Filmmaker Biographies

Warwick Thornton is an award-winning Indigenous These accolades opened doors and allowed director, screenwriter and cinematographer. Warwick to begin work on his next feature The Funded by Tourism Australia and Austrade, Darkside, which became Warwick’s third film Warwick’s latest project has seen him collaborate invited to premiere at the 2013 Berlin International with critically acclaimed Australian director Brendan Film Festival. Most recently he directed and shot Fletcher on a film promoting Australia’s Indigenous the opening segment of Tim Winton’s The Turning tourism experiences to international visitors. and premiered his latest film, Words with God, at Venice in 2014. Born and raised in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Warwick spent his teens working at a Warwick has also created dynamic television Warwick Thornton local radio station before pursuing his passion for work, his series Art + Soul focused on presenting Director/screenwriter/ film and studying cinematography at AFTRS film an insider’s view of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and artists. The series created a cinematographer school in Sydney. deeper understanding of the spiritual and cultural Warwick quickly established a strong presence in significance Indigenous art still has in twenty-first the industry creating a series of short films, focusing century Australia. on contemporary Indigenous stories. His films Nana and Greenbush premiered at the Berlin International Alongside the reputation Warwick has established Film Festival in 2008. With Nana winning the award as a director and screenwriter, he is also widely for Best Short Film, Warwick has been established as regarded for his work as a cinematographer, an important voice in Australian cinema. beginning his career working on films such as 1998’s Radiance and the critically successful SBS Following the success of these films, Warwick documentary series First Australians. In 2012 he began work on Samson and Delilah, a confronting was the cinematographer on director Wayne Blair’s look at the relationship between two young hit film The Sapphires, once again highlighting Aboriginal teenagers in Alice Springs. The film Warwick’s ability to present diverse and exciting premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival Indigenous stories. in 2009, winning the Golden Camera award. Samson and Delilah collected numerous awards including Best Film at the AFI awards, Asia Pacific Screen awards and the Film Critics Circle awards. Filmmaker Biographies

Brendan Fletcher is one of Australia’s most versatile and John Butler) in partnership with acclaimed and dynamic filmmakers. Aboriginal musician Kev Carmody. The show Funded by Tourism Australia and Austrade, was invited to the Sydney Festival in 2009 and Brendan’s latest project has seen him collaborate Queensland Music Festival in 2010. with critically acclaimed Australian director/ Brendan’s work with embattled inner-city residents cinematographer Warwick Thornton on a film from the Northcott Housing estate on ABC TV’s promoting Australia’s Indigenous tourism social documentary 900 Neighbours won him the experiences to international visitors. ATOM Award for Best Social/Political Documentary, a Film Critics nomination for Best Documentary Brendan Fletcher Brendan’s debut film Mad Bastards about an Aboriginal father’s attempt to reconnect with his and a Writers Guild nomination for Best Script. Director son, was the culmination of 12 years working with Brendan’s collaboration with two-time Archibald- the Indigenous communities of the Kimberly region. winning artist Del Kathryn Barton on the animated Mad Bastards was selected for the 2011 Sundance adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale and Film Festival and nominated for the Grand Jury The Rose that premiered at the Berlin International Prize in the World Dramatic Cinema Competition. Film Festival 2015 was fully funded by Screen It won the Independent Spirit Award at the 2011 IF Australia and stars Mia Wasikowska and Geoffrey Awards; received five AACTA Award nominations; Rush. The score was written and performed by won Best Film at the Deadly Awards and garnered multi- award winning musician Sarah Blasko. In both Film Critics and Director’s Guild nominations 2011, Brendan directed the ABC TV comedy-doc for Best Director. series Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey (nominated for an AACTA Award and a Logie Award) and previous Brendan’s experience working on Indigenous to that he directed Andrew Denton’s ABC TV projects also includes co-directing Black Chicks biographical interview show The Elders. Talking with Leah Purcell, which screened at Tribeca Film Festival in New York and won the Audience Brendan co-directed two documentaries with Awards at the Sydney and Brisbane Film Festivals Academy Award winner Russell Crowe – and the IF Award for Best Documentary. Texas and The Men Who Couldn’t Finish Things, which screened at Sundance, Berlin and Sydney He also co-wrote and directed the live show Cannot Film Festivals. Buy My Soul (starring Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins