Industry Mentorship & Training Program: Craig McMahon & Pino Amenta

INDUSTRY MENTORSHIP & TRAINING PROGRAM. A not-for-profit initiative facilitated by Craig McMahon, Founding Artistic Director & International Artist Manager; Pino Amenta, Executive Television Producer & Director (Wentworth: The Next Chapter); and Erica Hart, USA Award Winning Film, Television & Broadway Casting Director.

In Studio I 163 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, Melbourne I 6 Week Program

$273 + GST
Commencing April 25, 2026

This not-for-profit, ongoing Industry Mentorship & Training Program offers actors the opportunity to work directly with top-tier industry professionals, sharpening both their craft and their understanding of the business of screen acting.

Participants collaborate closely with Craig McMahon, internationally respected talent manager and mentor; Pino Amenta, Multi Award-winning writer, director, and executive producer; and Erica Hart, award-winning New York-based casting director. This unique combination ensures actors gain insight into the creative process, professional standards, and real-world industry expectations.

Craig McMahon brings expertise in industry positioning, audition strategy, career longevity, and what agents seek when evaluating talent. Through personalised on-camera assessments, he helps actors refine their professional approach, build momentum, and develop strategies for sustainable, long-term careers.

Pino Amenta is the Executive Producer of the most anticipated spin-off series of the decade: Wentworth: The Next Chapter. He was instrumental in the international success of the original hit prime-time series Wentworth, including winning an AACTA Award for Best Direction, and also served as series producer, steering the show’s creative vision throughout the 11 seasons. Over nearly five decades, Pino has directed most of Australia’s leading prime-time shows, from High Country to Home & Away (current series director), working with the nation’s finest actors in award-winning performances. He specialises in scene blocking, on-camera chemistry, continuity, and guiding actors to respond to direction with precision, confidence, and flexibility, providing hands-on mentorship that elevates performances to the highest professional standard.

Erica Hart provides an exclusive casting perspective, offering feedback shaped by her work in international film, television, and Broadway. Actors present their on-camera work and receive direct guidance on what top casting directors look for, giving clarity and insight into professional expectations at the highest level.

Throughout the program, participants engage in on-camera work, receive personalised feedback, and develop career-focused strategies grounded in the realities of the film and television industry.

*Tuition contributes solely to the costs of our trainers, mentors, special industry guests, and studio operations required to sustain the program. FTSI does not generate profit from this initiative; it exists as a genuine give-back to the acting community, providing broader access to world-class training and mentorship.

CRAIG MCMAHON is the Founder and Director of McMahon Management, one of Australia’s leading boutique talent agencies representing world-class actors across Australia and the United States. Renowned for his discerning eye for talent and his strategic, career-driven approach, Craig has shaped the trajectories of many of the country’s most recognisable screen performers.

A family-owned, globally minded company, McMahon Management was founded over two decades ago in Melbourne and has evolved into two complementary divisions: McMahon Management nurtures and develops exceptional emerging talent, offering personalised guidance to help artists realise their full creative potential. McMahon Management International represents bold, established voices, curating a roster of dynamic performers making an impact on the global stage. Every artist is equally valued; they are simply at different stages of their careers and require tailored guidance to reach their next level.

Alongside his wife, Dominique, Craig co-founded Film & Television Studio International in 1999, now one of Australia’s most respected national training institutions for screen actors. Through this work, he continues to mentor and refine emerging talent, guiding actors at every stage of their development.

With over three decades at the forefront of the film and television industry, Craig brings both artistic insight and global industry knowledge. His influence as a manager and creative advisor has accelerated the careers of countless actors, many of whom have become household names.

A highly respected figure in the industry, Craig serves as an ongoing judge for the prestigious TV WEEK Logie Awards, contributing to categories including Most Outstanding Drama Series, Most Popular New Talent, and the Graham Kennedy Hall of Fame Award. His work has been recognised nationally with the Most Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award for over a decade of creative excellence at Network Ten, spanning presenting, producing, and writing.

Today, Craig divides his time between Melbourne, Los Angeles, and New York, providing hands-on guidance to his clients. Under his leadership, McMahon Management continues to set the benchmark for inspired, strategic, and internationally focused talent representation, built on close client relationships and a commitment to confidently charting its own course.

