BIOGRAPHY:Fiona Cochrane graduated from Monash medical school before following her passion - film.
She took courses and worked on film crews, learning her trade as continuity person, first assistant director and production manager before taking on roles as director and producer.
Fiona has produced and/or directed several independent feature films as well as numerous documentaries, short films and music videos.
In 2019 she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to the visual arts as an independent film producer. Fiona also continues to work as a general Practitioner in Melbourne.
Tug
of War
CRITICAL
OVERVIEW: I was drawn to film-making as a means of examining (and perhaps influencing) socio-political issues, and this is still one of my primary interests, particularly in terms of documentary subject matter. I have made films on subjects that include teenage single mothers, child sexual abuse, sexual assault and ‘women’s issues’, indigenous issues, global population growth, education and development, as well as medically-based documentaries.
Coming from a musical background, my first directing work was on music clips and my first two short films were musically-based (I’m Thankful for What I’ve Got! and Coffee’s On).
I still retain a keen interest in musical topics (such as the cultural appropriation of music in Beating The Drum), as well as the educational documentary Music of the Brain and more recent documentaries about Australian musicians such as Joe Camilleri (Joe Camilleri: Australia’s Maltese Falcon), two Melbourne indie musicians (25 Tracks), and the band Strange Tenants (Strange Tenants: Ska’d For Life).
I have also made several programs focusing around sporting teams – a fictitious women’s basketball team (Gorilla Girls), the Australian Paralympic wheelchair basketball teams (Screamin’ Wheelies), and the Australian Women’s Tug of War team (Tug Of War) - although each film has attempted to depict more than just the sport on screen.
In
terms of dramatic content my taste is quite eclectic, but unlike many directors
I am not a drama writer so am dependent on the work that writers bring to me,
or on works that I read and option. I generally prefer more complex pieces, but
am not averse to light, humorous pieces either if there are interesting
characters involved. My latest low-budget feature is a series of dialogues
between women, and is more of a performance piece than a visual work.
Fiona
Cochrane, January 2020.
FILMOGRAPHY:
Out
of Bounds
Music clips for The Dynamic Hepnotics(1984 & 1985)
I’m Thankful for What I’ve Got(1986, 17 mins, 16mm, musical short)
Taringa 4068:
Our Place and Time (2002, 26 mins, video, documentary)
Opera Therapy (2005, 52 mins, video,
documentary)
Chainsaw (2007, 24 mins, animation)
Silly and
Serious: The Self-portraits of William Robinson (2008, 26 mins, video, documentary)
The First
Interview (2011, short documentary- 15 and 30 minute versions)
The Legend of
the Flying Leathernecks (2012, 55 mins, video, documentary)
The Candidate (2019, video, feature
documentary)
Can Art Stop
a Bullet: William Kelly’s Big Picture (2019, video, feature documentary)
& numerous educational videos
LINE PRODUCER
or CONSULTANT PRODUCER on
numerous
documentaries and dramas
AWARDS:
I’m Thankful for What I’ve Got
1988
ATOM Awards Finalist
1987
GUO Awards Finalist
So Young
1990
ATOM Award for Social Issues
The Dilemma
1991
ATOM Award for Social Issues
1990
Gold ACS (Vic) Award for Short Drama
Speaking Up
Bronze Medal at 1995 New York Festivals
In The Family
Bronze
Award at 1996 Worldfest - Houston (USA)
Bronze
Award at 1995 Worldfest - Charleston(USA)
Honourable
Mention at 1994 Chris Awards (USA)
Honourable
Mention at 1996 CINDY Awards (USA)
Out of Bounds
Bronze
plaque at 1995 Chris Awards (USA)
Certificate
of Merit at 1995 Chicago International Film Festival (USA)
Bronze
Apple at 1995 National Educational Media Awards (USA)
Bronze
Cindy Award 1996 (USA)
Finalist
at 1995 Worldfest-Charleston (USA)
Finalist
at 1996 ATOM Awards
Gorilla Girls
Best of Show in Short Film at 1998
CINDY Awards (USA)
Gold CINDY in Shorts at 1998 CINDY
Awards (USA)
Silver Award in Short Narrative at
1997 Worldfest-Charleston (USA)
Special Commendation at 1998 Canadian
International Film & Video Festival
Certificate of Merit at 1998 Mumbai
International Film Festival (India)
Honourable Mention at 1997 Chris
Awards (USA)
Honourable Mention at 1998 Rochester
International Film Festival (USA)
Highly Commended at 1997 Dendy Awards
/ Sydney Film Festival
Finalist at 1997 Exposure Int. Short
Film Festival (Australia) in the categories of :
-
Best Film;
- Directing;
- Scriptwriting;
- Editing;
- Acting-Female
- Acting-Male.
