Jane Campion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Jane Campion DNZM
Campion in 2016
Born	Elizabeth Jane Campion (1954-04-30) 30 April 1954 (age 71) Wellington, New Zealand
Occupation	Screenwriter producer director
Known for	The Piano The Power of the Dog
Spouse(s)	Colin David Englert ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 2001)​
Children	2, including Alice Englert
Parents	Richard Campion (father) Edith Campion (mother)
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Dame Jane Campion is a famous filmmaker from New Zealand. She was born on April 30, 1954. She is well-known for writing and directing amazing movies like The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021).

For her work, Jane Campion has won many important awards. These include two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), two BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. She won an Oscar for Best Director for The Power of the Dog. In 2016, she was given the title of Dame for her great contributions to film in New Zealand.

Jane Campion is a very important female director. She is the only woman to be nominated twice for the Best Director Oscar. She was also the first female filmmaker to win the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival for The Piano. This movie also won her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. She made history by being the oldest female director to win Best Director at the 94th Academy Awards. She is also the first woman to win Oscars for both directing and screenwriting for different films.

She has also directed other notable films such as An Angel at My Table (1990), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Holy Smoke! (1998), and Bright Star (2009). She also helped create the TV series Top of the Lake (2013). This series earned her three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award.

Early Life and Education

Jane Campion was born in Wellington, New Zealand. Her mother, Edith Campion, was an actress and writer. Her father, Richard Campion, was a teacher and a director for theatre and opera. Jane grew up surrounded by the world of New Zealand theatre. Her parents even started a theatre company called the New Zealand Players.

At first, Jane didn't want to work in dramatic arts. She studied Anthropology at Victoria University of Wellington and graduated in 1975. In 1976, she went to the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. She also traveled around Europe. She later earned a degree in visual arts (painting) from the Sydney College of the Arts in 1981. Her art school training influenced her later film work. She has mentioned painters like Frida Kahlo as inspirations.

Jane felt that painting had limits. This led her to filmmaking. She made her first short film, Tissues, in 1980. In 1981, she started studying at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. There, she made more short films and finished her studies in 1984.

Film Career

Early Short Films and First Feature

Jane Campion at the 47th Venice International Film Festival in 1990

Jane Campion's first short film, Peel (1982), won an award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. Other awards followed for her short films. These included Passionless Moments (1983), A Girl's Own Story (1984), and After Hours (1984).

After film school, she directed an episode for a TV series. This led to her first TV movie, Two Friends (1986). Her first full-length movie, Sweetie (1989), also won international awards.

Breakthrough with The Piano

More recognition came with An Angel at My Table (1990). This film was about the life of New Zealand writer Janet Frame. Then came widespread fame with The Piano (1993). This movie won the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. It also won Best Director from the Australian Film Institute. In 1994, she won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Piano. At the 66th Academy Awards, Campion was only the second woman ever nominated for Best Director.

Campion's 1996 film The Portrait of a Lady was based on a novel by Henry James. It starred famous actors like Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich. In 1999, she worked with Harvey Keitel again on Holy Smoke!. They had worked together before on The Piano. This time, Kate Winslet was the main female star.

In the Cut (2003) was a thriller based on a popular book. It gave Meg Ryan a chance to play a different kind of role. In 2006, Jane Campion produced a documentary called Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story.

Recent Works and Achievements

Her 2009 film Bright Star was a drama about the poet John Keats and his love, Fanny Brawne. It was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Campion focused on Fanny's side of the story in the film.

Jane Campion also created, wrote, and directed the TV mini-series Top of the Lake. This series was highly praised and won many awards. Its lead actress, Elisabeth Moss, won a Golden Globe Award. Campion was also nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for her directing.

Jane Campion in 2014

In 2013, she was the head of the jury for short films at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. In 2014, she led the main jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. When filmmaker Xavier Dolan won an award there, he said that Campion's The Piano inspired him. He said it made him want to write strong roles for women.

In 2015, Campion confirmed she would co-direct and co-write a second season of Top of the Lake. The story moved to Sydney and Hong Kong. Elisabeth Moss returned as Robin Griffin. The sequel, Top of the Lake: China Girl, was released in 2017. It was filmed in Sydney. Jane Campion's daughter, Alice Englert, played Robin's biological daughter in the series. Nicole Kidman also starred in it.

In 2019, Jane Campion announced her first film in ten years. It was an adaptation of the novel The Power of the Dog. She wrote and directed the film. It was released in 2021 and premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. There, Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Direction. The film received great reviews worldwide. It won many awards for its direction, writing, and the actors' performances.

Campion was nominated for three major awards for The Power of the Dog. These included Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. In February 2022, the film received 12 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards. This was the most nominations that year. Jane Campion became the first woman to receive multiple Best Director nominations. She won Best Director for the film. She is also the first woman to win Best Director without her film also winning Best Picture.

After an awards speech, Jane Campion made a comment that some people found insensitive. She quickly apologized to Serena Williams and Venus Williams. She said she made a thoughtless comment and did not mean to disrespect them.

Personal Life

In 1992, Jane Campion married Colin David Englert. He worked as a second unit director on The Piano. Their first child, Jasper, was born in 1993 but sadly lived for only 12 days. Their second child, Alice Englert, was born in 1994. Alice is now an actress. Jane and Colin divorced in 2001.

Honours and Awards

Jane Campion receiving the Grand Jury Prize from Anjelica Huston at the 47th Venice International Film Festival

Jane Campion has received many awards and honors for her work. She was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016. This was for her great service to film.

Filmography

Feature Films

Short Films

Television

See also

In Spanish: Jane Campion para niños

• Women's cinema
• New Zealand film makers