feature films and telemovies in roles including Coordinator, Line Producer, Production Manager and Producer.

In 2003, Lori joined the Development Division of the Australian Film Commission, the federal government funding agency, and was later promoted to Director of the division, supporting the development and production of feature films, documentaries, short films, TV series, animation and digital media projects and providing a high level of service to the CEO and the Board as a key member of the management team until 2009/10.

Lori’s career took a new direction in 2010 with her appointment as Executive Director of industry peak body, the Motion Picture Distributors Association, representing the major film distributors: Warner Bros., Disney, Sony, Paramount and Universal - a position she still holds. The MPDAA drives industry policy and strategy on key matters of interest to film distributors and engages with Government on regulation affecting the generic business of film distribution.

Between 2012 and 2022 she held the concurrent role of Executive Director of Creative Content Australia, a non-profit organisation representing a broad membership of stakeholders committed to raising awareness about the value of screen content and the impact of screen piracy on the creative sector. CCA is fully funded by a broad range of organisations and associations. CCA creates highly regarded consumer campaigns, conducts annual research into Australian piracy and produces education resources to draw attention to copyright and piracy.

Lori is a regular speaker, interviewee and panellist on this issue and presents at major industry conferences and to film students at institutions including AFTRS, Newcastle University, Flinders, Griffith, Bond, RMIT, Swinburne and VCA—providing aspiring and experienced filmmakers with a “reality check” about the commercial realities of releasing films in cinemas, and advocating for strong copyright legislation to protect Australian content-makers.

Lori is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has served on the management committee of Dame Changers and the board of the Australian International Documentary Conference 2009-14, including terms as Treasurer and Co-Chair. She is currently a Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society councillor and a founding member of the Australian Feature Film Working Group.