Michael James Rowland Biography
Michael James Rowland (born January 15, 1964) is an Australian Film Director.The early YearsPrior to his screen career, Michael James Rowland studied graphic design at the North Adelaide School of Art in South Australia and started his early working life as a designer / illustrator specialising in the Arts. His list of freelance clients grew to included Sony (US), Womad (International) and Peter Gabriel (UK). He also held the position of Art Director with the Adelaide Festival of Arts (1987 - 93) a job that saw him work with some of the 20th century's most significant artists including; Peter Brook, Cheek by Jowl, Jan Fabre, Sanki Juku, Andy Goldsworthy, Winton Marsalis, the Kronos Quartet, Zubin Mehta and Pierre Boulez. He has won numerous awards for his design and illustration including the 1992 AADC's Master's Chair.Cowboy BooksMichael established the graphic novella imprint Cowboy Books in 1990 with the publication of the awarding winning Ten Drawings of the Jungle. This first title was followed up two years later with The Existentialist Cowboys Last Stand (1992) and Life Advice for High-Plains Drifters (2000). Cowboy Books sell throughout Europe, North America and Australia.Film schoolMichael 'retired' from graphic design in 1994, relocating to the city of Sydney to study for a BA in Film at Australia's national institution, the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). In his first year as an undergraduate the screenrights to his novella The Existentialist Cowboys Last Stand were bought and made into one of Australian 's most successful short films of the 90s, along the way earning Michael his first Australian Film Institute (AFI) nomination. The second came with the Russian language, space-race short, Flying Over Mother (1996) cementing his reputation as an original screen writer/director with a global audience.First feature filmHis first feature film, Lucky Miles (2007), is set in 1990 Western Australia. Unfolding as a traditional Australian tale of men lost in the desert, Lucky Miles packs a bold twist updating the genre with an ensemble cast including Kenneth Moraleda, Rodney Afif and Srisacd Sacdapraseuth. Lucky Miles was chosen to be the highly successful opening night film of the 2007 Adelaide Film Festival and later that year beat out the cream of global cinema to win the audience award for Best Film at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival. Other awards include; the Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival; Best Screenplay at the Vladivostok International Film Festival; the Black Pearl for Best New Director at the Middle East International Film Festival; the Grand Prix at the 9th Rencontres Internationales du Cinéma des Antipodes and Best Film at the Asian Festival of First Films.First television featureIn 2008 Michael co-wrote and directed the one hour ABC, RTE, BBC drama The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce. Set in 1824 Van Diemen's Land, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce tells the true story of an escape from the notorious British Prison, Sarah Island by eight convicts. It's gothic narrative plots their privation and decent into cannibalism, through to the execution of the sole survivor, Alexander Pearce for murder of Thomas Cox. Stars Adrian Dunbar, Ciaran McMenamin, Daniel Whyllie, Don Hany, Chris Haywood, Martin Jacobs, Bob Franklin, Stefanie Smith and Patti Tsarouhis (aka Patti Friday).
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Genres: Western, Horror, History, Biography Director: Michael James Rowland Artists: Dan Wyllie, Adrian Dunbar, Tony Goodfellow, Peter Dowling Show description |
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