Aquarius Films Appoints New Managing Director

The Academy Award-nominated production company Aquarius Films has hired Rachel Okine to be its new managing director.

Reporting to Aquarius founders Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford, Okine will be responsible for driving new business opportunities and financing models, working with the founders to strategize the company direction and steering Aquarius through the next stages of its growth. She also will help manage Aquarius’ established strategic partnerships, which currently include Universal, Warner Bros. Australia, Anonymous Content, Netflix, Stan, SBS Australia and ABC Australia, and seek new partners.

From 2017 to 2019, Okine headed acquisitions for STXinternational across its U.K. theatrical distribution and international sales operations. Prior to that, she was the Paris-based VP of international production and acquisitions for Studiocanal. Okine began her career in the acquisitions department of FilmFour in London in 2001 before returning to Australia in 2002 and serving as a founding staff member of Hopscotch.

Fielder and Staniford said: “As Aquarius Films enters a period of expansion, we are delighted to have Rachel Okine join us to shepherd the company through this growth. Rachel will also champion our long-term plan to expand Aquarius’ international footprint by working with a range of strategic partners right from the development stage. The high caliber of her work, coupled with her extensive experience in the industry and impressive international network make her the perfect fit as Aquarius’ new managing director.”

Okine added: “I have an enormous amount of respect for Angie and Polly, both personally and professionally, and think their taste, dynamism and talent are second to none. They have an impressive upcoming slate and I couldn’t be more delighted to be joining Aquarius at this exciting stage in the company’s growth.”