Jonathan Auf Der Heide

Title: Film Director

Jonathan is the director and writer of the critically acclaimed Australian feature film, Van Diemen's Land, that will screen on the first evening of the conference. At the conference

Jonathan grew up in Tasmania where, in the early days of British settlement the convict Alexander Pearce and his comrades were kept captive on Sarah Island. Jonathan has held a long time ambition to bring this story to the screen and embarked on study at the VCA School of Film and Television (University of Melbourne) to develop the necessary skills, including moonlighting on Paul Cox’s latest film Salvation as the Assistant Editor.

Jonathan’s VCA graduating film Hell’s Gates was a preview to this feature and has earned success in its own right screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Showcase for Australian contemporary cinema at the Australia America Society in New York and in competition at the 31st edition of the Rencontres Henri Langlois International Film Schools Festival.

An experienced actor, Jonathan has performed with many Tasmanian and Victorian companies including the Melbourne Theatre Company, Arena Theatre, Jigsaw, Terrapin Puppet Theatre and ensemble outfit The Keene Taylor Project - that premiered the works of playwright Daniel Keene. His film and television credits include: The Independent, Tom White, Em4Jay, Blue Heelers, John Safran Vs God, Stingers and City Homicide.

AWARDS

2007 Village Roadshow Award for BEST FILM (Hell’s Gates)
2007 Film Victoria Award for BEST 3rd YEAR PRODUCTION (Hell’s Gates)
2007 National Film and Sound Archive Award for BEST DIRECTOR (Hell’s Gates)
2007 Emerging Film Maker 2008 – Melbourne International Film Festival (Hell’s Gates)
2008 Best Student Film – Melbourne International Film Festival (Hell’s Gates)
2008 Brian Robinson Script Award (Hell’s Gates)

FILMOGRAPHY

2009 VAN DIEMEN’S LAND 104mins
2007 HELL’S GATES (VCA)* 21mins
2006 FOUR LEGS IN THE MORNING (VCA) 3mins
2006 SAILOR BOY (VCA) 11mins
2005 GRISTLE (VCA) 3mins
2005 SKELETONS (VCA) 6mins
2001 INCASE 7mins

*(VCA) denotes short films completed as part of the Victorian College of the Arts Bachelor of Film & Television course.