Helen Leake

{{short description|Australian film producer (born 1949)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Helen Leake

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AM}}

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Helen Louise Mann

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1949|12|15}}

| birth_place = Adelaide, South Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Australian

| education = Seymour College

| alma_mater = Flinders University

| occupation = Film producer

| years_active = 1992–present

| spouse = {{marriage|John Espie Leake|14 February 1976}}

}}

Helen Louise Leake {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 15 December 1949) is an Australian film producer, who was CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation from 2004 to 2007.

She was born Helen Louise Mann in Adelaide, South Australia, and was educated at Seymour College and Flinders University.{{cite book |title=Who's Who in Australia |date=2019 |publisher=ConnectWeb |url=https://connectweb.com.au/pages/whos-who-in-australia.aspx}}

In 1994, she founded Duo Art Productions with Craig Lahiff, and they produced the films Ebbtide (1994), Heaven's Burning (1997), Black and White (2002) and Swerve (2011) with Lahiff directing.{{cite news |title=Vale Craig Lahiff |url=https://www.if.com.au/vale-craig-lahiff/ |accessdate=26 January 2020 |work=IF Magazine |date=3 February 2014}} In 2013, Leake produced Wolf Creek 2, a sequel to Greg McLean's 2005 horror thriller.

From 2004 to 2007, Leake was CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation, having beenon the corporation's board since 2001.

In 2014, Leake founded Dancing Road Productions with Gena Ashwell. The company's latest film Carnifex (2022) is an eco-thriller set in the Australian bush as Australia recovers from unprecedented bushfires. The company is now producing an upcoming biographical film about Sir John Monash.{{cite news |title=Biopic will salute Australian war hero Sir John Monash |url=https://www.if.com.au/biopic-will-salute-australian-war-hero-sir-john-monash/ |accessdate=26 January 2020 |work=IF Magazine |date=31 May 2019}}

At the 2020 Australia Day Honours, Leake was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to film, and to professional organisations.{{cite web |title=Ms Helen Louise LEAKE |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2005871 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |publisher=Australian Government |accessdate=26 January 2020}}

Helen was appointed as a Director on the Screen Australia Board in June 2021.