Marie Craven

Marie Craven
(Anne-Marie Elizabeth Crawford)
b. Australia.

BIOGRAPHY: Based in Queensland since 2003, Marie Craven spent her early years on a cattle station in outback NSW before her family relocated to Melbourne in the late 1960s. She was an actor in theatre in her teens and early twenties, becoming involved in film-making in the mid-1980s. She played a significant role in the development of the Melbourne Super 8 Film Group and MIMA (now Experimenta Media Arts). She has also been a freelance film reviewer and teacher of film-making at community centres, TAFEs and universities. During the early 1990s, she moved from experimental into narrative film-making and her films over the next decade and into the 2000s were successful on the international film festival circuit, garnering many awards and screening at over 100 events.

photo: Candida Baker

From 2007-2015 she was involved with providing 'cybervocals' for electronic music producers around the world under the artist name 'Pixieguts'. Since 2014, she has been involved in creating video poetry from archival and creative commons media, again working in collaboration with various artists in cyberspace. Over the past three years she has made 50 short videos in this net-collaborative way.

CRITICAL OVERVIEW: When she began her career, Marie Craven approached the world of film-making head on, joining the explosion of Super 8 practitioners in the 1980s in a movement of open and expressive independent film-making. A background in performance and theatre gives her a connection with actors and the ability to direct mainstream narrative, which contrasts with her experimental styles of film-making. This versatility in artistic tastes allows her to delve into various genres and simultaneously draw upon different techniques and styles. Craven's work is enigmatic, emotive and ambiguously stimulating, working with themes of feminine pressures and identity with a refreshingly original style and a deftly subtle humour. Her first 35mm short Maidenhead (1995, 15 mins) explores a young woman's dreamlike encounters through a vibrantly coloured world and stylized series of interconnected vignettes. Reflected across the shorts created thus far in her career are recurrent themes of female journey, surreal settings, oppression of women and their societal fears. (Karen Miley, April 2003)

Marie is truly an example of how international borders these days mean nothing to the creative universe as she continues her worldwide collaborations from her home on the Gold Coast. (Candida Baker, Verandah Magazine, June 2017)


Poem for Rent (2016, 1.5 mins)	Dictionary Illustrations (2016, 2 mins)

FILMOGRAPHY:

As Director/Writer/Producer (unless otherwise noted):


	The Last Days

Orphanage (2017, 5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

The Last Days (2017, 3.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

7 March (2017, 2.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept, Editing, Voice

25 January (2017, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Hybrid (2017, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Poem for Rent (2016, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept, Editing, Voice

Anatomy (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Oracle of a found shoe (2016, 2.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing


	One Dream Opening Into Many

In the Temple (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

In the Forest (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

I Drove to the River (2016, 7 mins, music video)
Concept, Editing, Voice

Kitsch Postcards (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Dictionary Illustrations (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing
Best Poetry Film, O Bheal Poetry Film Competition, Indie Cork, Ireland, 2016
Finalist, Weimar Poetry Film Competition, Backup Festival, Weimar, Germany, 2017

Advice Dyslexic (2016, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

One Dream Opening Into Many (2016, 3 mins, poetry video)
Concept, Editing, Voice

The Meeting Ran Long (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing


	Sometimes the Water

Double Life (2016, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Transmission (2016, 3.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Sometimes the Water (2015, 3 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Solar Therapy (2015, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Death Meditation (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Unavoidable Alchemy (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Night Court (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Quadrant (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

native land remix (2015, 4 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing


	Poem for Rent

Security (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Lilies of the Field (2015, 2.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Below (2015, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

And God... (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

The Red Drum (2015, 2.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Breath (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Only The Lonely (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

five seven five (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing


	Night Court

Joining The Lotus Eaters (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

First Grade Activist (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Grace (2015, 3 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Lift Not The Painted Veil (2015, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Belief In Unicorns (2015, 30 seconds, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

In Memoriam (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

As Is (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Listen (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing


	Dictionary Illustrations

Beachside Life (2015, 2 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Bad Heart (2015, 30 seconds, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

The Convert (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Ode To The Eye (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Foxtrot (2015, 1.5 mins, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Homecoming (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Goddess (2015, 1 min, poetry video)
Concept and Editing

Hummadruz (2014, 3 mins, music video)

That's What I Said (2014, 3.5 mins, music video)

Regret (2014, 2 mins, music video)

Creased (2014, 3 mins, DV, music video)

Pollution (2014, 3 mins, DV, music video)

Rodeo Days (2014, 6 mins, DV, music video)

Jali, Gracie & Lily (2008, 1.5 mins, DV)


	Blow

Speech (2007, 1.5 mins, DV)

Holiday (2005, 14 mins, DV)

Citizen Minna (2005, 5 mins, DV)

Sundyarvi (2005, 3 mins, DV)

