NT Australian of the Year 2010, director and cinematographer, Warwick Thornton, has already made his mark on Australian film culture. Thornton is the director and photographer behind Australia’s pivotal Yes23 campaign, You’re The Voice, featuring John Farnham and led by The Monkeys.
Now he joins Photoplay for representation in Australia and New Zealand to focus on commercial projects that allow him to tell thought-provoking stories.
Thornton commented, “I have a voice, and Photoplay is a great new outlet to tell my stories. I trust their nurturing team and look forward to navigating their world with all the support and encouragement they bring.”
Thornton is a performance driven director with a flair for shooting drama and unearthing new talent and a versatile storyteller who can write, direct and shoot his own work. A proud Kaytetye man, he was born and raised in Alice Springs and found his voice as a filmmaker there.
His latest film, The New Boy (2023,) starring Cate Blanchett and Aswan Reid, premiered at the 2023 Cannes International Film Festival and won the Golden Frog for Best Feature Film at the 2023 EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival. It also took home the Spotlight Award at the 38th American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards in February.
A prolific filmmaker, Thornton shot his first feature film, Radiance, shortly after graduating from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 1997. The following year he shot award-winning short films, My Bed Your Bed and Promise.
Underlining his adaptability behind the camera, Thornton’s television series include outback vampire hunting hit Firebite and the ABC’s Mystery Road, of which he wrote, directed and shot several episodes. His series, The Beach, gave viewers an intimate portal into one man’s journey of healing and reconnection to country. His film essay, We Don’t Need A Map, challenges viewers with its political and poetic exploration of Australia’s national identity.
The obstacles faced by First Nations people have been a regular theme in his work. Thornton’s other notable credits include multi award-winning Australian western, Sweet Country (2017); Indigenous horror documentary, The Darkside (2013), and his first compelling feature drama, Samson and Delilah (2009). This film, a confronting look at the relationship between two young Aboriginal teenagers in Alice Springs, was awarded the prestigious Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and collected many other awards including best film at the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards, the AFI awards, and the Film Critics’ Circle awards. His work as director of photography on hit musical, The Sapphires (2012), underscores further his ability to present diverse and exciting Indigenous stories.
Warwick has written and directed several short dramas, including Nana, which was part of a series of five-minute short films for SBS Television called Bit of Black Business. Nana won the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival in the Generation section. It also screened on the opening night of the 2007 Sydney Film Festival, won the Inside Film Award for Best Short Film and Best Australian Film at Flickerfest Film Festival in Sydney. Warwick was awarded the Emerging Filmmaker Award for Nana at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2007.
Photoplay executive producer Oliver Lawrance, stated, “We had a great time working with Warwick on Sweet Country and welcome the chance to collaborate again. We feel privileged to add Warwick’s unique voice to our roster and to introduce his versatility as a writer, director and cinematographer to our industry friends and collaborators.”
Thornton with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Imaginative in Canada in 2015.
To view Warwick Thornton’s reel click here
