Beck Cole facts for kids

Beck Cole is an Australian filmmaker. She is from the Warramungu and Luritja Aboriginal nations. She is known for her work on many TV shows and films.

Some of her famous TV shows include First Australians, Grace Beside Me, Black Comedy, and Wentworth. She also makes documentaries and short films. Beck Cole lives in Alice Springs, which is in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Early Life and Learning

Beck Cole grew up in Adelaide and near the Port Adelaide area.

Starting in Media

She began working in media as a journalist. She got a special training program at Imparja Television while still in school. This helped her learn to write and present stories. She also worked as a news and weather presenter.

University Studies

Beck Cole earned a degree in Communication and Sociology from Charles Sturt University. After that, she started working at ABC Television. This is where her filmmaking journey began.

In 2001, she completed a Master's degree in Film & Television Documentary. She studied at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). There, she learned from many Australian documentary filmmakers.

Beck Cole also had a mentor, Michael Riley. He was a photographer and filmmaker. He helped guide her until he passed away in 2004.

Filmmaking Career

While studying at AFTRS, Beck Cole often worked for the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). She has continued to work with them over the years.

Early Films

Her first short films were documentaries and dramas. They often focused on Aboriginal culture and family life.

• Flat (2002) was one of these films. It was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
• Plains Empty (2005) was another. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Working with Others

Beck Cole worked closely with cinematographer Warwick Thornton. They also teamed up with producer Kath Shelper. They called themselves "the trinity" because they worked so well together since 2004.

Wirriya: Small Boy (2004) is a short film they made. It's about an eight-year-old boy. He lives in an Indigenous community near Alice Springs.

TV Series and Feature Films

Beck Cole was a writer and director for First Australians (2008). This was a well-known TV series. It told the history of Indigenous Australians. She worked on it with Rachel Perkins and Louis Nowra.

In 2009, she wrote and directed Making 'Samson and Delilah'. This documentary showed how the film Samson and Delilah was made.

Her first full-length movie was Here I Am (2011). It's a drama film.

She directed several episodes of Black Comedy. This show won an award in 2015 for Best Direction.

Beck Cole also worked on the popular prison drama Wentworth. She directed episodes between 2019 and 2021. She also worked on the series Between Two Worlds, which started in 2020.

She was the voice director for all three seasons of Little J & Big Cuz. She also wrote two episodes for this children's show.

Recent Projects

Around 2019, Beck Cole was developing a horror film. It was set in Alice Springs. The story was based on a true event. It was about Aboriginal children in a care home who faced a scary presence.

In 2020, Cole helped create ideas for the children's TV series Thalu. She worked with local elders and young people. She also helped write the script for the series.

Beck Cole directed a part of the film We Are Still Here. This movie was the opening film at the 2022 Sydney Film Festival.

Other Activities

In 2020, Beck Cole and Warwick Thornton led a workshop. It was called the Aboriginal Short Film Initiative. They helped filmmakers develop their ideas.

Awards and Recognition

Beck Cole was one of seven filmmakers featured at an art exhibition. It was at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.

Film Awards

• Wirriya: Small Boy (2004):
  • Won Best Film at the Women on Women Film Festival in Sydney.
  • Won the Jury Award for Best Short Documentary at the ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival.
• Here I Am (2011):
  • Won Best Dramatic Feature at the ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival.
  • Was nominated for the International Feature award at the 2011 Adelaide Film Festival.
• Black Comedy:
  • Won a 2015 AACTA Award for Best Direction in a Light Entertainment or Reality Series.

Personal Life

Beck Cole was married to director Warwick Thornton. They met in 1999. They have a daughter named Luka May. She is also an actress. Beck Cole and Warwick Thornton separated by 2018.

Beck Cole is also a cousin of filmmaker Danielle MacLean.