Beating
the Drum
Beating The Drum
Gold CINDY at the 1999 International
CINDY competition (USA)
Gold
Special Jury Award at 1999 Worldfest-Houston
International Film Festival (USA)
Bronze Plaque at 1998 Columbus
International Film & Video Awards (USA)
Bronze Award at 1998 Worldfest - Flagstaff International Film Festival (USA)
Certificate of Creative
Excellence at 1999 US International Film & Video Festival
Finalist at 1999 Golden Rose of Montreux competition (Switzerland)
Honourable Mention at 1999 PHILAFILM
Int. Film Festival (USA)
Highly Commended at
1998 Bathurst Film Festival (Australia)
Screamin’
Wheelies
Best Independent Documentary at 2000
Canadian Int. Film & Video Festival
Best Independent Entry at 2000
Canadian Int. Film & Video Festival
Best Video Documentary at 2000 Empire
State Film Festival (USA)
Best Documentary Short at
2000 Santa Clarita Film Festival (USA)
Best Documentary Short at 2000 ATOM
Awards (Australia)
Gold Award in Sport at 2000 Worldfest-Houston (USA)
Silver CINDY Award at 2000
International CINDY Competition (USA)
Bronze Plaque at 2000 Columbus
International Film & Video Awards (USA)
Finalist at 2000 Shanghai Television
festival competition (China)
Finalist at 2000 New York Festivals
Television competition (USA)
Mention of Honour at 2002 Sport Movies and TV (Italy)
Stories and
Songs of the People: They Came for Gathering
Best Foreign Documentary at 2001
Santa Clarita International Film Festival (USA)
Silver CINDY at the 2001 International
CINDY competition (USA)
Tug of War
Gold Remi Award at 2003 Worldfest Houston (USA)
Certificate
of Merit at 2002 Intercom Film & Video Competition (USA)
Honourable Mention at 2002 Columbus Int. Film & Video
Awards (USA)
Bronze Certificate of Merit at 2003 Prix Leonardo (Italy)
Seaman Dan
& Friends: Welcome to the Torres Strait
Honourable Mention at 2006 Chris Awards (USA)
Rachel: A Perfect
Life
Gold
Plaque at 2008 Hugo Television Awards (USA)
Best
Feature Documentary at 2008 POW Fest (USA)
Best
Documentary of the decade at 2009 ILAE Centenary Awards of Film (UK)
2008
CINE Golden Eagle Award (USA)
Bronze Remi Award at 2008 Worldfest-Houston
(USA)
Finalist
at 2008New York Festival Film & Video Awards (USA)
Finalist
for Best Direction in a Documentary at 2008 AFI Awards
Finalist
for Outstanding Film or Show Directed By a Woman at 2008 WIN Awards (USA)
Honourable Mention at 2007 Accolade Competition (USA)
Music of the Brain
Best
Short Documentary at 2009 SkyFest Film & Script
Festival (USA)
Gold Remi Award winner at 2010 Worldfest Houston Awards (USA)
Winner
