EMILY FERNANDEZ
Brisbane-based games producer Kim Allom has been announced as the first recipient of Screen Queensland’s $20,000 mentorship.
The young Queensland developer is the first person to received the SQ Mentorship; a three- year program delivered annually as part of Screen Queensland’s commitment to diversity and achieving gender parity in the games and screen industries.
Ms Allom believes this is one of the few opportunities for Queensland developers and hopes it will inspire women to pursue game developing careers.
“There are currently very few funding opportunities for Queensland game developers especially those for professional and personal development so I feel incredibly honoured,” Ms Allom said.
“I feel this opportunity spotlights some of the talented and bad-ass women in the industry which is important to broadcast because I feel like a lot of women and girls simply don’t know that being a videogame developer is a career option. Highlighting women leading successful game development careers could very well be the catalyst needed to spark interest.”
Allom will be given the opportunity to work with two mentors from America and Germany, helping to support her further in the industry.
Her mentors will be a California-based producer at Blizzard Entertainment, Kim Sellentin, known for World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Heroes of Storm, Overwatch and Hearthstone.
Along with Berlin-based, Brie Code, CEO and Creative Director of her own Company Tru Luv Media and former lead programmer on the Assassin’s Creed Series.
Chantel Old, is a female, Queensland gamer and has been inspired by Kim Allom for a few years now.
“As someone who games regularly, seeing Kim now receive this mentorship, inspires me so much more. She and the few other women I know developing games has helped me to feel more comfortable and confident as a woman involved in the online gaming community,” Ms Old said.
Earlier this year, Kim Allom also won the Queensland Young Achiever Award for Online Achievement through her significant contribution to the Australian gaming industry.
Allom is also a mentor for The Working Lunch, an initiative that aims to empower entry level women in the industry by helping to connect them with video game professionals.
She was also a mentor for the Tech Girls Movement, supporting girls in developing apps for social change and runs the Blushbox Collective.