Lynn Santer
- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Born in London (1961) of English born Russian Romanian Jewish parents, Lynn studied music under Stanley Sadie, co-author of "Grove" and musical critic for "The Sunday Times". Completing her high school years in London, Lynn migrated to Australia where she studied Public Relations with a minor in law at RMIT, followed by a finance degree from the University of Sydney.
Her early professional career was in the world of high finance and in 1994 she returned to her native London where she became a specialist consultant to the British Government on Pensions Legislation Reform. In 1999 her first novel "Sins of Life" (based on her experience with the Life Insurance industry) was published. It instantly became the bestselling title for the publisher (Minerva Press) and was optioned by Zygi Kamasa ("The Kingsman", "Kings Man Secret Service", "The Expendables" 2 &3, "Olympus has Fallen", CEO of Marv) who owned Scorpio Productions in Pinewood Studios at the time. During those five years in London she also furthered her lifelong passion for Africa and the preservation of the big cats with several trips to Namibia and South Africa to attend The AfriCat Foundation as well as the private game reserves of Ngala and Phinda. During this time, she became close friends with Dame Virginia McKenna (then president of the Born Free Foundation) and an Honorary Lifetime Member of The AfriCat Foundation.
Returning to Australia mid 1999, due to the ailing health of her father, Lynn commenced her writing career in earnest. Quickly producing two sequels to "Sins of Life", "Into the Fire" and "Evil by Design", Lynn headed to Hollywood to pitch product. In November, 1999, she met Tippi Hedren, iconic star of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and then president of the ROAR Foundation. The two women instantly bonded over their mutual love of big cats.
From 1999 onward, Lynn became a writer for hire and much sought after celebrity biographer. She also wrote and produced a number of award winning shorts including "Beauty and the Beasts", "Grace Space" and "Lewis's Piano".
In 2001, while organizing a high profile fundraiser in Australia for The AfriCat Foundation with Tippi Hedren as guest of honor, Lynn was contacted by Meryl Harrison, then Chief Inspector with the Zimbabwe SPCA. This was the be the start of an odyssey which involved hiring ex Special Forces commandos to undertake a covert mission to expose brutal atrocities against endangered big game by some of the wealthiest men on earth. The stories subsequently emerging from this quest featured Tippi, Lynn and Meryl in a YouTube called "Land of the Free", a Nine Network Australia cover story "The Birds and the Big Cats", and a novel and feature screenplay also called "Land of the Free". In more recent years, Lynn has produced two internationally critically acclaimed and multi award-winning documentaries on the trophy hunting industry "Land of the Free: In the Shadows" and "Land of the Free: Out of the Shadows". Through these projects she has become deeply involved with British politicians and campaigners on the proposed Prohibition Bill to ban the imports of trophy hunting in the UK, in addition to liaison with the Aspinall Foundation to rescue a herd of elephant in Limpopo who have become cruelly used as pawns in the media battle that ensues to get this legislation passed/blocked. A new feature film project (not listed on IMDb yet) is now in development based on this eye-popping, jaw-dropping saga.
Late in 2005, Lynn's father passed away. This tragic event was the catalyst for her meeting Rabbi Nir Gurevitch. The Rabbi was intrigued to meet one of Lynn's high profile clients, Captain Ali Al-Wahabi, the former personal pilot of Saddam Hussein. Under Lynn's guidance and management these two men teamed with Robyn Wigmore, a spokesperson for the Christian Aid Association, World Vision, and formed "Passion for Peace" (P4P). The trio subsequently toured schools and universities spreading their vision of and hope for peace, tolerance and understanding in the world.
By 2005, Lynn had also become the biographer and professional manager of iconic Australian folk hero, Alby Mangels, and in 2007 she founded a philanthropic literary initiative called "The Magical Scarecrows". Additionally she had become a columnist in an international glossy magazine called "XL", writing about international celebrities and their philanthropic endeavors. As a columnist, she met Priscilla Presley who was to become another lifetime friend.
In 2016, Lynn took a fledgling project under her wing believing the epic Sci-Fi fantasy quests of "Little Hawk" by A. J. Cootes could well become the next major franchise to hit Hollywood. By 2017, a notable collection of Hollywood heavyweights joined the developing franchise which was subsequently renamed "Almythea" with the slogan "Defy the Darkness".
In 2019, the first book in the "Almythea" series ("Almythea - Rise of Wingtar") was launched under Lynn's management at the Supanova convention in Brisbane with Stargate's Cliff Simon (aka Lord Ba'al) headlining the event. Plans were underway for Cliff to star as "Grey Paw" in the feature films but with Cliff's tragic passing a few years later the project came to a halt.
Today Lynn lives in the subtropical paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia in a property nestled on a 17 hectare lake, which is a wildlife haven for over 30 species of birds, water dragons and turtles. In over 20 years of observing and interacting with the wildlife up close, Lynn was inspired to write her latest hit novel "Swan Song", a delightful anthropomorphized tale of the charismatic and colorful characters who share her world that has been likened to "Wind in the Willows", "Watership Down" and "The Lion King" (except with black swans). Recently the novel has been awarded by the coveted Readers Favorite writers festival in Miami Florida and plans are underway to adapt the novel into an animated musical feature film and/or TV series.
