The 10 Greatest Australian Filmmakers of All Time (original) (raw)

Published Feb 11, 2023, 1:00 PM EST

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The Australian film industry might not be quite as pervasive as other English-speaking film industries like those found in the U.S. and the U.K., but it's no slouch in the movie-making department either. There have been plenty of great filmmakers who were either born in Australia or identify as Australian, with many making great movies within the famed land down under before moving on to bigger and even better things in larger, overseas industries.

The following filmmakers are among the best that have called Australia home and begun their directing careers there. Not all of these filmmakers have exclusively directed in Australia, but they do go a long way toward showing that there's a great deal of filmmaking talent found on the lonely continent, and that the Australian film industry is ultimately one worth keeping an eye on.

1 Baz Luhrmann

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Elvis (2022)

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures

Few filmmakers from Australia can match the auteur status of Baz Luhrmann. Breaking on to the scene with Strictly Ballroom over 30 years ago, he's had an uncompromising style right from the start, and whether you love that style or hate it, it's hard not to admire how instantly recognizable and bombastic it is.

He's also not afraid to take his time between projects, given the nine-year gap between 2013's The Great Gatsby and 2022's Elvis. The general consensus is that the latter was worth the wait, as it ended up being one of the year's boldest and most extravagant movies. It had some tough competition when it came to standing out in this department, given how great a year 2022 was for big, maximalist movies, but ultimately pulled through and defiantly made its mark.

2 James Wan

Image via Warner Bros.

James Wan has been working nonstop since breaking onto the scene by directing the original Saw. That 2004 film is far and away the best of the series, with its tense premise and thrilling blend of crime and horror, all done on a low budget. Wan moved on to bigger and better things, and the multiple sequels ended up lacking that certain spark the original Saw had.

Thankfully, he didn't abandon the horror genre by any means, going on to direct Malignant, two Conjuring movies, and two Insidious movies. He's also proven adept at helming large-budget action movies, having directed Furious 7, Aquaman, and the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

3 Peter Weir

Beginning his career in the 1970s, Peter Weir might well be the Australian director who's made the highest number of truly great films. Not only that, but he's mastered numerous genres, including war (Gallipoli), mystery (Picnic at Hanging Rock), dramedy (The Truman Show), and action/adventure (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).

His career trajectory is comparable to Ridley Scott's (even if Weir's been slightly less prolific), as each has been making movies for decades and seem comfortable directing across multiple genres. His movies tend to be decent, interesting watches at worst, and genuine classics at best, making him easily one of the greats among Australian filmmakers.

4 Jennifer Kent

Jennifer Kent is relatively new on the scene, having only released two feature films in her directing career so far. Both were among the best Australian films of the 2010s, however, with 2014's The Babadook being a clever and intense low-budget horror movie, and 2018's The Nightingale being an emotionally devastating and gripping historical revenge movie.

Both films are difficult and challenging at times, yet the uncompromising nature of each demonstrates that Kent is a filmmaking force to be reckoned with. She most recently directed an episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities in 2022, and currently has a film called Alice + Freda Forever in development, which sounds like it'll be interesting, to say the least.

5 Andrew Dominik

Since 2000, Andrew Dominik has directed four feature films and two documentaries (both about legendary Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave). He's also credited with directing a handful of music videos and a couple of episodes of the show Mindhunter, but overall seems to be a filmmaker who favors quality over quantity.

If that's the case, then he consistently delivers, crafting half-a-dozen films now that are as compelling as they are difficult... and even uncomfortable. Uncompromising might be the best way to describe his work, and it can be seen clearly in the response to his 2022 film, Blonde, which was praised by some and criticized by others. For those who don't mind challenging movies that take clear risks which mightn't work for all viewers, Dominik's filmography is well worth digging into.

6 Phillip Noyce

Phillip Noyce has been directing for over 50 years at this point, and his career is a hard one to pin down or define. He's directed feature films, TV movies, short films, and episodes of various TV shows. Even if there's no clear thing that ties all his works together, the eclectic nature of his body of work arguably makes it interesting.

Funnily enough, his two most well-known films were both released in 2002: Rabbit-Proof Fence, which is a tremendously sad and powerful film about one of the darkest parts of Australia's colonial history, and The Quiet American, a large-scale American production that paired Michael Caine with Brendan Fraser to moderate success.

7 Rolf de Heer

Born in the Netherlands in 1951 and permanently moving to Australia with his family as a child, Rolf de Heer is a one-of-a-kind filmmaker. He's not quite a household name because his movies are often out-there and quite strange, but his style is undeniable, and those willing to dig out the films he's made will find themselves consistently rewarded.

The closest thing he's had to a big hit is the cult film Bad Boy Bubby, which is a confronting, darkly funny, and unforgettable - for better or worse - crime/dramedy about a man discovering the world as an adult after being locked away for 30 years by his domineering mother. Rolf de Heer has also made several notable films about Australia's Indigenous population, including The Tracker, Charlie's Country, and Ten Canoes.

8 Cate Shortland

Abbie Cornish in Somersault - 2004

Image via Magnolia Pictures

Cate Shortland's breakout movie was 2004's Somersault, which was a grounded romance/drama that did well in Australia, yet wasn't quite an international hit. Shortland's subsequent movies created more of a stir, as she directed the dark World War Two drama Lore in 2012, and helmed the first movie in the MCU's fourth phase: Black Widow.

She was also behind the 2017 horror movie Berlin Syndrome, which helped further demonstrate her strengths in directing introspective indie-style movies with female leads. She stands as the first Australian filmmaker to be given directing duties on an MCU movie, and her film, Black Widow, was the first MCU movie to have a sole female director (as 2019's Captain Marvel was co-directed by both Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck).

9 Adam Elliot

Given he works in the time-consuming field of stop-motion claymation, Adam Elliot hasn't released too many movies throughout his directing career. However, what he has done has been remarkable, and he's proven himself to be a master at blending dark comedy with genuinely heartbreaking drama.

His 2002 short film Harvie Krumpet demonstrates this well, and it deservingly won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. His 2009 feature film Mary and Max built on the sorts of things that worked in Harvie Krumpet and made them even better, telling a story equal parts funny and sad about an unusual friendship between two very different pen pals on either side of the world.

10 Alex Proyas

Coming on to the scene with the still underrated post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds in 1987, Alex Proyas has been making consistently interesting films ever since. Dark City became a cult success, I, Robot was a genuine mainstream success, and even the Nicolas Cage-starring Knowing is far better than most give it credit for.

His best film, however, remains 1994's The Crow, which is an exciting and stylish fantasy/action movie about a man coming back from the dead to avenge his murdered partner and himself. It's best known for featuring Brandon Lee's haunting and magnetic final performance, but Proyas' skilled direction and flare for the fantastical stands as another reason why the film works as well as it does.

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