The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) has named Maia Horniak as its new Director of Teaching and Learning, bringing her back to the institution where she once studied.
Horniak steps into the role with more than 20 years of international experience across screen, media and higher education.
Horniak was most recently Program Leader and Senior Lecturer at Prague City University, where she co-developed a BA (Hons) Creative Media Production degree in partnership with Teesside University.
She also served as Director of Curriculum Development, overseeing governance, course design and industry engagement. Earlier in her career, she lectured at AFTRS, NIDA and UNSW COFA, grounding her in student-focused approaches to creative education.
Her industry track record includes directing award-winning projects and taking on commercial work with MTV, Goalpost Pictures, ABC and Universal.
AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood said: “Maia is globally experienced, values-led, and deeply committed to fostering inclusive and inspiring learning environments.
“Maia’s production experience spans film, broadcast, digital platforms and branded content, giving her a unique, nuanced understanding of industry expectations and emerging media that will stand her in excellent stead for instigating and leading the industry collaborations that are critical to our approach at AFTRS.”
On her new appointment, Horniak said: “I am honoured to join AFTRS as Director of Teaching and Learning at such a pivotal time. As a centre of excellence, AFTRS leads with creativity, industry connection and innovation.
“I am committed to strengthening these values – and further future-proofing students’ pathways into the industry through a curriculum that ensures industry relevance, inclusivity and long-term sustainability in their creative careers, keeping AFTRS at the forefront of global screen and audio education.”
Horniak officially began her new role this week.