Our People

Managing Director

Jo Porter was appointed Managing Director in May 2021 with a remit to build Sony Pictures Television’s production business in Australia under the banner Curio Pictures.

A multi award-winning Producer and Executive Producer, Porter’s credits in the three years since Curio Pictures was founded include the highly anticipated limited series The Narrow Road to the Deep North, The Artful Dodger (Season one and two) for Disney+ and Hulu, the mystery thriller High Country, Foxtel/Binge and BBC, and Paramount’s Playing Gracie Darling currently in production. She has expanded the business to include non-scripted titles including Sony format Shark Tank Australia, which is in its second season for Network Ten.

Porter has been the driving force behind many of Australia’s most popular, internationally known and critically acclaimed scripted series including female prison drama Wentworth for Foxtel, limited series Picnic at Hanging Rock for Foxtel and Amazon Prime, Seven Network’s ratings hit Packed to the Rafters, along with International Emmy nominee Always Greener and multiple Logie and AFI Awarded All Saints.

Between 2012 and 2020 Jo established and oversaw Fremantle Media’s drama slate as Director of Scripted. Prior to this she spent 15 years with Seven Network.

Jo was named on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of Top 25 Women in Global Television in 2018.

Creative Director

Rachel Gardner is Creative Director of Curio Pictures, where she oversees all creative aspects of the company’s scripted slate.

Rachel has Produced and Executive Produced a wide range of award-winning film and scripted television in both Australia and New Zealand, having spent seven years at See-Saw Films, most recently as Head of Drama, and prior to this as Head of Drama at Great Southern Film and Television, which she co-owned.

Recent credits include Producer of The Stranger, writer/director Thomas M Wright's film starring Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris, which screened in competition in Un Certain Regard at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and had its Australian premiere at MIFF, before breaking all ratings for an Australian film on global Netflix.

She was Executive Producer of Warwick Thornton and Brendan Fletcher’s Indigenous vampire hunter series Firebite which launched AMC+ in Australia. She was also Executive Producer of Sam Strauss’s acclaimed series The End for Foxtel, Showtime and Sky and both seasons of the Netflix original The New Legends Of Monkey.

She was Producer of John Maclean’s Sundance Film Festival jury winning film Slow West starring Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn.

Head of Entertainment

Curio Unscripted Division is headed up by Jemma Carlton, in her role as Head of Entertainment.

Jemma joined the company in 2022, and has since produced two seasons of the new Shark Tank Australia for Curio Pictures, leading the casting of a fresh lineup of Sharks for the world’s most successful business format.

Prior to Curio, Jemma served as an Executive Producer at Matchbox Pictures (NBCUniversal).

With extensive experience across major networks in Australia, the UK, and the US, Jemma has contributed to a wide range of successful formats, including America’s Got Talent, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here (UK), The Great Australian Bake Off, Extreme Weddings, Celebrity Apprentice, The Women’s Weekly Specials, The 90’s and The 00’s documentaries, Escape from the City, The Voice, The X Factor, and The X Factor Indonesia.

Development Producer

Head of Legal & Business Affairs

Finance Director

Legal & Business Affairs Executive

EA to Jo Porter / Office Manager

Development Coordinator

Financial Accountant