of Dance & Music Related Film Competition at 2011 ReelHeART International
Film
Festival (USA)
Finalist
at 2010 New York International TV & Film Awards
Finalist
for Best Documentary & Best Cinematography for a Documentary
at 2010 World Music & Independent Film Festival (USA)
Honourable Mention at 2009 CHRIS Awards (USA)
Award
of Merit at 2009 Accolade Competition (USA)
Four of a Kind
Best
Feature Film at 2009 ReelHeART Film Festival (Canada)
Best
Feature Film at 2009 SkyFest Film & Script
Festival (USA)
Silver
Lei Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at 2010 Honolulu Int. Film Festival
Bronze
Palm Award at 2010 Mexico International Film Festival
Runner
Up for Audience Award Winner at 2009 Revolve Film Festival (USA)
Runner Up for Audience
Favourite Feature at 2009 Riverside International Film Festival (USA)
Award of Merit for
Leading Actor (Leverne McDonnell) at 2009 Indiefest (USA)
Nominated for Best Feature Film at
2010 Heart of England Int. Film Festival
Finalist for GRASS
Award at 2009 Australian Directors Guild Awards
Joe Camilleri: Australia’s Maltese Falcon
Finalist for Best Arts
Documentary at 2011 ATOM Awards (Australia)
Best Feature Documentary at
2011 SkyFest Film & Script Festival (USA)
Gold Remi Winner at 2012 WorldFest Houston Awards (USA)
Bronze Palm Award at 2012
Mexico International Film Festival
Winner of Dance & Music
Category at 2012 ReelHeART International Film
Festival (Canada)
Best Music Doc of Foreign
Origins at 2012 Bare Bones Music Festival (USA)
Finalist for Best
Cinematography in a Feature Doc at 2012 World Music & Independent Film
Festival (USA)
Award of Merit at 2011
Accolade Competition (USA)
Best Performance finalist at 2012 Movie Maverick Awards (USA)
Best
Soundtrack finalist at 2012 Movie Maverick Awards (USA)
“The
Precious” finalist at 2012 Movie Maverick Awards (USA)
Finalist
at 2012 Blue Mountains Film Festival and Yowie Awards (Aus)
“How Could I Be So Wrong” music video by The Black Sorrows
Winner at 2013 The Indie
Gathering International Film Festival (USA)
Gold Remi Winner at 2013 WorldFest Houston Awards (USA)
“Return of the
Voodoo Sheiks” music video by The
Black Sorrows
Best Music Video at 2014 The Indie Gathering (USA)
“Can’t Give Up on
You” music video by The Black
Sorrows
Bronze Palm award at 2015 Mexico International Film
Festival
Aloha Accolade award at 2015 Honolulu Film Awards
Best Music Video at 2014 The Indie Gathering (USA)
Bronze Medal at 2014 Global Music Awards (USA) El
Rey Award for Excellence in Music Video Production at 2015 Barcelona
International Film Festival.
