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Writer, producer, singer living in New Zealand From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
April Phillips (born 1965) is an actress, writer, singer, director and producer of film and theatre. She was born in Coventry, England, but resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Her production company, Godiva Productions Limited, was named after the Lady Godiva legend of her hometown of Coventry.[citation needed]
April Phillips | |
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| Born | April Phillips 1965 (age 58–59) Coventry, England |
| Occupation | Actress, writer, singer, producer |
| Nationality | English |
| Citizenship | New Zealand |
| Education | Master's degree (Scriptwriting) |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
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| Website | |
| aprilphillips | |
Phillips holds a master's degree in Scriptwriting from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington. Her theatre works are represented internationally by Playmarket.[1] and by David Spicer Productions in Australia.
Phillips writes predominantly for theatre and film but has had two radio plays recorded by Radio New Zealand.[2] Her most successful stage play, the modern farce "STiFF", has been produced internationally.[3][4][5][6]
Phillips is a stage and screen actress.[7] She is represented by The Pro Actors.[citation needed] She has been a member of the acclaimed women's comedy troupe Hens' Teeth[citation needed] since 1995.
Phillips is a professional and recorded singer. In addition to singing in various bands and at jazz festivals her TV appearances include multiple performances on Television New Zealand's "Good Morning" Show and "Breakfast Show" and the TV satirical series "McPhail and Gadsby" alongside Jon Gadsby and David McPhail. She released her debut jazz album in 2004 and has since donated 100% of her income from that album to Make A Wish New Zealand and donated over $12,000 to the charity. She recorded a follow up song called "What I'd Do For You" for Make A Wish New Zealand[8]
Phillips also released an album of her own original pop songs called "Tempting Fate" and appears on a collaborative Nat King Cole tribute CD "Unforgettable".
Phillips' production company, Godiva Productions Limited, has produced various musical stage shows including the jazz play Blue Eyes and the Nat King Cole tribute show Unforgettable. More recently she produced the musical shows The Glory of Gershwin for the 2016 Wellington Jazz Festival and The Retro Pack jazz revue. In 2022, she was co-producer of the musical stage show "Let's Talk About Me!" which is now touring New Zealand. She was co-producer on the short films Utu Pihikete and Letter For Hope and executive producer of the films "R.E.M." and "The Last Man on Earth". These films have received official selections at numerous US film festivals and won awards. In 2023, she was the co-producer of the feature film "Blind Panic".[citation needed]
Phillip's directorial debut was the award-winning sci-fi/horror short film REM [9] which she also wrote and acted in. The film was officially selected for many international film festival screenings including "Fantasia", Montreal[10] and "Horror Hound", Cincinnati, and notably at the 51st Worldfest, Houston where the film won a Platinum REMI award. Phillips's was nominated Best Director (Short Film) at the Ouchy Film Awards, Lausanne, Switzerland and Best Actress (Short Film) at the Madrid International Film Festival 2017. The film received 7 nominations at the Short Film Awards (S.O.F.I.E.S) in New York where Phillips won Best Director. Phillips short film "The Last Man on Earth" [11] was completed in 2019 and was officially selected for Screamfest 2020, London Sci-Fi Film Festival, North Hollywood Film Festival and the 53rd Worldfest Houston where it received the Special Jury Award for Suspense/Thriller. Phillips earned an Honorable Mention as Director from the Los Angeles Film Awards (L.A.F.A) and Best Sci-Fi award, and Best Director at Festigious. The film was a finalist at the 2019 Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival. Phillips was awarded the Best Shorts 2020 annual Humanitarian Award - Outstanding Achievement - for the disability themes in her film. She was nominated for the Minerva Award at FilmQuest for her work as a female producer/director in genre filmmaking 2021.[citation needed]
| Year | Title | Role | Other | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1978 | Miss Dickens (Teacher) | Co-Writer/Co-Director/Casting | Feature Film |
| 2023 | Blind Panic | Co Producer/Script Consultant | Feature Film | |
| 2022 | Mako | Acting Coach/Script Consultant | Short Film | |
| 2021 | Eels | Mother | Actress | Short Film |
| 2020 | Letting You Go | Mother | Actress | Music Video |
| 2019 | The Last Man on Earth | Prime Minister | Writer/Director/Executive Producer | Short Film |
| 2017 | Mortal Engines | Medic | Feature Film | |
| 2016 | REM | Gail Morris | Writer/Director/Executive Producer | Short Film |
| 2014 | Girl vs. Boy Series 3 | Carrie King | TV series | |
| 2014 | Passion in Paradise | Mary King | TV series | |
| 2013 | Utu Pihikete | Beth Brown | Writer/Co-producer | Short Film |
| 2013 | Letter For Hope | Jane | Writer/Co-producer | Short Film |
| 2012 | Mr Wilkins | Janice Hockney | Short Film | |
| 2011 | Eternity | Cynthia Green | Feature Film | |
| 2009 | The Lovely Bones (dir. Sir Peter Jackson) | Mother | Feature Film | |
| 2005 | The Lost Children (Eps. 5 & 6) | Doris | TV series | |
| 2001 | The Strip Ep 7 ("Assume The Position") | Miss Petit | TV series | |
| 1999 | Duggan ("Moving House" Ep) | Rose Bergson | TV series | |
| 1998 | First Impressions | Self and Various | TV series | |
| 1998 | McPhail and Gadsby with Jon Gadsby and David McPhail | Core Cast | TV series | |
| 1997 | McPhail and Gadsby with Jon Gadsby and David McPhail | Core Cast | TV series |
In 1983, at the age of 17, Phillips was the focus of intense international media interest[36] when she appeared in a stage production of the play Charley's Aunt opposite Prince Edward at the prestigious Wanganui Collegiate School. The Prince was a tutor at the school for two terms during his gap year. The media speculated about a romance between the pair but Phillips has always maintained that they are just friends.
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