Margaret Pomeranz

Margaret Pomeranz AM
Born	Margeret Anne Jones-Owen (1944-07-14) 14 July 1944 (age 79) Waverley, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Education	Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney; Macquarie University; National Institute of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)	Film critic (Screen, on Foxtel Arts)
Employer	Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Known for	Film critic television personality producer writer
Board member of	Advertising Standards Board Film Critics Circle of Australia Watch on Censorship Australian Writers' Foundation
Spouse	Hans Pomeranz
Children	2

Margaret Pomeranz AM (born 14 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer and television personality.

Early life

Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 14 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney. ^{[1] [2]}

She was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney in Croydon, the then newly-opened Macquarie University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and social psychology, and the Playwright's Studio at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). In her early twenties, she left Sydney to escape the "banality" and travelled around Europe, before returning to Australia and settling in Sydney. ^{[1] [2]}

Career

Pomeranz joined the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in 1980 as writer/producer, and was appointed producer for David Stratton's film presentations. Together with Stratton, she hosted the long-running SBS TV program The Movie Show from 1986 until 2004. She appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) version of the program, At the Movies , again with Stratton, beginning in 2004 and concluding on 9 December 2014.^{[ citation needed ]} Pomeranz and Stratton received the Don Dunstan Award in 2018 and are both Patrons of the Adelaide Film Festival. ^[3]

In addition to being a critic, Pomeranz is also an anti-censorship campaigner. She was a prominent attendee and was briefly detained by police at an attempted 2003 protest screening of the controversial film Ken Park , banned in Australia. ^[4] She has been critical of the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (now the Australian Classification Board), the Australian censorship body, on a number of occasions. She has also spoken out against production companies refusing to give preview screenings for critics.^{[ citation needed ]}

On 29 January 2015, it was announced that Pomeranz had signed with Foxtel to present film and television programs on Foxtel Arts, along with Graeme Blundell, in a new series called Screen. ^{[5] [6]} The series was renewed in 2018. ^[7]

As of 2021 ^[update] , Pomeranz continues to appear in Screen, and past episodes are uploaded to YouTube. ^[8]

Recognition

Pomeranz was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2005 Australia Day Honours. ^[9]

In 2017, Pomeranz became the first woman to be honoured with a star on Winton's Walk of Fame during The Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in Winton, Queensland. ^[10] She was awarded a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) by the University of Sydney in May 2023. ^[11]

Cameos

Pomeranz had an uncredited role in the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert as Adam's mother.^{[ citation needed ]}

She has also appeared as herself in several Australian comedy programs and promotions, including:^{[ citation needed ]}

• Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure (2009), where she and David Stratton review Lawrence Leung's attempt to set a world record for solving the Rubik's Cube whilst sky diving, as they sit on the landing site in their trademark armchairs.
• A 2010 video promoting the new Triple J breakfast team of Tom Ballard and Alex Dyson, where she joined the two men to "satisfy the female demographic".
• A 2000 episode of Australian comedy show Pizza , a show known for celebrity cameos.
• Australian sketch comedy show Full Frontal in a 1995 episode.
• 1993 Australian comedy film Hercules Returns .

See also

• Censorship in Australia
• 2004 in Australian television
• List of Old Girls of PLC Sydney
• List of Macquarie University people

References

1. Duthie, Amanda (2017). Margaret and David: 5 stars. Wakefield Press (Adelaide). p. 31. ISBN   9-78-174305513-7.
2. Lake, Gayle. "Pomeranz, Margaret". The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia. The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
3. "Patrons and Board". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
4. George, Sandy (4 July 2003). "Sydney screening of Ken Park raided by police". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
5. Koziol, Michael (29 January 2015). "Margaret Pomeranz to join Foxtel". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 25 August 2015.
6. "Foxtel signs Margaret Pomeranz". IF Magazine. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
7. "Screen returns to Foxtel Arts in March". Ryno's TV. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
8. "Screen on Foxtel Arts". YouTube .
9. "Name Ms Margaret Anne POMERANZ". Australian Government. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
10. Wykeham, Ollie (29 June 2017). "Margaret Pomeranz honoured with star on Winton Walk of Fame at outback film festival". ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 2 July 2021.
11. "Margaret Pomeranz awarded Doctor of Letters". The University of Sydney. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.

Further reading

• At the Movies biography, 2004

External links

• Margaret Pomeranz at IMDb