All In Her Stride
Best
Documentary Short at 2015 ReelHeART International
Film Festival (Canada)
Best
Documentary Short at 2015 Mexico International Film Festival
Best
Documentary Short at 2015 Indie Gathering International Film Festival (USA)
Best
Documentary Short at 2015 BLOW-UP / Chicago International ArthouseFilm Festival (USA)
Special
Jury Remi Award for Short Documentary at 2015 WorldFest-Houston (USA)
International
Gold Award for Short Documentary at 2015 IFCOM Festival (Indonesia)
(International
Film Competition Festival)
International
Special Jury Award to Leverne McDonnell at 2015 IFCOM
Festival
Filmmaker
of the Year Gold Award at International Filmmakers of the Year 2015 Awards
Platinum
Award Winner at 2015 International Film Festival for Women, Social Issues
&
Zero Discrimination (Indonesia)
Platinum
Award Winner for Documentary Short at 2015 World Documentary Awards (Indonesia)
Silver
Award Winner in 2014 International Independent Film Awards (USA)
Exceptional
Merit Award at 2015 Depth of Field International Film Festival Competition
for Documentary Viewer Impact:
Motivational/ Inspirational (USA)
Award of
Merit: Documentary Short in 2014 IndieFEST Film
Awards (USA)
Award of
Merit: Women Filmmakers in 2014 Accolade Competition (USA)
Award of
Merit: Women Filmmakers in 2015 Best Shorts Competition (USA)
Award of
Excellence in Shorts Documentary at 2016 WRPN.TV Short, Tight & Loose
Short film competition
(USA)
Honourable
Mention at SaMo Indie 2015 (Santa Monica, USA)
Special
Mention at I Filmmaker International Film Festival 2015 (Spain)
Special
Mention at 2016 Snowdance Independent Film Festival (Germany)
Best
Documentary nomination in 2015 Depth of Field International Film Festival (USA)
Best
Documentary Feature nomination at 2015 Great Lakes International Film Festival
(USA)
Best
Documentary Feature nomination at 2015 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
Best
Documentary Short nomination at 2015 Lombardy International Film Festival
(Italy)
Best
Director nomination for a Documentary Short at 2015 Lombardy Int. Film Festival
Best Director
nomination for Documentary in 2015 Australian Directors Guild Awards
Best
Director nomination in 2015 BLOWUP / Chicago International ArthouseFilm
Festival (USA)
Women Are the
Answer
Winner:
Documentary Award at 2019 Big Syn International Film Festival (UK) as part of
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Commitment;
Best Documentary Film Award at 2019 Indo-Global International Film Festival (India);
Best Film on Women at 2019 L’Age d’Or International Arthouse Film
Festival (India);
Winner:
Documentary Feature Film at 2018 International Open Film Festival
(USA/Bangladesh);
Diversity
Award at 2018 PhotoDiversity Film Festival, New York;
Gold
World Medal: Social Issues at 2016 New York Festivals Film & TV Awards;
Winner:
Documentary Feature at 2016 Blowup Film Fest/ Chicago International Arthouse
Film Festival;
Winner:
Documentary Feature at 2016 Indie Gathering (USA);
Gold
Award winner: Social Issues at 2015 World Documentary Awards (Indonesia);
Gold Award winner: International
Documentary at 2016 World Film Awards (Indonesia);
Gold Award winner: Documentary Feature
at 2016 International Movie Awards (Indonesia);
Gold
Award winner: Documentary Feature at 2015 International Independent Film Awards
(USA);
Golden
Palm Award winner: Documentary Feature at 2016 Mexico
International Film Festival;
Golden
World Award at 2016 World Film Awards (Indonesia);
Gold
Award winner at 2016 World Human Rights Awards (Indonesia);
Gold
Award winner at 2016 World Humanitarian Awards (Indonesia);
Award
of Distinction at 2015 Humanitarian Awards for IndieFEST Film Awards (USA);
Award
of Distinction at 2015 Humanitarian Awards for Global Film Awards (USA);
Award
of Outstanding Excellence at 2016 Docs Without Borders Film Festival (USA);
Award
of Excellence: Documentary Feature at 2016 Impact DOCS Awards (USA);
Award
of Excellence: Documentary Feature at 2015 Accolade Global Film Competition
(USA);
Award
of Excellence: Women Filmmakers at 2015 IndieFEST Film Awards (USA);
