About the SignBaby Team

Sofya and Isabel have worked together on many successful projects, having met at the Australian Television and Radio School as fellow students.

SignBaby is a meeting of their specialised talents to create a unique product.

Isabel Perez is cofounder of SignBaby Australia. She has owned various businesses, ranging from retail to events planning and film and content production. Isabel has managed national PR campaigns, including the public share offer for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and has led various regional and national fundraising campaigns.  She has worked in the film business for over 15 years. Isabel was Production Liaison Head at Australia’s production studio hothouse, Film Australia. She has overseen and managed budgets totalling $17 million. Many of her films have been selected for competition at reputed international film festivals, and have won various prestigious awards. She is currently developing a slate of projects, including: a documentary for the Attorney General’s Office; an adaptation of Peter Corris’s Set Up; and various content-driven productions for television and cross-platform media, including low budget Australian-Canadian co-productions with a Canadian production company.  Isabel graduated with a Masters in Producing at AFTRS. She has also taught in a variety of film producing courses at major tertiary institutions, including AFTRS and UTS in Sydney.

Sofya Gollan is a cofounder of SignBaby Australia. She is fluent in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and has taught Auslan for many years in community colleges as well as privately tutoring students of all ages.  Sofya has used Auslan on Play School for the last 11 years, winning her a strong profile among her younger fans and familiarity with their parents. It’s no wonder producers are fond of having Sofya on the show, knowing audiences love her television personality, playfulness and watching her sign.  Sofya’s popularity and wealth of television experience in children’s programming proves invaluable, blending skills in teaching sign language in ways that are engaging and entertaining. Sofya has also worked as an award-winning filmmaker for ten years, and her short films have screened in major festivals around the world.  A career highlight includes, the tele-movie Preservation (2003). The film screened extensively at international film festivals, and was nominated for many prestigious awards (including Best Screenplay, Best Director at the AFI and Australian Film Critics Awards). The film has been distributed and sold globally. Sofya is an acting graduate of NIDA, and she holds a Masters in Directing (AFTRS).

www.abc.net.au/children/play/presenters/presenter_SOFYA.htm