Anita Jacoby in Conversation with Jeff McMullen

One of Australia’s master television storytellers turns her sights on her own life and family to produce this heart-felt, heart-stopping account of a family life rich with secrets, intrigue, courage and drama.

Secrets Beyond the Screen is the story of Anita’s quest to establish the truth beneath the shadows of her father, Phillip Jacoby’s secret life. Changing from daughter to investigative journalist, she’s determined to find everything that’s remained hidden from her family for more than seventy years.

About Anita Jacoby AM:

Anita Jacoby AM is one of Australia’s most distinguished television producers. During her stellar 40-year career, she rose to the top of the media industry as one of few women appointed Managing Director of an international production company, ITV Studios. Before this she co-managed Zapruder’s other films with Andrew Denton, one of the country’s most successful independent production companies responsible for some of our most popular series including Enough Rope, The Gruen Transfer, Elders, Country Town Rescue, AFP and Hungry Beast.

During her long career, Anita worked in senior production roles with all of Australia’s commercial networks, the ABC, SBS and Foxtel on programs such as 60 Minutes, Sunday, Today, Witness, LAWS and many more. Anita’s work has received ten nominations and four AFI/AACTA Awards, a Logie Award, an Order of Australia Media Award, a Human Rights Award and an Asian Broadcasting Union Award.

About Jeff McMullen AM:

For over five decades, journalist, author, filmmaker and advocate, Dr Jeff McMullen AM, has given voice to the struggle by First Nations people in Australia and around the world. While listening and telling their stories, his focus has been on improving health and education while addressing the fundamental human rights of First Peoples.

Best known from his work on television, McMullen has been a foreign correspondent for Australian Broadcasting Corporation, reporter for Four Corners and Sixty Minutes, anchor of the 33-part issue series on ABC Television, Difference of Opinion and host of forums on National Indigenous Television.

His films and writing have examined genocide, dispossession, patterns of chronic illness and cross generational trauma in the First Nations of Australia, Canada, the United States, South America and Central America.