Warwick Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Warwick Thornton
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Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, cinematographer |
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Notable work
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| Partner(s) | Beck Cole (1999–c.2017) |
| Children | Dylan River, Luka Magdeline Cole, Rona |
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| Relatives | Erica Glynn (sister) Rona Glynn (aunt) |
Warwick Thornton is a famous Australian filmmaker. He directs movies, writes stories for them, and even films them himself. His first big movie, Samson and Delilah, won a special award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. In 2017, he won the Best Film award again for his movie Sweet Country.
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About Warwick Thornton's Early Life
Warwick Thornton is a Kaytetye man. He was born and grew up in Alice Springs, Australia. His mother, Freda Glynn, helped start a media group called the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). She was also the first director of Imparja Television.
When he was 13, Thornton went to a boarding school. It was in a town called New Norcia, Western Australia. Later, he decided he did not want to be religious. He studied filmmaking at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. He learned how to be a cinematographer, which means he learned how to film movies.
Warwick Thornton's Film Career
Thornton started his career by making short films. These short films became very popular at film festivals. One of his early short films was Payback (1996). Other successful short films were Green Bush and Nana. These films were shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.
He decided to become a filmmaker after working at a radio station. He saw people packing cameras to go make films. He wanted to go with them. He later went to film school and became a Director of Photography.
Warwick Thornton often worked with filmmaker Beck Cole and producer Kath Shelper. They called themselves "the trinity" because they worked so well together.
Major Films and Documentaries
In 2009, Thornton wrote, directed, and filmed his first full-length movie. It was called Samson & Delilah. This movie won the Caméra d'Or award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. This award is for the best first feature film.
The next year, he filmed a documentary series called Art + Soul. This series was about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. In 2012, he created an art installation called Mother Courage.
His 2017 movie, Sweet Country, was a historical drama. It won many awards. These included a special award at the 74th Venice Film Festival. It also won the Best Feature Film award at the 2017 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
In 2023, Thornton directed a video for the "Yes" campaign. This campaign was about changing the Australian Constitution. It aimed to create a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians. The video used the song "You're the Voice" by John Farnham.
Warwick Thornton is now working on a new film. This film will share his feelings about the result of the Voice referendum. He feels that Indigenous Australians are still not getting what they need.
Other Projects and Workshops
In 2020, Warwick Thornton helped lead a workshop. It was called the Aboriginal Short Film Initiative. He co-presented it with Beck Cole. The workshop helped people learn how to make short films.
Warwick Thornton's Family Life
Warwick Thornton has a sister named Erica Glynn. She is also a film writer and director.
He was married to filmmaker Beck Cole. They met in 1999 and worked together on many projects. They have a daughter named Luka May. She is an actress, also known as Luka Magdeline Cole. Warwick and Beck separated by 2018.
Thornton also has a son, Dylan River. Dylan is a filmmaker and has worked with his father. He also has another daughter named Rona from an earlier relationship.
Warwick Thornton still lives in Alice Springs. He says living there gives him "strength and energy."
Awards and Recognition
Many people praise Warwick Thornton's work. Film critic David Stratton calls him "one of our greatest filmmakers." Actress Cate Blanchett says he is "the most brilliant visual storyteller."
Author Virginia Trioli says Thornton's films show his strong feelings. He uses his movies to tell stories about the history and challenges of his people. He often tells these stories with very little talking.
In 2009, Warwick Thornton was named Northern Territorian of the Year. This award recognized his achievements.
Selected Awards for Films
- 2007: Nana won the Melbourne Airport Award for Emerging Talent at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
- 2007: Nana won Best Short Film at the Inside Film Awards.
- 2008: Nana won Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
- 2009: Samson and Delilah won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
- 2009: Samson and Delilah won Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
- 2009: Samson and Delilah won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the AFI Awards.
- 2017: Sweet Country won Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
- 2017: Sweet Country won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Warwick Thornton's Filmography
As Director
- From Sand to Celluloid – Payback (1996) – short film
- Willigan's Fitzroy (2000) – documentary
- Mimi (2002) – short film
- Green Bush (2005) – short film
- The Old Man and the Inland Sea (2005) – documentary
- Burning Daylight (2007) – documentary
- Dark Science (2007) – documentary, co-director
- Nana (2007) – short film
- Samson and Delilah (2009)
- Art + Soul (2010) – TV documentary series
- The Darkside (2013)
- Words With Gods (2014)
- We Don't Need a Map (2017) – documentary
- Sweet Country (2017)
- Mystery Road series 2 (2020) – TV series
- The Beach (2020) – TV documentary series about himself
- Firebite (2021) – TV series
- The New Boy (2023)
As Cinematographer (Filming the Movie)
- Marn Grook: An Aboriginal Perspective on Australian Rules Football (1997) – documentary
- Radiance (1998) – feature film
- Buried Country (2000) – documentary
- Ngangkari Way (2001) – documentary
- Flat (2001) – short film
- Mimi (2001) – short film
- Kurtal: Snake Spirit (2002) – documentary
- Queen of Hearts (2003)
- Wirriya: Small Boy (2004) – documentary
- Five Seasons (2005) – documentary
- The Lore of Love (2005) – documentary
- My Brother Vinnie (2006) – documentary
- Plains Empty (2006) – short film
- Green Bush (2006) – short film
- First Australians (2006) – television series
- Samson & Delilah (2009) – feature film
- Here I Am (2011) – feature film
- The Sapphires (2012) – feature film
- Sweet Country (2017)
See also
In Spanish: Warwick Thornton para niños
