Award-winning Filmmaker Dena Curtis began training in Tennant Creek at Papulu Apparr-Kari Aboriginal Organisation as a Media Officer. In 2000, Dena relocated to Alice Springs to work as the Production Assistant at CAAMA Productions.

A self-taught editor, Dena studied a graduate diploma in Television Editing at AFTRS in 2002. On completion of this diploma she returned to CAAMA Productions, working there for a number of years. Editing credits include Rosalie’s Journey, Lore of Love and Willaberta Jack.

Dena wrote/directed her first short drama, Yota Dreaming in 2005 which was later broadcast on NITV. In 2007 Dena wrote/directed her second short film Hush, which won the audience award for Best Foreign Short Film at the Films de Femmes, Créteil France, her documentary; Cheeky Dog, premiered at the Sydney Film Festival. In 2009 Dena premiered her third short film Jacob at Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, it later went on to win the Adelaide Shorts Gold Shorts Award and WOW Film Festival Best Drama.

After a short stint at NITV, Dena joined the ABC as the Series Producer on Message Sticks than later became the Commissioning Editor for Indigenous overseeing production on Yagan, 88, The Redfern Story, Outside Chance and Wild Kitchen.

Dena left the ABC in 2014 to direct the first Aboriginal Narrative Comedy Series, 8MMM Aboriginal Radio. She then went on to direct Nan and a Whole Lot of Trouble, written by Sue McPherson, this premiered at the 2016 Flickerfest Short Film Festival in Sydney.

Dena recently completed for her documentary series, Shadow Trackers a program in which she is Directed and Co-Produced with Veronica Fury for NITV. Developing her Producing skills Dena created her Production Company Inkey Media Pty Ltd at the end of 2015 and is currently developing a slate of projects.