Andrew Pike

Andrew Franklin Pike is an Australian film historian, film distributor and exhibitor, and documentary producer and director. Pike formed Ronin Films, an Australian film distribution company, with his first wife, Merrilyn Fitzpatrick, in 1974, and remains managing director of the company. He has produced and directed many documentaries since 1982, and co-authored several books, notably Australian Film 1900-1977. Pike has been honoured with numerous awards, including a plaque on the ACT Honour Walk in Canberra City; Medal Order of Australia; and an honorary doctorate from the University of Canberra.

Early life and education Andrew Franklin Pike

He then completed an M.A. (1973 This included the acquisition of films for study purposes in schools and universities.

The firm also developed an interest in films from China and Japan, importing many films from the Chinese "Fifth Generation" directors in the 1980s, and organising many Chinese directors to visit Australia, including Chen Kaige, Wu Tianming, Zhang Zeming, Huang Jianxin, and Tian Zhuangzhuang. The firm was actively involved in the beginnings of the French Film Festival in Sydney in the 1990s, and frequently worked with the Alliance française and the French Embassy to host festivals and other French film events at Ronin's cinemas.

As an exhibitor, the company ran several art cinemas including the Academy Cinema in Sydney for four years during the early 1990s, and Electric Shadows Cinemas in Canberra from 1979 to 2006. For many years Pike wrote programme notes for a weekly newsletter that was emailed to 4,500 cinema patrons in Canberra.

Ronin is a leading distributor of documentaries, and specialises in the educational market. He was elected president of the association in 2004,

Other roles Between 1989 and 1992, Pike was a board member of the Australian Film Commission.

In 2000, he instigated forums on film culture at both the Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals. In 2003 Pike was a founding member and secretary of the ACT Film and Television Council.

From 2008 to 2012, he was a member of the ACT Government's Cultural Council, advising the Arts Minister on arts policy and strategies. He also served as chairman of the ACT Screen Investment Fund for the ACT Government, and was a member of the ACT's Arts Advisory Council in 2013. 1993: Special award by the Film Critics Circle of Australia for contributions to the film industry 2003: Appointed by the French Government to the rank of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his work in the distribution and exhibition of French cinema in Australia 2005: Plaque on the ACT Honour Walk in Canberra City in its inaugural year, for contributions to the city 2007: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), in the Australia Day honours list, "For service to the film industry, particularly through the promotion of Australian, independent and foreign films, and to the community" 2007: Honorary doctorate from the University of Canberra, for services to the film industry and to the community. 2013: Delivered the Theo Barker Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Bathurst District Historical Society and Charles Sturt University, on "Men and Women of the Bush in Early Australian Cinema" 2014: Co-winner, Promotion of Indigenous Recognition at the UNAA Media Peace Awards, with Ann McGrath, Ronin Films, for Message from Mungo

Publications Pike researched and co-authored (with Ross Cooper) the book Reference guide to Australian films 1906–1969, published by Oxford University Press in 1980, and Australian Film 1900-1977 in 1998.

Filmography Angels of War (co-director with Hank Nelson and Gavan Daws) in 1982. The film was an award-winning documentary about the experiences of the people of Papua New Guinea in World War II. It was broadcast by ABC TV and won several awards including the Golden Sesterce for Best Documentary at the Nyon Film Festival (Switzerland) and Best Documentary in the Australian Film Institute's annual awards.

Man Without Pigs (co-producer with Chris Owen) in 1990. The film, directed by Chris Owen, offers insight into the dynamics of village life in Papua New Guinea and the antagonism aroused when conflict between traditional custom and Western values occurs in an isolated community. The film won the Best Documentary Award at the Hawaii Film Festival and was broadcast by SBS in Australia.

Oh, Beethoven! (producer) in 1999. The documentary follows Dr Susan West and the children from Ainslie Primary School, Canberra, in a special performance of a work about Beethoven's life. This is followed by discussion about West's innovative approach to music education.

Man of Strings (co-producer) in 1999. Directed by Gary Kildea, this documentary portrays the life and work of Czech-born violinist, Jan Sedivka, a leading violinist and string teacher in Australia.

Betelnut Bisnis (co-producer with Chris Owen) in 2006. This documentary, directed by Chris Owen, explores the life of a family in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, who make a precarious living by trading in betelnut, one of the world's most widely used narcotics.

Across The Plateau (co-producer with his daughter, Harriet Pike) in 2007. This documentary, directed by Paul Liu and Zhang Zeming, is a bicycle story from China, about a group of friends in southern China who share cycling treks of epic scale.

The Chifleys of Busby Street (director) in 2008. This feature-length documentary,