Warwick Thornton
Writer / Director / Director of Photographer

Samson & Delilah won Warwick the Camera d’Or for best first feature film at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Warwick wrote, directed and shot the film.

Warwick has written and directed several short dramas, the last being Nana, which won the CrystalBear for Best Short Film in the Generation Kplus at the 2008 Berlinale. Nana screened on the opening night of Sydney Film Festival and Warwick was awarded the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2007 and the film won several other prizes in Australia.

His previous short drama, half?hour Green Bush, won Best Short Film in the Panorama at the 2005 Berlinale. Green Bush also won two awards at the Sydney Film Festival Dendy Awards (best in section and best overall) plus many other prizes around the world. It premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2005.

Warwick’s other short films include Mimi in 2002, Payback in 1996 (which screened at Telluride Film Festival) and he has also directed and shot many documentaries.

Warwick’s career started as a cameraman in 1990 and he graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 1997 with a BA in Cinematography.

He has an extensive body of work as a cinematographer including the feature film Radiance.

Warwick lives in Alice Springs in Central Australia and has just finished directing and shooting a 3 hour documentary about Aboriginal art called Art+Soul.

Filmography (Drama)

2009 Samson & Delilah (feature film)
2007 Nana (6 min short drama)
2005 Green Bush (26 min short drama)
2002 Mimi (15 min short drama)
1996 Payback (10 min short drama)

Samson & Delilah Awards

2009 Camera d'Or (best first feature) Cannes Film Festival 2009

Best Feature Film Asia Pacific Awards 2009

Best Film, Director, Script, Cinematography, Sound, Young Actors (jointly awarded Marissa Gibson & Rowan McNamara) and AFI Member's Choice Award.

Australian Film Institute Awards 2009?
Best Film, Director, Script, Music, Actor, Actress IF (Inside Film - Australian popular vote awards) Awards

2009 Blue Angel Award for Best Director

17th Art Film Fest, Slovakia Feature Film Screenplay (Original)

Major AWGIE Award (for most outstanding script in any discipline)

AWGIE Awards (Australian Writer's Guild Awards)

Audience Award

Adelaide Film Festival, Australia

Kate Challis RAKA Award for Indigenous script writing

University of Melbourne, Australia Grand Jury Prize?
Best Female Actor - Marissa Gibson

Best Male Actor - Rowan McNamara, St Tropez Film Festival, France

The City Prize for best film (awarded by the teenage jury)

Jury Grand Prize for best film (awarded by the adult jury)

Festival Ciné?jeune, France

Grand Jury Award

Press Jury Award

EKWA Film Festival of the Indian Ocean (Reunion Island)

Grand Premio (Best Film) Amazonas Film Festival, Brazil

IFA Cultural Film Award

Around the World in 14 Films Berlin Independent Filmfest

Best Film Dublin Film Festival, Ireland