Directors' Biographies

Hopscotch Group

Troy Lum - Managing Director

Troy Lum was the head of distribution company Dendy Films from 1998-2002 where he acquired and released seminal titles such as Amelie, Buena Vista Social Club and The Blair Witch Project. In May 2002, alongside Frank Cox and Sandie Don, Troy launched Hopscotch Films, which went on to become Australia's leading independent distributor. In 2011, Hopscotch was acquired by global media group Entertainment One, one of the world's leading independent content and distribution businesses.

With Troy at the helm, Hopscotch releases have included the hits Bowling For Columbine, Touching The Void, Fahrenheit 9/11, Somersault, Downfall, Mrs Henderson Presents, The Lives Of Others, Pan's Labyrinth, Mongol, The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Mao's Last Dancer, Bright Star, The Kids Are All Right and Incendies.

Troy is a director and active board member of Hopscotch Features, a joint venture with writer John Collee and producer Andrew Mason. A ‘one-stop shop' for film finance, development, production and distribution, Hopscotch Features has enabled Troy to deepen his involvement in the Australian film landscape and to work with emerging and established filmmaking talent from as early as concept stage.

Troy has helped develop local releases such as Somersault, Bra Boys and Mao's Last Dancer, on which he also served as Executive Producer.

In 2004, Troy was listed as one of the ‘Top 50 Young Film Executives in The World' by The Hollywood Reporter.

Frank Cox - President

Frank Cox has over 35 years experience in film exhibition, distribution and production. He became involved in the local film industry by touring rock music and feature films around Australia from 1970. In 1976 he moved into film distribution and in 1983 created the internationally respected film distribution company specialising in quality features - New Vision Films - of which he is the Executive Director. In 2002 Frank opened the doors of Hopscotch Films, with partners Troy Lum and Sandie Don. He brought with him the full weight of the New Vision library, encompassing some of the most seminal titles in independent feature film distribution such as Leaving Las Vegas, The Three Colours Trilogy, Kundun, Clerks, Antonia's Line, City of Lost Children, Smoke, and Cyrano de Bergerac, Blood Simple and Microcosmos, to name but a few. Frank played a pivotal role in introducing Australia to many great names of cinema, including: Takeshi Kitano, the Coen Brothers, Jafar Panahi, Robert Altman, Tim Burton, Jim Jarmusch, Mike Leigh, Werner Herzog, Mira Nair, Pedro Almodóvar and many, many more.

Over 30 years of travel has enabled Cox to form an extensive international network with major film producers and sales agents, subsequently gaining him a reputation as one of the most prominent independent film distributors in the Southern hemisphere. In addition to being one of the country's most active independent distributors, Cox is also the co-founder and co-owner of Melbourne's The Kino Cinemas, the first dedicated arthouse cinema complex, which he established in 1987. Renowned as one of Melbourne's premiere art-house venues, the Kino has four screens (will be seven in Jan 2012) and a programming schedule which unfailingly incorporates a fine selection of quality film features and documentaries.

Frank has been instrumental in supporting and developing new Australian talent through projects such as Love and Other Catastrophes, True Love and Chaos, Kiss or Kill, La Spagnola, Strange Planet and Better Than Sex, which he co-produced.

Frank is also a director and active board member of Hopscotch Features, a joint venture with writer John Collee and producer Andrew Mason. A ‘one-stop shop' for film finance, development, production and distribution, Hopscotch Features enables Hopscotch to deepen their involvement in the Australian film landscape and to work with emerging and established filmmaking talent from as early as concept stage.

 

Sandie Don - Marketing and Acquisitions Director

Sandie Don headed marketing and publicity for Australian distribution company Dendy Films from 1998 - 2002 where she created and implemented the campaigns for box office successes including The Blair Witch Project, Amelie, Buena Vista Social Club, In the Mood For Love and All About My Mother.

Sandie formed Hopscotch Films with partners Troy Lum and Frank Cox in 2002, which grew to become one of Australia's leading independent film distributors. In 2011, Hopscotch was acquired by global media group Entertainment One, one of the world's leading independent content and distribution businesses.

At Hopscotch, Sandie devised the theatrical release campaigns for all Hopscotch Films' releases, including Bowling For Columbine, Spellbound, Touching the Void, Fahrenheit 9/11, Somersault, Downfall, Wah-Wah, Bra Boys, The Lives of Others, Pan's Labyrinth, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Mongol, The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Easy Virtue, Elegy, Bright Star, Mao's Last Dancer, The Kids Are All Right, Barney's Version, Incendies, Source Code and Midnight In Paris. She is actively involved in the acquisition and development of all Hopscotch titles.

Sandie is a Distribution and Marketing Consultant for Hopscotch Features. She has also been an advisor to the Sydney Film Festival and the Australian Film Commission's IndiVision programme.