Martin Fabinyi


Martin Fabinyi is an Australian film and television producer and director and music label owner and has written books on the local rock music scene. He was the chief executive officer of Mushroom Pictures from its formation in 1993 to 2009. Mushroom Pictures' projects include the features Chopper, Gettin' Square, Wolf Creek and Macbeth. He is currently Executive Producer at Beyond Productions where he produced the Angels theatrical documentary 'Kickin' Down The Door' and executive produced 'John Farnham: Finding The voice' which became the highest grossing Australian documentary, winning the AACTA and Logie awards; and 'Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line' which opened the 2024 Sydney Film Festival.
In 1978 Fabinyi and composer Cameron Allan formed the label Regular Records, initially for releases by pop / rock band, Mental As Anything. The label subsequently released music from bands including Icehouse, I'm Talking, The Cockroaches and The Reels, and artists Kate Ceberano, Stephen Cummings and Austen Tayshus.

Early life

Fabinyi grew up in Melbourne. His father was Dr Andrew Fabinyi OBE, a book publisher responsible for Australian authors including Joan Lindsay, David Malouf, Robin Boyd and Barry Humphries. He had four siblings.

Career

After leaving school Fabinyi joined GTV-9 as a floor manager and film editor. He attended Flinders University in Adelaide where he founded and edited the student newspaper Empire Times, leaving after two years. He subsequently moved to Sydney and began directing independent video films, and was part of the experimental movement Bush Video at the Nimbin Aquarius Festival in 1973. He wrote articles on the music scene and designed album covers before meeting Cameron Allan in 1977, ultimately leading to the founding of Regular Records.

Personal

Fabinyi was married to fashion designer Jenny-Jane Carpenter from 1988 to 1995

Books

Articles

  • Fabinyi, Martin. , The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 July 2013 - obituary of Cameron Allan.
  • Fabinyi, Martin. , sydneysentinel.com.au, 30 June 2022.
  • Fabinyi, Martin. , cityhubsydney.com.au, 8 November 2022.

    Filmography

Credits:
  • TV Dinner – video: filmmaker
  • The Vacuum – video feature: director, writer, producer
  • Pure S - feature film: writer,
  • Great Southern Land Icehouse - co-director with Larry Meltzer
  • She's The One The Cockroaches - feature film: music consultant
  • The Crossing – feature film: music co-ordinator
  • Tribal Voice – Yothu Yindi – TV documentary: producer
  • Fashion – TV series: executive producer
  • Kate Ceberano & Friends – TV series: executive producer
  • Next to Nothing/Nothing to Hide – TV series: executive producer
  • Counting the Beat – TV documentary: executive producer
  • The Singer and the Swinger – documentary: executive producer
  • Cut – feature film: producer
  • Chopper – feature film: executive producer
  • Horseplay – feature film: executive producer
  • The National Karaoke Challenge - TV series: executive producer
  • Gettin' Square – feature film: producer
  • Wolf Creek – feature film: executive producer
  • Macbeth – producer
  • Storm Warning – feature film: executive producer
  • Great Australian Albums – TV series: executive producer
  • Cannot Buy My Soul – feature documentary: executive producer
  • Cedar Boys – feature film: executive producer
  • Bait 3D – feature film: co-executive producer
  • Manny Lewis – feature film: producer
  • Blood + Thunder: The Story of Alberts – TV documentary mini-series
  • Indigo Lake – feature film: executive producer
  • Backburning – short documentary: producer
  • Days Like These – TV series: executive producer
  • The Angels: Kickin' Down the Door – producer
  • John Farnham – Finding the Voice – feature documentary: executive producer
  • The Hardest Line'' – feature documentary: producer

    Awards and nominations

  • 2003: AACTA Awards – 'Best Film' - Gettin' Square – nominee
  • 2015: 15th Screen Producers Australia Awards - Documentary Television Production - Blood and Thunder - nominee
  • 2024: AACTA Award - Best Documentary Feature - John Farnham: Finding The Voice - winner.
Artists signed to Regular Records
• Mental As Anything
• Flowers/Icehouse
• Austen Tayshus
• Stephen Cummings
• Electric Pandas
• The Reels
• The Cockroaches
• I'm Talking
• Kate Ceberano
• The Johnnys
• The Riptides
• Club Hoy
• Third Eye
• SPK
• Dog Trumpet
• Tiny Tim
• Deckchairs Overboard
• Cattletruck
• The Lonely Hearts
• Mambo Records – Songs Of Sexual Jealousy
• Regular Rockabilly