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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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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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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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