Amiel Courtin-Wilson

Amiel Courtin-Wilson
Amiel Coutin-Wilson at the 2017 International Film Festival Rotterdam
Born	1979 Melbourne

Amiel Courtin-Wilson (born 1979) is an Australian film director, producer and artist. His debut feature film Hail premiered internationally at Venice Film Festival in 2011.

Amiel Courtin-Wilson was born and raised in Melbourne. His parents Peter Wilson and Polly Courtin are both artists. He made his first film at age 9 and at 17 won the Longford Nova Award at the 1996 St Kilda Film Festival. At age 19, Courtin-Wilson wrote, directed and produced his debut feature documentary Chasing Buddha about his aunt Robina Courtin, a Buddhist nun. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2000.

Since the beginning of his career Courtin-Wilson has been involved in the Australian arts, directing work for Opera Australia and Chunky Move contemporary dance company, screening his films at the National Gallery of Victoria and Art Gallery of New South Wales and exhibiting as a visual artist. He directed numerous short films and music clips for musicians such as the Avalanches and Mix Master Mike. He has contributed to national and international film and art magazines and journals and lectured at universities across Australia as well as overseas. In 2008 Amiel formed a Melbourne-based production entity Flood Projects with an aim to foster collectivist and artist-driven film making practice in Australia.

Amiel’s second feature documentary Bastardy, about an indigenous actor and petty burglar Jack Charles, was released in Australia in 2009 to critical acclaim and won several notable awards. In the same year his short documentary film Cicada had an international premiere at Cannes Film Festival as part of Directors’ Fortnight in 2009.

Courtin-Wilson's 2013 film Ruin was selected for the Venice Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Prize.