Chanel Bowen

Assistant Director | Film Programmer

Chanel Bowen is a southwest based film practitioner who is passionate about community driven films and delivering Australian content to audiences. Chanel began her screen career working on international advertising in China and Thailand before landing in her position as 3rd Assistant Director on internationally recognised Australian feature films. Chanel has worked alongside Warwick Thornton, Wayne Blair and Dylan River on Mystery Road season 2 supporting cast Aaron Pedersen and The Bridge actress, Sofia Helen. Chanel is passionate about telling Australian stories including Berlin Film Festival selected High Ground and Venice Film Festival selection The Furnace. Chanel has worked for CinefestOZ (Film Festival) as the Film Manager for feature film content since 2016 and enjoys delivering Australian content to audience across WA. Arguably the most enjoyable part of Chanel’s job is working with locals in remote and regional locations on films, helping them to experience life ‘on set’ and deliver believable performances, most recently doing so with locals around Bremer Bay with Tim Winton’s young adult fiction adaption to screen, Blueback. Chanel has been successful in receiving a placement in the Natalie Miller Leadership Course in Melbourne through Screenwest and funding to host Assistant Director Masterclasses to other practitioners. In 2020 Chanel undertook an opportunity to work as a mentor through WIFT Mentor Her Program as a part of her role as WA representative for the Women in Film and TV Australia board. In 2019, Chanel sustained an Acquired Brain Injury with resulting hearing loss. She is lucky enough to have learnt to manage her disability within her industry -despite challenges- and is now a passionate advocate for disability stories on screen. Since the end of 2020, Chanel has thrown herself into personal research regarding disability inclusion in the film industry and how this can be strengthened in Australia.