ABOUT

Paul Andersen is a mid-career theatre and film director. He has also worked as a writer, video artist, photographer and as a graphic designer. Paul also co-devises theatre works, writes screenplays and designs narrative for games.

As a writer for performance, Paul won the national writers award (AWGIE) for best original radio play in 2002. This play ‘Night Swimming’ was an ABC commission, broadcast on ABC FM. He has participated in international writers lab éQuinoxe TBC, and won an Australian Academy award (AACTA) for a film he wrote and directed.

As a stage director, Paul has directed and/or devised numerous theatre works. He has directed stage classics such as Brecht’s ‘Galileo’ (with a cast of 22), and ‘Waiting for Godot’ (including interstate tour). He has also created numerous screen works, and is an alumni of MIFF’s prestigious Accelerator directors lab.

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CREDITS

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RECENT WORK

2018 NEWCOMERS – Writer / Director

Staged reading of new theatre adaptation. ACMI Studio

2017 DREAM HOUSE – Producer / Director

Comedy short. Winner inaugural short film fund, Jewish International Film Festival

2016 RUN, RABBIT, RUN – Co-Devisor, ‘Bunny’

Theatre work. Staged in and around Fairfield Amphitheatre

2016 BERTRAM POPPINGSTOCK: PROBLEM SOLVER – Producer / Director

Teen comedy-adventure series. Directed first season. Set-up director. ABC TV

2014 DEPARTURE LOUNGE – Director / Co-writer

Rom-com short, shot in Far North Queensland. Won ACTAA social shorts best comedy

2013 STRANGE TALES – ‘Chords’ – Executive Producer / Director

TV pilot. Anthology horror series. Set-up director.

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OTHER STAGE & SCREEN WORK

LIFE OF GALILEO – Secondment to Richard Wherrett

Seconded to prominent stage director for entire rehearsal period. Sydney Theatre Co

EMMA’S NOSE – Observer of Neil Armfield

Observed Neil Armfield directing Paul Livingstone’s play at ANPC

THE MOONWALKERS – Assistant to Director

Assistant to director Ros Horin. Griffin Theatre Co

IMAGINARY FRIEND – Producer / Writer / Director

Short comedy. Shot in NYC; completed in LA & at Skywalker Sound.

GALILEO – Director, Designer, Co-Translator

Directed and designed mainstage play at Seymour Centre with cast of 22.

THIS IS WHAT WE AUSTRALI-ARE – Producer / Director

TV commercial. Won national award at gala ceremony at Sydney Opera House

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 on16mm. 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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SELECT AWARDS

2000 BEST DIRECTOR – Sydney Fringe Festival

Winner of Best Direction for play competition

2017 ONE TO WATCH – Screen Producers Australia

Mentored by Jason Stephens (Lingo Pictures). Pitched at Screen Forever

2017 SHORT FILM FUND – Jewish International Film Festival

Inaugural winner of film finance from JIFF, for ‘Dream House’ (dir. Paul Andersen)

2014 AACTA award – Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts

Won social shorts best comedy for ‘Departure Lounge’ (dir. Paul Andersen)

2007 ACCELERATOR – Selected for MIFF’s prestigious directors lab

World première of ‘The Visitor’. Screen Australia / Open Channel (Raw Nerve)

2008 BEST FANTASY FILM – New Jersey Film Festival, for ‘The Visitor’

2008 BEST ART FILM – Eugene International Film Festival, for ‘The Visitor’

2008 BEST SILENT FILM – Coney Island Film Festival, for ‘The Visitor’

2008 OZ IN 30 SECONDS – Winner for ‘This is what we Australi-ARE’

Grand prizewinner for directing spec TVC for GetUp!

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EDUCATION

2011 EXECUTIVE SCREEN PRODUCTION – Victoria University

Finance | distribution | copyright / IP | project management | co-productions | business plans

2006 PROFESSIONAL SCREENWRITING – RMIT

Screenwriting | copywriting | editing | writing for web

1998 DIRECTING – AFTRS

Subtext & screen language | Working with actors

1995 DIRECTING – NIDA

Taught by: Peter Weir | Graham Thorburn | Bill Bennett

1993 BACHELOR OF ARTS (Literature & Film Studies) – University of Sydney

Studied: cinema | animation | montage | mise-en-scene | theatre | auteur & genre theory