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Justin Dallas Kurzel (/kɜːrˈzɛl/;[1] born c. 1974) is an Australian film director. His films include Snowtown (2011), Macbeth (2015), Assassin's Creed (2016), True History of the Kelly Gang (2018), Nitram (2021) and The Order (2024).
Justin Kurzel | |
|---|---|
 Kurzel, 2024. | |
| Born | Gawler, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Justin Dallas Kurzel[2] was born around 1974 in Gawler, South Australia to a family with immigrant roots, his father hailing from Poland and his mother from Malta.[3] His younger brother, Jed Kurzel, is a blues rock musician who has scored all of Justin's feature films.[4]
He attended the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television.[5]
In 1999 Kurzel was awarded a Mike Walsh Fellowship. His Victorian College of the Arts graduating short film Blue Tongue (2004) screened in over 13 international films festivals and won Best Short at the Melbourne International Film Festival.[6][7]
Kurzel's feature film debut was Snowtown (2011), for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Direction. Though controversial for its violence, the film was generally praised and holds an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes with the critic consensus: "It's a bleak and brutal endurance test, but for viewers with the strength and patience to make it to the end, Snowtown will prove an uncommonly powerful viewing experience."[8] The film marked Kurzel's first collaboration with writer Shaun Grant.[9]
His 2015 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[10]
In 2016, Kurzel directed Assassin's Creed, based on the video game franchise of the same name.[11]
Kurzel directed True History of the Kelly Gang in 2018, adapted from Peter Carey's 2001 Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, written from the viewpoint of legendary Australian bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly.[12] The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in Australian cinemas in 2020.[13]
Kurzel was attached to direct multiple episodes of Apple TV's television adaptation of the 2003 novel Shantaram.[14] However, Kurzel departed the project during a production hiatus in February 2020.[15]
In late 2020, it was announced Kurzel would direct Nitram, a film depicting the events leading up to the Port Arthur massacre.[16] The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. [17]
In 2019, it was announced Kurzel would adapt Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize-winning novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North for television, with frequent collaborator Shaun Grant.[18] The series entered production in 2023, with Jacob Elordi and Ciarán Hinds attached in the leading role.[19]
Ellis Park, a documentary by Kurzel about musician Warren Ellis and the animal sanctuary he co-founded, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2024.[20]
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Kurzel is married to actress Essie Davis.[21] They have twin daughters.[22][23]
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Blue Tongue | Yes | Yes | Also editor |
| 2013 | Boner McPharlin's Moll | Yes | Yes | Segment of The Turning |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Snowtown[a] | Yes | No |
| 2015 | Macbeth | Yes | No |
| 2016 | Assassin's Creed | Yes | No |
| 2019 | True History of the Kelly Gang | Yes | Yes |
| 2021 | Nitram | Yes | Yes |
| 2024 | The Order | Yes | Yes |
| TBA | The Siege | Yes | No |
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ellis Park | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The Narrow Road to the Deep North | Yes | Yes | Miniseries |
Music video
| Year | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | You Am I | "Friends Like You" |
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AACTA Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Snowtown | Best Direction | Won |
| 2013 | The Turning | Won | |
| 2021 | Nitram | Best Film | Won |
| Best Direction | Won |
Cannes Film Festival
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Macbeth | Palme d'Or | Nominated |
| 2021 | Nitram | Nominated |
Other awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Direction | Snowtown | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Director | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Director of a British Independent Film | Macbeth | Nominated |
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