PINO AMENTA is one of Australia’s most prolific and enduring film and television Directors and Series Producers.  Winner of an AACTA Award for Best Television Drama for Wentworth, he then went on to become the series producer in 2016 from the 4th season onwards.  He is currently the Executive Producer on Wentworth, The Next Chapter (season 1), currently in development. Most recently directing Home and Away, and series producing Five Bedrooms, and TV Mini-Series Darby and Joan, Pino began his career as a television director in the mid to late-1970s, through shows such as Chopper Squad (1978) and The Sullivans (1976).  Over nearly five decades, he has directed 800 Words; Winners and Losers; The Doctor Blake Mysteries; Worst Year of My Life, Again!; Packed to the Rafters; Conspiracy 365; City Homicide; All Saints; Mortified; Holly’s Heroes; Last Man Standing; Silversun; Noah & Saskia; Always Greener; Marshall Law; Beastmaster; Crash Palace; The Lost World; Flap Chat; Chuck Finn; Crash Zone; Farscape; Blue Heelers; Good Guys Bad Guys; Snowy River: The McGregor Saga; Us and Them; All Together Now (92 Episodes!); Acropolis Now; The Flying Doctors; Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Nancy Wake; Sons and Daughters; My Brother Tom; Anzacs; Carson’s Law; All the Rivers Run; Taurus Rising; Bellamy; Cop Shop; Young Ramsay; and many more.  

Over the past five decades, he has directed and/or series produced some of Australia’s finest actors (some in award winning performances), including Leah Purcell, Chris Hemsworth, Susie Porter, Ryan Corr, Marta Dusseldorp, Aaron Jeffery, Orpheus Pledger, Danielle Cormack, Kate Jenkinson, Kate Atkinson, Katrina Milosevic, Celia Ireland, Socratis Otto, Sigrid Thornton, Robbie Magasiva, Georgie Parker, Erik Thomson, Denise Scott, Craig McLauchlan, Nadine Garner, Roger Corser, Anna McGhan, John Wood, Pamela Rabe; Tammy Macintosh, Nicole Da Silva, Bernard Curry, Rebecca Gibney, Michael Caton, Hugh Sheridan, Angus McLaren, Jessica Marais, James Stewart, Jessica McNamee, Zoe Ventoura, Brooke Satchwell, Shane Bourne, Noni Hazelhurst, Daniel McPherson, Libby Tanner, Judith McGrath, John Howard, Marny Kennedy, Kate Box, Zoe Terakes, Maia Mitchell, Matt Passmore, Damien Bodie, Kat Stewart, Michala Banas, Scott Major, Nathanial Dean, Grant Bowler, Lisa McCune, Alison Whyte, William McInnes, Anne Phelan, Jane Hall, Francis Greenslade, Radha Mitchell, Kerry Armstrong, Jane Hall, Gary Sweet, Caroline Gilmer, Bryan Brown, John Waters, Stephen Peacocke, and so many more.  Too many to list.  His contribution to the Australian film and television industry has been incredible.  

Industry Showcase with Special Guest: Erica Hart, New York Based Film, Television & Broadway Casting Director.

In Week 6, participants present their work directly to ERICA HART, CSA; an award-winning Casting Director, Writer, and Producer based in New York. A graduate of NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied Film and Television, Erica began her career at ABC Primetime Casting, contributing to hit series including How to Get Away with Murder, The Goldbergs, and Station 19. She later served as Associate Casting Director to Meredith Tucker, working on projects such as Godfather of Harlem, The Bold Type, Defending Jacob, and Ray Donovan.

In 2020, Erica founded Hart Casting, quickly establishing herself as one of the industry’s most exciting casting voices across television, film, and theatre. Her television and streaming credits include Black Mirror, the Artios Award-winning A Black Lady Sketch Show, That Damn Michael Che, Bust Down, The Girls on the Bus, The Equalizer, and Survival of the Thickest.

Her theatre work spans Broadway productions including Death of a Salesman, Pass Over, Chicken & Biscuits, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, as well as notable Off-Broadway productions such as Saturday Church and How to Defend Yourself. Her film credits include the Artios Award-winning The Surrogate, alongside We Strangers, Lapsis, Fucktoys, and Cupids.

Beyond film and television, Erica has cast campaigns for major global brands including Geico, Maybelline, Gillette, Hasbro, Essie, and Delta, and cast H.E.R.’s music video Fight for You.

A Board Member of the Casting Society, member of Local 817 and the Television Academy, Erica was named a “Woman to Watch on Broadway” by Black Women on Broadway in 2025. She is also a writer-producer, with development deals at WeTV and BET. Recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as a rising industry talent, Erica brings a distinct creative vision shaped by her deep experience across film, television, theatre, and music.