Justin Kurzel

Justin has worked extensively in film and theatre as a director and designer. He is a graduate of the NIDA Design course and of Film Directing at Victorian College of Arts, where he was awarded the Most Outstanding Postgraduate Student. Justin’s VCA graduating film Blue Tongue was selected for the Cannes International Film Festival and won Best Australian Short Film, Cinevex Award for Best Direction, Film Victoria Award for Best Film and Best Student Production at the Melbourne International Film Festival the same year. In 2005 Justin joined Sydney’s prestigious CHERUB PICTURES (Chopper) run by Michele Bennett and has been directing commercials for some of the largest agencies in Australia, winning a titanium and bronze at Cannes Lions. He’s also directed award-winning music videos including He’s A Rocker for The Vines as well as Pulse (IVY LEAGUE) and Bell (IVY LEAGUE) for The Mess Hall, which won Best Music Clip at St Kilda Film Festival in 2008 and 2010.

In 2010. Justin was chosen by WARP FILMS to direct their first Australian feature, Snowtown. It premiered at Adelaide International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, and had its international premiere at Cannes’ Critics Week, where it won the President’s Special Mention Jury Prix. —secondsightproductions.com