Anthony Maras
Encyclopedia
Anthony Theo Maras is an Australian film director, writer and producer born in Adelaide
, South Australia
.
in South Australia with a degree in Law and Legal Practice (Honors), before going on to study both film production and "Law and Society" at the University of California
. While at UC, he won two President’s Undergraduate Fellowship awards, was a Dean’s Honors recipient, and was elected President of the UCSB Filmmakers’ Cooperative.
Upon his return to Australia, Maras secured funding from the Australian Film Commission
, Adelaide Film Festival
and South Australian Film Corporation
to write and direct refugee short drama Azadi
.
Azadi earned numerous accolades on the international festival circuit and has screened on broadcast television, festivals and at human rights events the world over.
In 2007, Maras was again backed by the Australian Film Commission
to write and direct Spike Up
, a searing noir-drama that premiered to rave reviews in Australia and stars veteran Australian character actor Roy Billing
(Rabbit-Proof Fence
, The Dish
), Marcus Graham
(Mulholland Drive, Blue Murder) and Lisa Flanagan
(Look Both Ways
, Aussie Rules).
In December 2007, Spike Up
won the “Best Short Fiction Film” category in the AFI Awards
, which marks Maras' second nomination and first win in the AFI Awards which are held annually in November/December.
Anthony also worked as an associate producer on Last Ride (2009), the debut feature of Palm D’Or winning director Glendyn Ivin and starring Hugo Weaving.
Anthony Maras' most recent film The Palace, is a 2011 Cyprus-Australian short film co-production, shot along the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus. The Palace was inspired by true events that took place during the 1974 Turkish Invasion of Cyprus, and made with an Australian and International crew from Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, UK, Germany and Australia.
The Palace has received early critical and audience acclaim. The film won the Best Short Film - Audience Award at its first public screening at the 2011 Adelaide Film Festival, Best Australian Short Film at the 2011 Melbourne International Film Festival, and Best Short Film (Live Action) at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival Dendy Awards. The Sydney Film Festival is an Academy Award qualifying festival, meaning The Palace is now eligible for consideration in the short film category at the 2012 Academy Awards.
Maras's original family surname was Mamatas. He is a cousin to American author Nick Mamatas
and popular Greek folk singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki
.
Nominations:
Official Selection - Film Festivals:
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Biography
Maras graduated from Flinders UniversityFlinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
in South Australia with a degree in Law and Legal Practice (Honors), before going on to study both film production and "Law and Society" at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
. While at UC, he won two President’s Undergraduate Fellowship awards, was a Dean’s Honors recipient, and was elected President of the UCSB Filmmakers’ Cooperative.
Upon his return to Australia, Maras secured funding from the Australian Film Commission
Australian Film Commission
The Australian Film Commission was an Australian government agency with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a production arm responsible for production and commissioning of films for government...
, Adelaide Film Festival
Adelaide Film Festival
The Adelaide Film Festival is a biennial and non-competitive film festival held over two weeks in late February, in Adelaide, South Australia....
and South Australian Film Corporation
South Australian Film Corporation
South Australian Film Corporation is a South Australian Government statutory corporation established in 1972. Former State Premier Don Dunstan played an instrumental role in the foundation of the Corporation and its early film production activities....
to write and direct refugee short drama Azadi
Azadi (film)
Azadi is a 2005 Australian short film, written and directed by award winning film-maker Anthony Maras, and produced in association with the Australian Film Commission, the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund and the South Australian Film Corporation....
.
Azadi earned numerous accolades on the international festival circuit and has screened on broadcast television, festivals and at human rights events the world over.
In 2007, Maras was again backed by the Australian Film Commission
Australian Film Commission
The Australian Film Commission was an Australian government agency with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a production arm responsible for production and commissioning of films for government...
to write and direct Spike Up
Spike Up
Spike Up is a 2007 Australian short film, written and directed by award winning film-maker Anthony Maras, and produced in association with the Australian Film Commission, the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund and the South Australian Film Corporation....
, a searing noir-drama that premiered to rave reviews in Australia and stars veteran Australian character actor Roy Billing
Roy Billing
Roy Billing is a New Zealand television actor, now based in Sydney, Australia.-Career:Billing has starred in many television shows and had main roles on Bad Cop, Bad Cop, Dossa and Joe and Hell Has Harbour Views...
