Murray Forrest AM
In a career that almost reads like a script, Motion Picture Benevolent Society chair Murray Forrest from Carlingford has been made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant services to the film and television industry.
Murray migrated to Australia from Scotland in 1964, the day after he married his wife Georgia, the couple arrived in Sydney on Australia Day.
While Murray was heading for a job in a bank he heard about a junior position at a company that sold motion picture cameras and editing equipment and applied for it.
After 6 months he applied for a vacancy at Colorfilm and the rest, as they say is history.
He stayed with the company for 44 years, the last 30 years as Managing Director. As well as steering the path forward for film processing labs Atlab and Colorfilm he has chaired the charitable organisation Motion Picture Benevolent Society since 1996.
He served as the founding chair of Ausfilm (1994), the director of Screen Producers Australia (1982-1996), chair of the US Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (1982- 1985), president of The Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers (1991), and Federation of Producers of Asia director (1978-1984).
According to IF magazine the National Association of Cinema Operators established the Murray Forrest Award for Achievement in Film Craft in his honour in 2008, previous winners have included Oscar winners Gillian Armstrong, George Miller, and John Seale.
Forrest is also the inaugural recipient of the Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers’ inaugural Humanitarian Award for his long commitment to the Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society (MPIBS)
The industry veteran said being named a member of the order held special significance.
“It was a lovely surprise.” He said there had been many career highlights but said the relationships he had made in Australia and overseas in the film industry over many years were very special.
Widowed after 52 years of marriage, he celebrated with his two children and five grandchildren
