First International Access Pass grants awarded to WA Games industry stars

​A group of 13 Western Australian winners, including six women, will be travelling to major industry events to showcase their gaming industry expertise.
The International Access Pass program, part of the $16.7 million New Industries Fund, creates opportunities for Western Australians in the games industry to connect with key players and build business networks in the $124 billion global industry.
The International Access Pass recipients will receive a grant of up to $5,000 each.

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Winners include Vee Pendergrast, who has worked closely with FutureNow to inform our understanding of this dynamic sector and its workforce needs. Vee made the leap in 2016 to pursue a fulltime career in videogame and VR development.  She co-founded Stirfire Studios in 2010 and has gradually grown the business to the bustling studio it is now and was instrumental in the launch of its titles Freedom Fall, Symphony of the Machine and The Dark Room.
Named as one of MCV Pacific’s Top 30 Women in Games in 2017 & 2018, Vee is currently working with Stirfire, Screenwest and Tru Luv Media (Canada) and holds advisory positions with WAITTA and the Game Developer Association Australia.
The full list of award winners:

• Three Superstar Awards: Awarded to people who offer a great product that is ready for the world and can deliver business results (Vee Pendergrast, Stacey Fazackerley and Anthony Sweet);
• Two Bright Spark Awards: Awarded to recent WA graduates (Elin Tan, Curtin University and Brian Fairbanks, Murdoch University);
• A Trailblazer Award: Awarded to Jessica Watson - an outstanding candidate who brings expertise in motion capture into the WA games industry. Jessica also works extensively to assist others to develop their skills;
• Three New Horizons Awards: Awarded for application of games into other sectors (Megan Pusey, games to build resilience in education; Zoe Pepper, technology to support play and connection with audience; and Julio Ibanez, virtual and augmented reality simulation in mining, real estate, tourism and care industries); and
• Two Teamed Up Awards: One to Hungry Sky (Nick Lowe and Minh Tran) and the other to Dogmelon (Ant Wiese and Dan Fletcher).  

The recipients reflect the creativity and STEM expertise of the Western Australian games industry. For more details, visit http://www.newindustries.wa.gov.au