Lynn has also produced "Gaston Leroux - the man behind the man behind the mask", a bio epic of the author of the famed "Phantom of the Opera" who led an extraordinary life that the world has previously never known. Plans are also underway to develop this into a feature film and/or TV series.
Her early professional career was in the world of high finance and in 1994 she returned to her native London where she became a specialist consultant to the British Government on Pensions Legislation Reform. In 1999 her first novel "Sins of Life" (based on her experience with the Life Insurance industry) was published. It instantly became the bestselling title for the publisher (Minerva Press) and was optioned by Zygi Kamasa ("The Kingsman", "Kings Man Secret Service", "The Expendables" 2 &3, "Olympus has Fallen", CEO of Marv) who owned Scorpio Productions in Pinewood Studios at the time. During those five years in London she also furthered her lifelong passion for Africa and the preservation of the big cats with several trips to Namibia and South Africa to attend The AfriCat Foundation as well as the private game reserves of Ngala and Phinda. During this time, she became close friends with Dame Virginia McKenna (then president of the Born Free Foundation) and an Honorary Lifetime Member of The AfriCat Foundation.
Returning to Australia mid 1999, due to the ailing health of her father, Lynn commenced her writing career in earnest. Quickly producing two sequels to "Sins of Life", "Into the Fire" and "Evil by Design", Lynn headed to Hollywood to pitch product. In November, 1999, she met Tippi Hedren, iconic star of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and then president of the ROAR Foundation. The two women instantly bonded over their mutual love of big cats.
From 1999 onward, Lynn became a writer for hire and much sought after celebrity biographer. She also wrote and produced a number of award winning shorts including "Beauty and the Beasts", "Grace Space" and "Lewis's Piano".
In 2001, while organizing a high profile fundraiser in Australia for The AfriCat Foundation with Tippi Hedren as guest of honor, Lynn was contacted by Meryl Harrison, then Chief Inspector with the Zimbabwe SPCA. This was the be the start of an odyssey which involved hiring ex Special Forces commandos to undertake a covert mission to expose brutal atrocities against endangered big game by some of the wealthiest men on earth. The stories subsequently emerging from this quest featured Tippi, Lynn and Meryl in a YouTube called "Land of the Free", a Nine Network Australia cover story "The Birds and the Big Cats", and a novel and feature screenplay also called "Land of the Free". In more recent years, Lynn has produced two internationally critically acclaimed and multi award-winning documentaries on the trophy hunting industry "Land of the Free: In the Shadows" and "Land of the Free: Out of the Shadows". Through these projects she has become deeply involved with British politicians and campaigners on the proposed Prohibition Bill to ban the imports of trophy hunting in the UK, in addition to liaison with the Aspinall Foundation to rescue a herd of elephant in Limpopo who have become cruelly used as pawns in the media battle that ensues to get this legislation passed/blocked. A new feature film project (not listed on IMDb yet) is now in development based on this eye-popping, jaw-dropping saga.
Late in 2005, Lynn's father passed away. This tragic event was the catalyst for her meeting Rabbi Nir Gurevitch. The Rabbi was intrigued to meet one of Lynn's high profile clients, Captain Ali Al-Wahabi, the former personal pilot of Saddam Hussein. Under Lynn's guidance and management these two men teamed with Robyn Wigmore, a spokesperson for the Christian Aid Association, World Vision, and formed "Passion for Peace" (P4P). The trio subsequently toured schools and universities spreading their vision of and hope for peace, tolerance and understanding in the world.
By 2005, Lynn had also become the biographer and professional manager of iconic Australian folk hero, Alby Mangels, and in 2007 she founded a philanthropic literary initiative called "The Magical Scarecrows". Additionally she had become a columnist in an international glossy magazine called "XL", writing about international celebrities and their philanthropic endeavors. As a columnist, she met Priscilla Presley who was to become another lifetime friend.
In 2016, Lynn took a fledgling project under her wing believing the epic Sci-Fi fantasy quests of "Little Hawk" by A. J. Cootes could well become the next major franchise to hit Hollywood. By 2017, a notable collection of Hollywood heavyweights joined the developing franchise which was subsequently renamed "Almythea" with the slogan "Defy the Darkness".
In 2019, the first book in the "Almythea" series ("Almythea - Rise of Wingtar") was launched under Lynn's management at the Supanova convention in Brisbane with Stargate's Cliff Simon (aka Lord Ba'al) headlining the event. Plans were underway for Cliff to star as "Grey Paw" in the feature films but with Cliff's tragic passing a few years later the project came to a halt.
Today Lynn lives in the subtropical paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia in a property nestled on a 17 hectare lake, which is a wildlife haven for over 30 species of birds, water dragons and turtles. In over 20 years of observing and interacting with the wildlife up close, Lynn was inspired to write her latest hit novel "Swan Song", a delightful anthropomorphized tale of the charismatic and colorful characters who share her world that has been likened to "Wind in the Willows", "Watership Down" and "The Lion King" (except with black swans). Recently the novel has been awarded by the coveted Readers Favorite writers festival in Miami Florida and plans are underway to adapt the novel into an animated musical feature film and/or TV series.
Lynn has also produced "Gaston Leroux - the man behind the man behind the mask", a bio epic of the author of the famed "Phantom of the Opera" who led an extraordinary life that the world has previously never known. Plans are also underway to develop this into a feature film and/or TV series.