Award
of Excellence at 2015 Depth of Field International Film Festival (USA);
Certificate
of Excellence at 2016 Indian Cine Film Festival;
Critics
Award for Documentary Film at 2016 NEZ International Film Festival (India);
Education
Award at 2016 Cinema Verde Environmental Film & Arts Festival (USA);
Silver
Lei winner at 2016 Honolulu Film Awards (Hawaii);
Platinum
Award winner at 2016 International Film Festival for Women, Social Issues
&
Zero Discrimination (Indonesia);
Bronze
Award at 2016 Spotlight Film Awards (USA);
3rd Place: Feature Documentary at 2016 ReelHeART International Film Festival
(Canada)
Rising
Star Award winner for 2016 Canada International Film Festival
Best
Documentary Film (August edition)- 2016 Lake View International Film Festival
(India)
International
Award of Excellence at 2016 International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration
and Equality (Indonesia);
International Award of Merit at 2016 International Film Festival
for Environment, Health & Culture (Indonesia);
International
Award of Recognition at 2016 Documentary & Short International Movie
Awards;
Award
of Recognition at 2016 Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards;
Honourable
Mention at SaMo Indie 2016 (USA);
Honourable
Mention at 2017 Rahway International Film Festival (USA);
Semi-finalist at 2016 Polish International Film
Festival;
Quarter
finalist at 2016 NEXTV Indie Film competition (USA)
Best Documentary nomination at 2016 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
Best
Director nomination at 2016 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
Best
Editing nomination at 2016 Movie Maverick Awards (USA)
2017 International
Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan
Nomination:
Scientific & Educational Award
Nomination:
Best Director of a Feature Documentary
Nomination:
Best Feature Documentary
Nomination:
Best Story
Nomination at 2019 Arctic Film Festival, North Pole
“Devil In Disguise” music video by The Black Sorrows
Winner
at 2016 The Indie Gathering International Film
Festival (USA)
“Fix My Bail” music video by The Black Sorrows
Best
Country Music Video at 2017 American Music Video Festival
25 Tracks
Gold Remi Award Winner at 2017 WorldFest-Houston (USA)
Best Documentary Short at 2017 Rail to Reels Film Festival (USA)
Best Music Documentary at 2017 StarDoc International Documentary
Festival (USA)
Silver Lei Winner in Documentary Feature at 2017 Honolulu Film
Awards
2nd Place for Best Documentary Film at 2017 Knoxville
Film Festival (USA)
2nd Place in Dance/Music Film category at 2017
ReelHeART International Film Festival
Best Sound at 2017 ReelHeART International Film Festival (Canada)
3rd Place, Documentary Feature Award at Desert Rocks
Film & Music Event (USA)
Award of Merit: Documentary Short at the Best Shorts Competition
(USA)
Award of Merit at 2016 IndieFEST Film Awards (USA)
Award of Merit at 2017 Accolade Global Film Competition (USA)
Award of Outstanding Excellence: Loose Shorts,
Award of Outstanding Excellence: Sound,
& Award of Outstanding Excellence: Message delivery
at 2016 WRPN.TV Short, Tight and Loose Global Film Festival
Competition (USA)
Finalist at 2017 ATOM Awards for Best Arts Documentary (Australia)
Finalist/Special Mention for Best Australian Documentary
& Finalist/Special Mention for Best Music/Arts Documentary
at 2017 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (Australia)
Finalist for Best Documentary at 2017 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
Finalist for Best Music at 2017 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
Finalist for the Focus on Art Award at 2017 Orlando Film Festival
Finalist at 2016 Amarcord Arthouse TV & Video Fest (USA)
Finalist forDocumentary
Award at 2018 WorldFilm.com Online Festival
Strange Tenants: Ska’d For
Life
Best
International Feature Documentary at 2019 Urban Mediamakers Festival (USA)
Award
of Excellence at 2019 Pacific Screen Awards
Award
of Merit: Documentary Short at 2019 IndieFEST Film Awards (USA)
Award
