The 2011 feature debut Snowtown established Justin Kurzel as a director focused on the bleak realities of Australian life, earning him an AACTA Award for Best Direction. Born in Gawler in 1974, Kurzel has navigated an international career ranging from Shakespearean adaptations to the depiction of historical trauma and high-budget video game franchises.
Formative Training and Early Success
Kurzel attended Pembroke School before enrolling at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, where he earned a Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Design in 1995. He later attended the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television. His professional trajectory gained momentum in 1999 when he received a Mike Walsh Fellowship. His graduating short film, Blue Tongue, released in 2004, appeared at over 13 international film festivals and secured the Best Short award at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
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The 2011 release of Snowtown initiated a consistent creative partnership with screenwriter Shaun Grant. Following this, Kurzel directed a 2015 adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, which competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2016, he directed the video game adaptation Assassin's Creed. He continued his work in 2018 by directing True History of the Kelly Gang, adapted from the novel by Peter Carey, which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
Recent Projects and Television
Kurzel directed the 2021 film Nitram, which explored the events preceding the Port Arthur massacre and earned a Palme d'Or nomination. His other recent credits include the 2024 film The Order and the documentary Ellis Park, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2024. In television, he was attached to an adaptation of the novel Shantaram until his departure in February 2020. He is currently working on an adaptation of Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which entered production in 2023.
Fast facts
- Born: 1974, Gawler, Australia
- Education: Pembroke School, National Institute of Dramatic Art
- Directorial debut: Snowtown (2011)
- Frequent collaborator: Jed Kurzel (brother/composer)
- Spouse: Essie Davis
- Notable award: 2021 Sitges Film Festival Best Director
Questions readers ask
Who composes the music for Justin Kurzel's films?
His brother, Jed Kurzel, has scored all of his feature films.
Is Justin Kurzel currently married?
Yes, he is married to actress Essie Davis, and they have twin daughters.
Achievements
- Worked as film director, screenwriter and director
