Person Biography:
Arnold has had a diverse and accomplished career in the Australian film and television industry. He served as a board member of the Australian Screen Directors Association, now known as the Australian Director's Guild, for two years. During this time, he worked with the committee to negotiate a 'Code of Practice' agreement for television directors with the Screen Producers Association of Australia.
Arnold has also been involved in various creative projects, including writing an e-book with sound engineer Noel Cantrill, titled "Highly Inflamably", which recounts their 1966 journey from Sydney to London in a Kombi van.
In his work at ABC-TV, Arnold achieved several notable "firsts", including being the Assistant Producer on the drama series "Contrabandits", Director on the drama series "Delta", and Director on the all-film drama series "Castaway". He also directed the first international co-production, "Certain Women", and the first color ABC drama production, "Ripkin". Additionally, he was involved in the production of the first video drama feature recorded entirely on location.
Arnold's awards and accolades include several prestigious awards for his work in children's television. He won the Gold Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival for "The Haunted School" in 1987, as well as the First Prize and Penguin Award at the same festival for "A Waltz Through The Hills" in 1988. He also received the Pater Award for professional excellence in television and radio arts and sciences, and the Australian Television Award for Excellence in a Children's Drama. Furthermore, he won the Best Actor in a Telefeature award at the Australian Film Institute Awards for his role in "A Waltz Through The Hills", becoming the first Indigenous Australian to win this award.
