Nancy Paton

Nancy Paton is an award-winning Polish-Australian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, author, and founder of Desert Rose Films, a female-led production company focused on globally resonant stories. Her films, including Daisy, Postpartum, and Mountain Boy have received more than sixty-six international awards. She is the founding president of Women in Film & TV—MENA and advocates for greater opportunities for women and culturally diverse voices in cinema. Nancy studied at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and holds a BSc (Hons) in Pathology from the University of Sydney. She also undertook postgraduate study in Creative Writing and Literature at Harvard University, completing the majority of the program before placing her studies on hold following the birth of her children. It was at Harvard that she began developing Riot, her debut novel.