Paul Andersen is a director and creative producer. He is the recipient of an Australian Academy Award (AACTA) for a film he co-wrote and directed (‘Departure Lounge’, social shorts best comedy).
He directed and produced the first season of teen comedy-adventure series ‘Bertram Poppingstock’, which screened on ABC ME. He also directed the short thriller ‘The Visitor’, which premiered at MIFF and won multiple awards at film festivals across the USA.
Paul directed and produced a short comedy in New York City called ‘Imaginary Friend’, post-producing in Los Angeles and at Skywalker Ranch. He produced the short film ‘Tragic Love’ (dir. Gary Eck), which was awarded at Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival.
Paul is an alumnus of Professional Screenwriting at RMIT, Executive Screen Production at Victoria University, and MIFF’s renowned Accelerator director’s lab. He was recently named as One to Watch by Screen Producers Australia.
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DREAM HOUSE – Producer / Director
Comedy short. Winner inaugural short film fund, Jewish International Film Festival
BERTRAM POPPINGSTOCK: PROBLEM SOLVER – Producer / Director
Teen comedy-adventure series. Set-up director. Directed first season. ABC TV
DEPARTURE LOUNGE – Director / Co-writer
Rom-com short, shot in Far North Queensland. Won ACTAA award (social shorts best comedy)
STRANGE TALES – ‘Chords’ – Executive Producer / Director
TV pilot. Anthology horror series. Set-up director
IMAGINARY FRIEND – Producer / Writer / Director
Short comedy. Shot in NYC; completed in LA & at Skywalker Sound
HAPPY ACCIDENT – Director / Writer
Short comedy. Shot on 16mm. Script won $30,000 from Diet Coke Films. LA Comedy FF
THE VISITOR – Producer / Director
Short psychological thriller. Shot on 16mm. Screen Australia / Open Channel (Raw Nerve)
World première at MIFF 2007. Selected for Accelerator directors’ lab. Numerous awards
UP IN THE AIR – Writer / Director
Short comedy. Flagfall FF; QANTAS inflight film
TRAGIC LOVE – Producer
Short comedy dir. Gary Eck. Second prize, Tropfest 2002
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GALILEO (theatre)– Director, Designer, Co-Translator
Directed and designed mainstage play at Sydney’s Seymour Centre, with cast of 22
THIS IS WHAT WE AUSTRALI-ARE (commercial)– Producer / Director
TV commercial. Won national award at gala ceremony at Sydney Opera House
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ONE TO WATCH – Screen Producers Australia
Mentored by Jason Stephens (Lingo Pictures). Pitched at Screen Forever 2017
WINNER, SHORT FILM FUND – Jewish International Film Festival
Inaugural winner of film finance from JIFF, for ‘Dream House’ (dir. Paul Andersen) 2017
AACTA award – Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts
Won social shorts best comedy for ‘Departure Lounge’ (dir. Paul Andersen)
ACCELERATOR – Selected for MIFF’s prestigious directors lab
World première of ‘The Visitor’ at MIFF. Screen Australia / Open Channel (Raw Nerve)
BEST FANTASY FILM – New Jersey Film Festival, for ‘The Visitor’
BEST ART FILM – Eugene International Film Festival, for ‘The Visitor’
BEST SILENT FILM – Coney Island Film Festival, for ‘The Visitor’
BEST DIRECTOR – Sydney Fringe Festival
Winner of Best Direction for play competition, 2000
OZ IN 30 SECONDS – Winner for ‘This is what we Australi-ARE’
Grand prizewinner for directing spec TVC for GetUp!
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EXECUTIVE SCREEN PRODUCTION – Victoria University
Finance | distribution | copyright / IP | project management | co-productions | business plans | 2011
PROFESSIONAL SCREENWRITING – RMIT
Screenwriting | copywriting | editing | writing for web | 2006
DIRECTING – AFTRS
Subtext & screen language | Working with actors | 1998
DIRECTING – NIDA
Taught by: Peter Weir | Graham Thorburn | Bill Bennett | 1995
BACHELOR OF ARTS (Literature & Film Studies) – University of Sydney
Studied: cinema | animation | montage | mise-en-scene | theatre | auteur & genre theory | 1993