Megan Spencer

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Megan Spencer (born 1966 ^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}) is an Australian documentary film maker who specialises in the 'guerrilla video' style of documentary portraiture. Based in Melbourne she is also a prominent film critic and journalist.

Contents

1 Biography
2 Controversy: accusations of anti-Semitism
3 Filmography
4 External links

Biography

Born 1966, Australia
1980s Studied Speech pathology in Melbourne, Australia
1980s Co-produced 'Eeek!' a 3RRR cultural theory radio show, hosted by Philip Brophy and Bruce Milne
1990s Completed her B.A. in Media Arts at RMIT University
1990s Volunteer at community radio station 3RRR FM
1994 Completed her first documentary film: Heathens
1996-98 Co-founded, programmed and ran the VCA Documentary Film Society
1999 Joined ABC Radio's Triple J national youth network as resident film critic and journalist
2002 Co-founded Triple J's annual Framebreaks National Youth Short Film Festival
2002 MIFF Film Critic’s Jury
2004 Joined SBS Television’s The Movie Show as film critic
2004 Completed her M.A. in Media Arts (Documentary) at RMIT University

Spencer is also a passionate speaker and advocate for film culture, and has been invited as a guest speaker to countless film events around Australia. She broadcasts regularly on ABC Radio National, Sydney and Melbourne metro ABC radio, and regional ABC radio. She has worked as a film programmer (RMIT, VCA, Kingston Arts Centre), and taught documentary and film theory and practice (Melbourne University, VCA, RMIT, AFTRS Melbourne). She has written for publications IF Magazine, Real Time, documenter, The Eye and Like.

She has also been a judge for countless film festivals and competitions across Australia, including Sydney International Film Festival, Shoot Out, St. Kilda Film Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival, Melbourne International, Underground and Fringe Film Festivals, Real Life On Film Documentary Festival, Queensland's Pandanus Film Festival, the SA Zoom Fest, Melbourne International Queer Film Festival, SPAA Fringe, the annual AFI Awards and IF Awards.

Controversy: accusations of anti-Semitism

In June 2006, in a live on-air review on Triple J for the movie Spencer said that Jews - represented in the film by the mutant character "Magneto", a Holocaust survivor - "used to be oppressed and now they are the oppressors". This drew strong criticism from Melbourne Ports MP Michael Danby who expressed that while Spencer was free to criticise US and Israeli Government policies, "she is not entitled to refer to the 'the Jews' as though all people of Jewish faith or ethnicity were responsible for Israel's policies, or to suggest that 'the Jews' are a single entity who act together in a malign and conspiratorial way". [link]

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council director of policy analysis Ted Lapkin said Spencer's comments "bespeak an embarrassing ignorance of history. The remarks ascribed to her about Jewish 'oppressors' have disturbing overtones of ethnic bigotry. I would suggest that Ms Spencer should stick to commentary on Tinseltown, and leave political analysis to those who can conduct it with intelligence and decency." [link]

Filmography

Heathens, 1994
Hooked On Christmas, 1997
Strange Hungers, 2002
Fantastic Brutality: Wrestling's No. #1 Fan, 2005
Brent

External links

The SBS Movie show http://www20.sbs.com.au/movieshow
Triple J http://www.abc.net.au/triplej
Political controversy: [Major Israeli newspaper reports on Spencer's on-air remarks]

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