Firewords (2005, 5 mins, DV)
As part of the duo, ehmse Tt

Brisbane Forest (2005, 5 mins, DV)
As part of the duo, ehmse Tt


	Maidenhead

OH (2004, 2 mins, DV)
As part of the duo, ehmse Tt

Mum (2004, 2 mins, DV)
As part of the duo, ehmse Tt

EMme (2004, 5 mins, DV)
As part of the duo, ehmse Tt

Boredwalk (2004, 5 mins, DV)
As part of the duo, ehmse Tt

F.A. (2002, 4 mins, DV)
Director and Co-Producer
Finalist Tropfest 2002 & Finalist, Melbourne Comedy Film Festival 2002


	White Woman

Blow (2002, 10 mins, 16mm, AFC-funded)
Director and Co-Writer
Awarded at 15 festivals including Gold Plaque, Chicago International FF 2002

Maidenhead (1995, 16 mins, 35mm, AFC-funded)
Director and Writer
Awarded at seven film festivals including Gold Plaque, Chicago International FF 1996

Pale Black (1992, 13 mins, 16mm, AFC-funded)
Director, Writer, Camera
Best Film, General Category, Dendy Awards, Sydney Film Festival 1993

Plateau (1989, 30 secs, Super-8/Beta SP, AFC-funded as part of 'Personal Ads' TV project)


	Underground

White Woman (1988, 4 mins, Super 8)

Morena (1987, 4 mins, Super 8)

Underground (1986, 4 mins, Super 8)

Death City (1985, 9 mins, Super 8)

Journey (1984, 7 mins, Super 8)

In Other Roles:

Red Frogs (Dir. Kerry McCure)
(1st AD, 1997, 20 mins, 16mm, VCA Graduate Production)

Thread of Voice (Dir.s Arf Arf)
(Associate Producer, 1993, 20 mins, 16mm, AFC-funded)

Personal Ads (TV/Media Art Project in collaboration with Chris Windmill & others)
(Co-Producer, 1989, 8 x 30 secs, film/video/TV project, AFC-funded)

Congratulations Gazelle-Head (Dir. Chris Windmill)
(Sound Recordist, 1987, 20 mins, Super 8/video)


Sometimes the Water (2015, 3 mins)	One Dream Opening Into Many (2016, 3 mins)

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"From Cattle Station to Cutting Edge" by Candida Baker, Verandah Magazine, 2017.

"Gold Coast new art momentum" by Kathryn Kelly, Real Time 137, 2017.

"Marie Craven" multiple features and commentary by Dave Bonta, Moving Poems website, USA, 2014-2017.

"Marie Craven" multiple features and commentary by Dave Bonta & ors, Moving Poems magazine, USA, 2014-2017.

"Marie Craven" by Dave Bonta, Via Negativa, USA, 2015-2017.

"Marie Craven" multiple features, Gnarled Oak literary journal, USA, 2014-2017.

"Double Life" feature, Poetry Film Live, UK, 2017.

"Dictionary Illustrations - Marie Craven", Versogramas, Spain, 2017.

"Marie Craven", multiple features by Maureen Doallas, Writing Without Paper, USA, 2016-2017.

"The Poetry Storehouse" by Othniel Smith, Cardiff University Digital Cultures Network, Wales, 2016.

"Pool and Poetry Film in Australia" by Jutta Pryor, Poetryfilmkanal (online journal), Germany, 2016.

"The Third Form" by Erica Goss, Connotation Press, USA, 2015.

"Some Short Sharp Shocks to the System" by Leigh Paatsch, InPress, 14 February 1996.

"Sourcing a Maiden's Head" by Freda Freiberg, Cinema Papers, August 1995.

"Hidden Treasures: Short Films at the Melbourne Film Festival" by John Cumming, Filmnews, July 1995.

"Light Shadows: Reflections on Pale Black" by Freda Freiberg, Photofile, #41, March 1994.

"Hovering in the Shades of the Dark" by Vikki Riley, Cantrills Filmnotes, #68/69, 1993.

"Collage and Montage in Australian Experimental Film & Video" by Adrian Martin, Contemporary Australian Collage and Its Origins, Craftsman House, 1990.

"Post ARXism" by Adrian Martin, Agenda #10, March 1990.

"Thirty Seconds of Fame" - interview, Paraphysics, Issue F, 1990.

"Drop in a Sniplet (and Kiss Nine's Ads)" by John Hartley, Artlink, Vol.9 No.4, Summer 89/90.

"Fragments of a Working Diary" artist's text & film stills, Cantrills Filmnotes, #55/56, May 1988.

"Case Study: White Woman" by Rolando Caputo, Taking Care of Business: Case Studies in Independent Production, AFC/AFTRS, 1988.

"Morena" by Ian Kerr, Melbourne Super 8 Film Group Newsletter, No. 13, April 1987.

"Breathless Wonder" (review of Morena) by Bill Mousoulis, Melbourne Super 8 Film Group Newsletter, No. 13, April 1987.

"Going Underground" by Bill Mousoulis, Filmnews, November 1986.


Night Court (2015, 1.5 mins)	The Last Days (2017, 3.5 mins)

stills Underground and White Woman courtesy Cantrills Filmnotes.

Marie Craven's website

Contact Marie Craven

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