(Rabbit-Proof Fence
Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)
Rabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara...
, The Dish
The Dish
The Dish is a 2000 Australian film that tells the story of how the Parkes Observatory was used to relay the live television of man's first steps on the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969...
), Marcus Graham
Marcus Graham
Marcus Graham is an Australian television and stage actor who has also starred in several films, including Mulholland Drive and Josh Jarman. He was known as a teenage heartthrob in the early 90s while starring in the Australian TV soap E Street as the character "Wheels"...
(Mulholland Drive, Blue Murder) and Lisa Flanagan
Lisa Flanagan
Lisa Flanagan is an Australian actress who is best known for her roles in the movies Australian Rules and Look Both Ways and the television series Double Trouble...
(Look Both Ways
Look Both Ways
Look Both Ways is a 2005 Australian independent film, written and directed by Sarah Watt, starring an ensemble cast, which was released on 18 August 2005. The film was supported by the Adelaide Film Festival fund and opened the 2005 festival. It won four AFI Awards, including Best Film and Best...
, Aussie Rules).
In December 2007, Spike Up
Spike Up
Spike Up is a 2007 Australian short film, written and directed by award winning film-maker Anthony Maras, and produced in association with the Australian Film Commission, the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund and the South Australian Film Corporation....
won the “Best Short Fiction Film” category in the AFI Awards
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
, which marks Maras' second nomination and first win in the AFI Awards which are held annually in November/December.
Anthony also worked as an associate producer on Last Ride (2009), the debut feature of Palm D’Or winning director Glendyn Ivin and starring Hugo Weaving.
Anthony Maras' most recent film The Palace, is a 2011 Cyprus-Australian short film co-production, shot along the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus. The Palace was inspired by true events that took place during the 1974 Turkish Invasion of Cyprus, and made with an Australian and International crew from Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, UK, Germany and Australia.
The Palace has received early critical and audience acclaim. The film won the Best Short Film - Audience Award at its first public screening at the 2011 Adelaide Film Festival, Best Australian Short Film at the 2011 Melbourne International Film Festival, and Best Short Film (Live Action) at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival Dendy Awards. The Sydney Film Festival is an Academy Award qualifying festival, meaning The Palace is now eligible for consideration in the short film category at the 2012 Academy Awards.
Maras's original family surname was Mamatas. He is a cousin to American author Nick Mamatas
Nick Mamatas
Nick Mamatas is an American horror, science fiction and fantasy author and editor for the Haikasoru line of translated Japanese science fiction novels for Viz Media...
and popular Greek folk singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki
Eleftheria Arvanitaki
Eleftheria Arvanitaki is a Greek folk singer. She originates from the island of Icaria...
.
Awards and nominations
Awards:- 2011 Sydney Film FestivalSydney Film FestivalThe Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
: Best Short Film (Live Action) - 2011 Melbourne International Film FestivalMelbourne International Film FestivalThe Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
: Best Australian Short Film - 2011 Adelaide Film FestivalAdelaide Film FestivalThe Adelaide Film Festival is a biennial and non-competitive film festival held over two weeks in late February, in Adelaide, South Australia....
: Best Short Film - Audience Award - 2008 South Australian Short Screen Awards: Best Direction
- 2008 South Australian Short Screen Awards: Best Drama
- 2008 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival: Jury Prize - Platinum Remi Award - Best Dramatic Adaptation
- 2007 Australian Film Institute AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
: Best Short Fiction Film - 2006 South Australian Short Screen Awards: Best Drama
- 2006 South Australian Short Screen Awards: Best Direction
- 2006 Flickerfest International Short Film Festival: SBS Television Award
- 2006 St Kilda Film Festival: Judges Special Commendation
- 2006 39th Annual WorldFest-Houston: Jury Prize - Platinum Remi Award
- 2007 - SA Great - 2007 Rising Star
Nominations:
- 2011 Australian Writers Guild Awards: Best Short Film Screenplay
- 2007 Australian Directors Guild Awards: Best Short Film
- 2007 ATOM Awards: Best Short Fiction Film
- 2007 Austin Film FestivalAustin Film FestivalThe Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
: Best Short Film - 2005 Australian Film Institute AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
: Best Short Fiction Film - 2005 Austin Film FestivalAustin Film FestivalThe Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
: Best Short Film - 2005 Sydney Film Festival - Dendy Awards: Dendy Awards
- 2005 ATOM Awards: Best Short Fiction Film
- 2005 Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
- Films of Conflict and Resolution Award Nomination
Official Selection - Film Festivals:
- Sydney Film FestivalSydney Film FestivalThe Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
2011 - Melbourne International Film FestivalMelbourne International Film FestivalThe Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
2011 - Adelaide Film FestivalAdelaide Film FestivalThe Adelaide Film Festival is a biennial and non-competitive film festival held over two weeks in late February, in Adelaide, South Australia....
