Michael James Rowland
Encyclopedia
The early years
Prior 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 include SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
(US), Womad (International) and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
(UK). He also held the position of Art Director with the Adelaide Festival of Arts
Adelaide Festival of Arts
The Adelaide Festival of Arts is an arts festival held biennially in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Although locally considered to be one of the world's greatest celebrations of the arts, that is internationally renowned and the pre-eminent cultural event in Australia, it is actually...
(1987–93) a job that saw him work with some of the 20th century's most significant artists including; Peter Brook
Peter Brook
Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH, CBE is an English theatre and film director and innovator, who has been based in France since the early 1970s.-Life:...
, 7th Earl of Harewood, Cheek by Jowl
Cheek by Jowl
Cheek By Jowl is a theatre company founded by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod in 1981. The company has performed across the world and, with their 1986 production of Twelfth Night, were the first to bring a Shakespearean play to The Swan....
, Jan Fabre
Jan Fabre
Jan Fabre is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer.He studied at the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp...
, Sankai Juku
Sankai Juku
is an internationally known butoh dance troupe. Co-founded by Amagatsu Ushio in 1975, they are touring worldwide, performing and teaching. As of 2010, Sankai Juku had performed in 43 countries and visited more than 700 cities.- Amagatsu Ushio:...
, Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy, OBE is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He lives and works in Scotland.-Life and career:The son of F...
, Winton Marsalis, the Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
, Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
and Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
. He has won numerous awards for his design and illustration including the 1992 AADC's Master's Chair.
Cowboy Books
Michael 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 school
Michael 'retired' from graphic design in 1994, relocating to the city of SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to study for a BA in Film at Australia's national institution, the Australian Film Television and Radio School
Australian Film Television and Radio School
The Australian Film, Television and Radio School is the Australian national centre for professional education and advanced training in film, television, radio and digital media. The School is an Australian Commonwealth government statutory authority...
(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
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
(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 film
His first feature film, Lucky MilesLucky Miles
Lucky Miles is an Australian comedy/drama feature film based on several true stories involving people entering Australia illegally along the continent's coastline...
(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
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 later that year beat out the cream of global cinema to win the audience award for Best Film at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The 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,...
. Other awards include; the Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
International Film Festival; Best Screenplay at the Vladivostok International Film Festival; the Black Pearl
Black Pearl
The Black Pearl, originally Wicked Wench, is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the Black Pearl is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. The ship was originally named Wicked Wench before she was ordered burned and sunk by Lord Beckett...
for Best New Director at the Middle East International Film Festival
Middle East International Film Festival
Abu Dhabi Film Festival is an international film festival. Created in 2007, the ceremony is held annually in October in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage , under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the ADACH...
; the Grand Prix at the 9th Rencontres Internationales du Cinéma des Antipodes and Best Film at the Asian Festival of First Films
Asian Festival of First Films
The Asian Festival of First Films is an annual festival that celebrates first-time film- and documentary-makers and provides a platform for budding film talent....
.
In 2008, Australia's national broadcaster, ABC1, programmed Lucky Miles
Lucky Miles
Lucky Miles is an Australian comedy/drama feature film based on several true stories involving people entering Australia illegally along the continent's coastline...
at 8:30pm Sunday night on the Australia Day long-weekend holiday. It's contribution to the nation's celebration.
First television feature
In 2008 Michael co-wrote and directed the one hour ABCAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce is a 2008 Australian film directed by Michael James Rowland starring Irish actors Adrian Dunbar as Philip Conolly and Ciaran McMenamin as 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
Sarah Island
Sarah Island may refer to:*Sarah Island , an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts*Sarah Island , the remnant site of the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station in Van Diemen's Land in Australia...
by eight convicts. It's gothic narrative plots their privation and descent into cannibalism, through to the execution of the sole survivor, Alexander Pearce
Alexander Pearce
Alexander Pearce was an Irish convict who was transported to Van Diemen's Land for theft. He escaped from prison several times, but eventually was captured and was hanged and dissected in Hobart for murder....
for the murder of Thomas Cox. It was co-written and Produced by Nial Fulton
Nial Fulton
Nial Fulton is an Irish-born, Australian film and television producer.- Background :Fulton was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and attended Portora Royal School and Queen's University Belfast...
.
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce is a 2008 Australian film directed by Michael James Rowland starring Irish actors Adrian Dunbar as Philip Conolly and Ciaran McMenamin as Alexander Pearce...
drew major TV industry nominations in both Europe and Australia. It was nominated for Best Telefeature at the 2009 Australian Film Institute
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
(AFI) Awards, Best Drama at the 2009 Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Awards and Best Drama in the 2010 Rose D'Or
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
awards, Switzerland. Reflecting it's 'factual' funding, in 2009 The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce is a 2008 Australian film directed by Michael James Rowland starring Irish actors Adrian Dunbar as Philip Conolly and Ciaran McMenamin as Alexander Pearce...
won Best Documentary at the IF Awards.
For his work Michael was nominated in the Best Telemovie Director category at the prestigious Australian Directors Guild Awards 2009, composer Roger Mason won Best Music for a Telemovie at the 2009 Australian Screen Music Award and Designer Felicity Abbott and props master Paul Stewart were both recognised for their work on the film at the 2009 Newport International Film Festival.
In 2009 Australia's national broadcaster, ABC1, programmed The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce is a 2008 Australian film directed by Michael James Rowland starring Irish actors Adrian Dunbar as Philip Conolly and Ciaran McMenamin as Alexander Pearce...
in prime time on Sunday night over the Australia Day long weekend. The previous year Lucky Miles
Lucky Miles
Lucky Miles is an Australian comedy/drama feature film based on several true stories involving people entering Australia illegally along the continent's coastline...
had been programmed in the same 8:30pm slot, making it the second year in a row the ABC had screened a Rowland feature to mark the nation's celebration.
Series Television
During 2010 and 2011 Michael directed 8 episodes of AFI and IF award winning series My PlaceMy Place
"My Place" is the first single by the rapper Nelly from his album Suit. It features Jaheim. It was released as a double A-side with "Flap Your Wings" in the UK and New Zealand. The song is about inviting a girl over to Nelly's house. It reached #4 both on the U.S...
, Produced by Penny Chapman. He directed 3 episodes in the first series and was nominated for an Australian Directors Guild Award. He returned to the second series as set-up director and helmed a further 5 episodes.
Early in 2011 he directed two episodes of the genre breaking comedy/drama/romance Spirited, produced by Jacquelin Perske and Claudia Karvan. Mid year he directed three episodes of the ballet-teen-drama Dance Academy
Dance Academy
Dance Academy is an Australian teen-oriented television drama produced by Werner Film Productions in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and ZDF. Series one premiered on 31 May 2010, and series two is scheduled for 2012.-Plot:...
, produced by Werner Film Productions for ABC, and in the second half of the year directed three episodes of the award winning Foxtel drama Tangle
Tangle (TV series)
Tangle is an Australian drama series for the Showcase subscription television channel. It focuses on the lives of two generations of two families and their tangled lives. Tangle is filmed in Melbourne and first screened on 1 October 2009...
.
External links
- Official website Australian Film Television and Radio School
- http://www.imdb.com.au The Internet Movie Database
- http://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/index Adelaide Film Festival
- http://www.variety.com Variety
- http://www.cowboybooks.com.au Cowboy Books