of Merit: Documentary Short at 2019 Accolade Global Film Competition (USA)
Finalist for Best
Melbourne Documentary at 2019 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
Finalist for Best Documentary Feature at 2019 Great Lakes International Film
Festival (USA)
Finalist
at 2019 BLOW-UP International Arthouse FILM FEST (Chicago, USA)
Also
numerous awards for the films PRODUCED, such as
Nirvana
Street Murder
New Australian Film Award at 1990 Frames Film Festival
Ideological
Landscapes
Gold
Award (Experimental section) at 1999 CINDY Awards (USA)
Honourable
Mention at 1999 CHRIS Awards (USA)
Certificate
of Merit at 1999 Festival of Nations Film Festival (Austria)
Taringa 4068: Our
Place and Time
Silver
Medal at 2004 New York Festivals Awards
Best
Short Film at 2004 Ohio Independent Film Festival (USA)
Silver Remi Award at 2003 Worldfest Houston (USA)
Bronze
Plaque at 2002 Chris Awards (USA)
2002 ACS (Qld) Cinematography Award
for Documentary
Opera Therapy
Silver
Hugo at 2006 Chicago International Film Festival (USA)
Best
Documentary Feature at 2006 Independents’ Film Festival (USA)
Winner
of the Chris Statuette at 2006 Chris Awards (USA)
Into The Dark
Official Selection 2002 Annecy International Animation
Festival (France)
Silver
Hugo at 2002 Chicago International Film Festival (USA)
Certificate
of Merit, Animation Category at 2002 Golden Gate Awards (USA)
Finalist
in 2002 Dendy Awards (Sydney Film Festival)
Finalist
in Short Film at 2002 Australian Effects &
Animation Awards
Finalist
for Best Short Film at 2002 Australian Film Critics Awards
Finalist
for Best Short Animation at 2002 AFI Awards
Chainsaw
Official
Selection at 2008 Annecy International Animation Festival (France)
Grand
Prize at 2008 Oberhausen International Short Film Festival (Germany)
Grand
Prize at 2008 Huesca International Film Festival
(Spain)
Grand
Prize at 2008 I CastelliAnimati Festival (Italy)
Grand
Prize at 2008 Istanbul Animation Festival (Turkey)
Grand
Prize at Ottowa International Animation Festival
(Canada)
Critics
Prize at 2008 Huesca International Film Festival(Spain)
OndaCurta Prize at 2008 CurtasVilo do Condo Int. Short Film Festival (Portugal)
Best
Independent Short Animation at 2008 Ottowa Int.
Animation Festival (Canada)
Best
Animation at 2008 New Orleans Film Festival (USA)
Best
Short Animation at 2008 Austin Film Festival (USA)
Best
Animated Short Film at 2009 Tabor Film Festival (Croatia)
Best
International Short Film at 2009 Cortoons Animated Film Festival (Italy)
Best
Short Film at 2009 Mecal International Short Film
Festival (Spain)
Best
Animation at 2009 Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee (USA)
Best
Animation (15-60 minutes) at 2009 Anifest, Czech
Republic
Best
Story at 2009 Fantoche International Animation
Festival (Switzerland)
Silver
Pegasus award at 2009 Animator Festival (Poland)
Best
Director of an Animated Film at 2008 Australian Directors Guild (ADG) Awards
Certificate
of Merit at 2008 HUGO Television Awards (USA)
Honourable Mention at 2008 CHRIS Awards (USA)
Director’s Choice – 3rd Prize at 2010 Black Maria Film & Video Festival (USA)
Jury’s
Special Mention at Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia)
Jury’s
Special Mention at 2010 International Short Animation Festival in Rouanne (France)
Finalist
at 2008 Dendy Awards (Sydney Film Festival)
Finalist
at 2008 ATOM Awards (Australia)
Finalist
for Best Short Animation at 2008 AFI Awards
Finalist
for Best Short Screenplay at 2008 AFI Awards
Silly &
Serious:William Robinson and Self
portraits
Bronze Remi at 2009 Worldfest Houston (USA)
Special
Jury Award at 2008 Sidewalk Moving Pictures Festival (USA)
Can Art Stop
a Bullet: William Kelly’s Big Picture
Special
Mention Award at 2019 Big Syn International Film Festival (UK)
Award of Merit Special Mention: Liberation / Social Justice /
Protest
at 2019
IndieFEST Awards (USA)
FESTIVALS:(in addition to those in which
films received awards):
Gorilla
Girls
I’m Thankful for What I’ve Got
Locally
1987
Sydney Film Festival (Australia)
1987
St Kilda Film Festival (Australia)
