Documentary team
Michelle Dado-Millynn - Co-Creator /
Producer / Educator
With a visual arts background, Michelle graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art/NIDA in 1988. She subsequently spent the following 5 years based in LA, New York and London working on a wide range of film, television & theatre productions. Michelle is a visual storyteller and has production and costume designed numerous film, theatre and tv productions for Network 7, TEN, ABC, SBS, Foxtel, Nickelodeon, Sydney Opera House, PTC, STC, The Stables and Ensemble Theatres, NSWFTO & Screen Australia. Michelle has lectured extensively in Design & Visual Storytelling at AFTRS, SFS, TAFE & IFSS since 1996 in Australia & the South Pacific.
Michelle is a qualified animal nurse and has paralleled her visual storytelling/design career with environmental and animal/wildlife rescue and care as well as advocacy and activism.
In 2016, Michelle signed up her local community Dungog NSW as the 20th Boomerang Bags community. Today there are 1100+ communities underway around Australia and the World. Boomerang Bags Dungog was awarded Dungog Districts Chamber of Commerce ‘Golden Axe’ Environment & Sustainability Award 2018 and was a Finalist/Runner up for Excellence in Sustainability at the Hunter Region Business Awards in 2018. Michelle subsequently led the team that launched Single-Use Plastic Free Dungog in July 2019.
Dungog won six awards in the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Communities Tidy Towns Awards 2019. “It was fantastic to be recognised for the work we are doing in our community for environmental sustainability and community connection”. Soft Plastics Recycling won the Circular Economy Award and Boomerang Bags/Single Use Plastic Free Dungog won the Waste Less, Recycle More, Waste Minimisation Award.
Our inaugural Sustainability Spotlight on Dungog event was highly commended in the Community Spirit and Inclusion Award.
Michelle was awarded Environmental Citizen of The Year, Dungog Shire Council on Australia Day, 2019.
The Power of Activism is the culmination of a project Michelle has been developing and producing since 2012. The film shines a timely and positive light on a group of young Australians who are challenging how governments, major companies and communities think about the environment, sustainability and the choices we all make every day. The project came to fruition in a wonderfully creative collaboration with Steve Pasvolsky, co-creator/director since 2018.
In 2025 Michelle piloted the film’s educational impact strategy (sponsored by Documentary Australia and Shark Island Foundation) with 7 high schools from across Australia. This learning program uses the documentary to activate real-world project based learning as students choose an issue they want to focus on, in turn developing their ideas and launching a solution based project in their own school/community. Students also further develop their literacy skills and other general capabilities. Health and wellbeing is a key focus through project-based learning ; connecting with community and nature is key. Engaging with and caring about what really matters = emotional thinking = meaningful learning = ideas ! The film’s educational resource will be available in 2026 to high schools nationally and will be piloted in Asian and Oceanic regions.
At a time when there is much in the world to feel hopeless and helpless about, this learning program inspires teachers and students and cultivates hope and meaning. Feedback from a United Nations screening for high school students : “ The Power of Activism shows what can be done and gives hope ! ” ‘The Power of Activism’ has joined with FanForce to continue to tour nationally and overseas inspiring and engaging communities all around the world to 'Get Involved'. Michelle continues to work positively and proactively for environmental sustainability and community connection in her own community and beyond. The health & wellbeing of the environment, the economy and our humanity is interconnected. Think Globally, Act Locally !
Steve Pasvolsky - Co-Creator / Director
Steve’s short drama INJA, which he wrote and directed whilst a student at AFTRS, was nominated for an Academy Award™ in 2003. Since graduating, he's written, directed and produced a broad range of documentaries for National Geographic, Discovery and the ABC as well as a narrative feature for UNIVERSAL PICTURES. In 2018, Steve wrote and directed JOHN EALES REVELS: THE HAKA, a feature documentary for Discovery Channel, which recently won a Medal at the Olympic Committee’s Sports Press Association Awards (2019) for journalism. Later that year Steve wrote and directed CHRISTMAS SOUNDS BETTER THIS YEAR, a one-hour documentary for the ABC. He followed that film with CALIBRATE, a feature documentary which recently won the Audience Award at the Awareness Film Festival (USA). In 2022 Steve completed the feature documentary THE POWER OF ACTIVISM, which has screened at many festivals internationally before being broadcast on SBS. It also won the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival’s best Australian film in 2022. Feature drama THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH is Steve’s latest production, currently being released in Cinemas around Australia after premiering at the Sydney Film Festival in 2023.
Kirsten Armstrong - Actuary
“Improving the lives of our most vulnerable demands big ideas, passion, and the know-how to make them happen. Working with government, providers, and investors, Social Ventures Australia (SVA) helps turn those big ideas into reality.”
Kirsten is a Non-Executive Director of icare, Chief Editor of Actuaries Digital and Director in the impact investing team leading SVA’s social impact bond and outcomes-based contracting work, supporting governments, social-purpose organisations and impact investors to create high impact projects that generate evidence and change lives.
Prior to joining SVA, Kirsten led the health practice at analytics consultancy Taylor Fry, with clients including the Disability Royal Commission and multiple health departments. Kirsten is an accomplished actuary and adviser and a former PwC Partner, and has advised on major health reforms in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong and insurance system reforms in Russia, Estonia and Mongolia.
She created new ways for The Fred Hollows Foundation to access funds for eye care, through the world’s first healthcare development impact bond, the Cameroon Cataract Bond, and an investor-friendly social enterprise, Alina Vision, providing sustainable, affordable eye care in South-East Asia.
In 2019, Kirsten was recognised as one of the AFR’s 100 Women of Influence for this work. Kirsten is a non-executive of disability provider Northcott and of NSW’s workers compensation insurer, icare.
Kirsten’s Qualifications:
Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia
Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Master of Economics, Macquarie University
Master of Public Health, Sydney University
Kirsten calculated the financial value of each of the projects featured in The Power of Activism… and the results are astonishing.