Kiama Downs resident Jane Corden was met with well-deserved praise at the Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers (SoAP) award ceremony last month.

Since its formation in 1933, SoAP has been recognising individuals with careers exceeding 20 years in Australia’s film industry.

The exclusive club boasts a community of over 3000 members from all facets of the profession, including production, education, administration, and distribution.

This year, Corden was the recipient of the group’s NSW Pioneer of the Year for her groundbreaking approach to production accounting in the screen industry.

Just two years into her career at Australian accounting organisation Moneypenny, Corden took the reins as CEO in 1988.

Growing listless with the manual effort required for a paper-based system, she saw the potential opportunities within the rise of the internet and advancements in modern technology.

Armed with a $10,000 “portable” Apple computer the size of a suitcase, Corden took the audacious shift to digital that would eventually revolutionise the industry.

“We were ahead of the time. In the beginning it was not easy and there were certainly lots of sceptics who said ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ ... that whole mentality,” Corden said.

Tax offices and state agencies were also getting on board the computer craze, demanding more detailed information with documentation.

By speeding up their payroll and incentive processes, Moneypenny was able to examine and itemise data with heightened specificity and deliver more services that helped producers maintain control over their funding and expenditures.

“You could manage things more closely. You had more visibility of what was being spent which is very important in [an] industry where you spend a lot of money over a very short period of time,” Corden said.

In the years following, Corden and her accounting team at Moneypenny have been the unsung heroes contributing to films such as the Oscar-nominated “District 9” (2009) and Oscar-winning “The Iron Lady” (2011).

Moneypenny was acquired by US company Entertainment Partners in 2022. Since then, Corden has overseen an influx in co-productions between domestic and international companies.

The audience for Australian-made content is also becoming more globally accessed and popular due to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon.

“International co-productions are getting more attractive and more necessary, so I think we will see more of Australia partnering with treaty countries,” Corden said.

“Like the treaty with India has just been ratified … Canada, the UK, South Africa, everywhere. Lots of potential.”

Although she intends to retire before the end of the year, Corden believes the next significant shift in the industry is “on the horizon” and will involve the adoption of AI tools.

In the meantime, Corden is helping embrace the local film community and build opportunities with Screen Illawarra.