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GOLD COAST FACULTY & STAFF
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Acting for Film Faculty |
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Adrian Moses Academic Chair Adrian is an accomplished film, television and media producer with over two decades of experience. He has a degree in Theatre and Media from Charles Sturt University, as well as qualifications in Producing Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts, and Film Business and Law at AFTRS. Throughout his career Adrian has produced numerous award-winning short films, multiple features, a televised documentary, and a vast array of digital media products, as well as imparted his industry knowledge as a Trainer & Assessor of filmmaking, screenwriting and acting students at NYFA Australia. He has helmed production teams at Ninemsn and Vodafone Australia, and has remained at the forefront of technological advancements in the industry. |
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Stuart Lumsden Associate Chair of Acting For Film Stuart graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1996. Upon graduation, Stuart appeared in Hamlet and later toured Australia for The Theatre of Image, which headlined the International Children's Festival held in Western Australia that year. After several years of traveling and living abroad, Stuart returned to Perth and performed for the Black Swan Theatre Company. He also provided vocal talent for an ABC Radio production commemorating Gallipoli. Since relocating to Queensland in 2006, Stuart has performed in various locally produced theatre productions, including Fiddler on The Roof, Macbeth, and Waiting for Godot. He has performed in several short and feature-length films and taught professionally as an acting lecturer. Stuart is currently nearing completion of a Master of Applied Theatre Studies (MATS). |
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Chris Lynch Trainer & Assessor Chris graduated from the Theatre Nepean Performing Arts program at The University of Western Sydney (UWS), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre, majoring in Performing Arts. Chris later returned to UWS to complete his Graduate Diploma in Education in Drama. Chris has taught high school and college-level drama and has performed in plays throughout the Sydney theatre scene. He has also appeared in TVC’s, short films, and feature films in Australia, including Australia Day, Thor, and Pirates of the Caribbean 5. Recently, he has made the venture into writing, and his first play, Shadows, secured funding from HOTA in their ‘Incubator’ program that supports the ongoing development of local playwrights. He is currently doing Post Grad studies with the University of New England in Psychology & Philosophy. |
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Rob Horton Trainer & Assessor Originally from the UK, Rob has extensive experience as an actor, director, and teacher, serving as the Artistic Director of his own professional community theatre company in the UK, Raa Theatre, and Spilsby Theatre in Lincolnshire, UK. The international director Mikhail Mokeev of the Moscow Art Theatre provided him with the Stanislavsky System, and he went on to perform the title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth and a wide variety of repertory roles in the UK. In Australia, Rob has concentrated on film and television work, appearing in PJ Hogan’s Mental with Toni Collette, the children’s TV series K9, and local film director Amanda Kaye’s Award-Winning film Norm; for which he was a Finalist for ‘Best Australian Actor 2019’ at the AFIN International Film Festival. Rob teaches Meisner Technique, and his teaching has been endorsed by Scott Williams, the Master Meisner teacher who studied with Sanford Meisner for 14 years. |
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Ellie Popov Trainer & Assessor Ellie is an award-winning actress, internationally distributed screenwriter, executive producer and seasoned acting coach, with over 15 years of experience guiding and nurturing aspiring actors, writers and performers. Her professional acting career highlights include winning the Best Actress award at the Los Angeles Film Awards for her role in the first feature film she wrote and starred in, Thicker Than Water. She has also played notable roles such as the comical flight attendant Brooke in the upcoming feature film Zombie Plane, the role of Sage in Mistletoe Ranch and Julie Sewell in Harrow Season 2. Ellie is Creative Executive and Executive Producer at Red Empire Productions in which she created and co-wrote the science fiction series Interface, and plays the lead female role of Frey’. Interface was picked up by Sonar Entertainment and will be filmed under the direction of Carl Seaton (known for Bat Girl, Bel-Air, and Legacies). |
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David Woodley Trainer & Assessor After studying voice and drama in the U.K., David performed in various theatre productions in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Australia, performing with the Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe and The Royal Queensland Theatre Company. He was a series regular on Network Ten's Echo Point before joining the cast of long-running Australian soap Home and Away. He has had many and varied roles on Australian television networks, including Rake and Dance Academy for the ABC, as well credits in U.S. productions including Spartacus and Legend of the Seeker. David continues to develop film, television, and online entertainment, including early childhood, black comedy, thriller, drama, and post-apocalyptic genres. |
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Jacki Simmons Trainer & Assessor A seasoned professional, Jacki has worked on stage and screen both in England and Australia. After initially training in Australia, Jacki went on to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and has since appeared in numerous theatre, film and television productions. Recent industry work includes the popular Netflix series, Irreverent, and the comedy horror It’s Christmas alongside Gary Sweet (Police Rescue). Jacki also has extensive theatre work credits and experience ranging from Shakespeare to Restoration Comedy and pantomime through to modern roles. A qualified and experienced acting teacher and coach, Jacki has taught at some of the leading acting schools in London and Australia. |
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Victoria ‘Fi’ Hopkins Trainer & Assessor Victoria 'Fi' Hopkins is a talented Actor and Costume Designer having been awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Costume Production (2003) and studied a Masters in Classical Acting (2005) at the prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. She also studied screen acting in Los Angeles at the renowned Ivana Chubbuck Studios. Her portfolio includes a diverse range of projects, from her memorable role as "The Bride" in Jake West's cult classic film "Doghouse" (2009) to the controversial gangster film "Landscape of Lies" (2017) by Paul Knight. Her career reached new heights when she joined the cast of the Canadian Czech comedy TV series "Clay's POV" (2014). In 2018, Fi founded her own production company, Mirror Mirror Productions and is working on her debut online TV series, Diary of an Unknown Actress, along with her first proof of concept short ‘Cell 57’ as Director and Actor. |
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Brittany Bell Trainer & Assessor Brittany Bell has appeared in many short films and music videos, and after her classical training in Acting for Film, she secured the lead role in the Independent feature film, House of Inequity. The film premiered at the Gold Coast Film Festival in 2021 and has been distributed on Amazon Prime in America. She has also starred in feature films from NYFA alumni including ‘Strangeville’, ‘Dome House Six’ and ‘House of Equity’. She was also in the TV series ‘Humbly Selfish’. Brittany is a dedicated Trainer & Assessor at NYFA Australia and takes great enjoyment from mentoring the next generation of acting students. |
