Sophie Hyde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sophie Hyde
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Hyde at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival
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| Born | 1977 (age 47–48) |
| Alma mater | Flinders University La Trobe University |
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Notable work
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52 Tuesdays Animals Good Luck to You, Leo Grande |
| Partner(s) | Bryan Mason |
| Children | 1 |
Sophie Hyde (born 1977) is an Australian film director, writer, and producer. She lives in Adelaide, South Australia. Sophie is a co-founder of Closer Productions. She is well-known for her award-winning first fiction film, 52 Tuesdays (2013). She also directed the comedy-drama Animals (2019).
Sophie has made several documentaries. These include Life in Movement (2011), which is about dancer Tanja Liedtke. She has also worked on TV series, like The Hunting (2019). Her recent film, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, was shown at the Sundance Festival in 2022. Her upcoming film Jimpa will star famous actors Olivia Colman and John Lithgow.
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Sophie's Early Life and School
Sophie Hyde was born in Adelaide in 1977. When she was a teenager, she learned acting at the Unley Youth Theatre. There, she met people who would later become her colleagues. She then studied film and theatre at Flinders University in Adelaide. After that, she went to La Trobe University in Melbourne. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1998.
Sophie's Film and TV Work
Starting Closer Productions
In 2005, Sophie Hyde returned to Adelaide. She had funding to make a film. Later that year, she met Bryan Mason again. He was a film editor and cinematographer from her college days. They started a personal and work relationship. Together, they created a film company called Closer Productions. As of 2018, they live in Malvern with their child, Audrey.
Making Documentaries and Films
Hyde and Mason first made videos for nightclubs and dance shows. Then, they started making documentary films. They became friends with dancer Tanja Liedtke. They began making a documentary about her. Sadly, Tanja died in an accident in Sydney in 2007. Sophie and Bryan finished the film and called it Life in Movement. This film won several awards. It was named best work at the 2011 Ruby Awards for the arts. It also won the 2011 Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize.
Sophie Hyde directed, co-wrote, and co-produced her first feature film, 52 Tuesdays. It was filmed in Adelaide in 2013. She spent a year promoting it. This film received many awards. Sophie won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance in 2014. The film also won a Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
TV Series and International Films
Sophie's next project was a six-part TV series called ... Adelaide. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Screen Australia asked her to make it. It aired on national TV from July 15, 2018. It was also available on ABC iview. The series first showed at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2017. It is a dark comedy about "home, family, and identity." Each episode tells a part of the story from a different character’s view. Sophie's child, Audrey, played a character. The series also starred Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Brendan Maclean, and Kate Box. They played three siblings who return home to their mother (played by Pamela Rabe). Sophie said the show is about the good and challenging sides of family. The title was a joke about how she felt returning to Adelaide. The series was shown at the Series Mania International Festival in France in 2018. It also screened in Berlin.
In 2018, Sophie Hyde made Animals. This film was based on the novel by Emma Jane Unsworth. It was filmed in Dublin. This was her first feature film made outside Australia. It was shown at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. It was also part of an Adelaide Film Festival event in April 2019. It was a joint production between Ireland and Australia.
In January 2019, it was announced that a drama mini-series called The Hunting would be shown later that year. It aired on SBS TV. Sophie Hyde produced and directed it. It starred Richard Roxburgh, Asher Keddie, Pamela Rabe, and other actors.
In My Blood It Runs (2019) is a documentary. It was directed by Maya Newell. Sophie Hyde was one of the producers. It was made with Arrernte and Garrwa people in the Northern Territory. It first showed at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto in April/May 2019.
Recent and Upcoming Projects
Sophie Hyde started working as an international director in 2021. She directed the comedy film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. It starred Emma Thompson. The film was written by Katy Brand and made in the UK. This was Sophie's first film as an independent director in a long time. She did not act as a producer for this one. It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2022. The festival was online due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The film was released on Hulu in the US on June 17, 2022. It also came out in UK cinemas on the same date. Australian cinemas showed it from August 18, 2022.
In April 2022, Screen Australia announced funding for new projects. One of them was Jimpa. It is described as a "family drama." Sophie Hyde is making it with co-writer Matthew Cormack and producer Liam Heyen. In May 2024, it was announced that Olivia Colman and John Lithgow would star in Jimpa. The film is being shot in South Australia, Amsterdam, and Helsinki. Sophie's child, Aud Mason-Hyde, also stars in the film. Other actors include Daniel Henshall, Kate Box, and Tilda Cobham-Hervey. Sales for the film began at the Marché du Film (Film Market) at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Sophie Hyde is also set to direct an upcoming film called An Ideal Wife.
Closer Productions Film Company
Sophie Hyde is a co-founder of the film production company Closer Productions. She started it with Bryan Mason. The company is based in Glenside, a suburb of Adelaide. Other members of the Closer team include Bryan Mason (editor, director of photography, producer, director), Matthew Bate (writer, director), Rebecca Summerton (producer), Matthew Cormack (writer), Raynor Pettge (visual effects, editor), and Matt Vesely (development manager, writer, director).
Awards and Recognition
In 2024, a tribute to Sophie Hyde's work was published in FilmInk. It noted her "strong visual sense" and "taste for the daring and unusual." It also said her "sensitivity towards actors... really gives Sophie Hyde her directorial power." The article called her "nothing short of a national treasure."
Some of her awards include:
- Many nominations and awards for 52 Tuesdays.
- 2009: Melbourne International Film Festival — Best Experimental Short Film — Winner (with Kat Worth) — Necessary Games.
- 2012: AACTA Awards — Nominee for Best Feature Length Documentary (shared with Bryan Mason) — Life in Movement (2011).
- 2012: AACTA Awards — Nominee for Best Feature Length Documentary (shared with Matthew Bate) — Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (2011).
- 2012: AACTA Awards — Nominee for Best Direction in a Documentary (shared with Bryan Mason) — Life in Movement (2011).
- 2018: Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Awards - Online Series Production of the Year – Winner (Closer Productions) – ... Adelaide (2017).
Sophie Hyde's Filmography
Films as Director
- Ok, Let's Talk About Me (2005) - short documentary. She was producer and director.
- The Road to Wallaroo (2006) - short documentary. She was producer and director.
- My Last Ten Hours with you (2007) - short drama/ romance film. She was director.
- Necessary Games (2009) - short drama/fantasy. She was producer and co-director (with Kat Worth).
- Elephantiasis (2010) - short film. She was producer and director. She won Best Director at the World of Women Film Festival.
- Life in Movement (2011) - documentary about dancer Tanja Liedtke. She was producer, director, and writer.
- 52 Tuesdays (2014) - drama. She was producer, director, and co-writer with Matthew Cormack.
- Animals (2019) - comedy/drama. She was producer and director.
- Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022) - director.
- Jimpa (To Be Announced) - director.
- An Ideal Wife (To Be Announced) - director.
Films as Producer
- Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (2011) - documentary/comedy/drama. She was producer.
- Sam Klemke's Time Machine (2015) - feature length documentary. She was producer.
- My Best Friend is Stuck on the Ceiling (2015) - short comic film. She was co-producer.
- In My Blood It Runs (2019) - documentary. She was producer.
Television Work
- ... Adelaide (2017) - TV comedy drama mini-series (6 short episodes) for ABC TV. She was producer and director.
- The Hunting (2019) - four-part drama miniseries for SBS. She was producer and director.
Other Projects
- Beyond Beliefs: Muslims & Non-Muslims in Australia (2007) - documentary. She was producer and writer.
- Wastelander Panda (2012) - a three-part webseries. She was executive producer.
See also