2011 - International Film Festival RotterdamInternational Film Festival RotterdamThe International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
2008 - Santa Barbara International Film FestivalSanta Barbara International Film FestivalThe Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
2008 - Cesar Academie Des Arts Et Techniques Du Cinema - Golden Nights of Short Film 2008
- Los Angeles International Short Film Festival 2008
- The London Australian Film Festival 2008
- St Kilda International Festival of Short Films 2008
- Flickerfest International Festival of Short Films 2008
- Bilbao International Short Film Festival 2007
- Austin Film FestivalAustin Film FestivalThe Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
2007 - Adelaide Film FestivalAdelaide Film FestivalThe Adelaide Film Festival is a biennial and non-competitive film festival held over two weeks in late February, in Adelaide, South Australia....
2007 - AFI AwardsAFI AwardsAFI Awards may refer to:* The American Film Institute Awards* The Australian Film Institute Awards...
2005 - Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
2005 - Valladolid International Film Festival 2005
- Sydney Film FestivalSydney Film FestivalThe Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
2005 - São Paulo International Film FestivalSão Paulo International Film FestivalThe São Paulo International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in São Paulo, Brazil since 1976. In 2004 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami was a member of the jury.-International Jury Award:*2001: The New Country ...
2005 - Los Angeles International Short Film Festival 2005
- Interfilm Berlin – Int Short Film Festival 2005
- Flickerfest International Short Film Festival 2006
- St Kilda Film Festival 2006
- WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival 2006
- Palm Springs International Festival of Short FilmsPalm Springs International Festival of Short FilmsThe Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films held annually in Palm Springs, California is the largest film festival for short films in the United States....
2005 - Austin Film FestivalAustin Film FestivalThe Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
2005 - Florida Film FestivalFlorida Film FestivalThe Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival. Showcasing the best American independent and foreign films, the festival has become one of the most respected regional film events in the United States.-Overview:The Festival...
2006 - Sydney Film FestivalSydney Film FestivalThe Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
2005 - Rome Independent Film Festival 2006
- Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival 2005
- Foyle Film FestivalFoyle Film FestivalFoyle Film Festival is an annual film festival based in Derry, Northern Ireland. The 21st festival took place from 21 to 29 November 2008 and included the Northern Ireland premiere of Brideshead Revisited and the Irish, United Kingdom, and European premiere of Deborah Kampmeier's film Hounddog...
2005 - Athens International Film Festival (Greece) 2005
- Athens Int Film and Video Fest (USA) 2005
- Vermont International Film FestivalVermont International Film FestivalVermont International Film Festival is a film festival, held annually in Burlington, Vermont, USA. The 2011 Festival ran from October 21 to October 30.Historically it was an environmental and human rights film festival...
2005 - Bermuda International Film Festival 2005
- Drama International Film Festival (Greece) 2005
- Adelaide Film FestivalAdelaide Film FestivalThe Adelaide Film Festival is a biennial and non-competitive film festival held over two weeks in late February, in Adelaide, South Australia....
2005 - Tiburon International Film Festival 2005
- Human Rights Film Festival – New Zealand 2006
- Berkshire International Film FestivalBerkshire International Film FestivalThe Berkshire International Film Festival was founded in 2005 by Kelley Vickery inGreat Barrington, Massachusetts. The four-day festival features independent films for filmmakers and film aficionados, with showings of features, documentaries, shorts, and animation—as well as panel discussions and...
2005 - Fitzroy Shorts Film Festival 2006
- Roma Cinemafest 2006
- Shorts Film Festival (Australia) 2006
- South Australian Short Screen Awards 2006
- ATOM Awards 2005
- ACS Awards 2005
- Darwin Film Festival 2006