Rolf de Heer
After graduating from AFTRS (the Australian Film, Television and Radio School) decades ago, Tasmania-based Rolf de Heer wrote/co-wrote 14 original and adapted screenplays that have been made into feature films, and probably more than 14 that haven’t. He has directed (or in one case, co-directed) 15 and a half feature films of various budgets and genres, mostly from his own scripts. De Heer has also produced/co-produced 16 fiction features and five feature documentaries. Early career highlights include Dingo (1991) with Colin Friels and jazz legend Miles Davis; Bad Boy Bubby (1993), multiprize winner at Venice and still an active cult film more than 30 years later; The Quiet Room (1996) and Dance Me to My Song (1998), both selected for Competition at Cannes. Mid-career highlights include The Tracker (2002), another Venice Competition film and de Heer’s first collaboration with esteemed Australian Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil; Alexandra’s Project (2003), with Helen Buday’s incendiary performance winning the film a Competition slot at Berlin and Best Actress award at San Sebastian; Ten Canoes (2006), prize winner at Cannes; The King Is Dead! (2012), voted most popular film at an obscure French film festival, brought back the following year by public demand and again voted most popular film (it doesn’t happen very often); and Charlie’s Country (2013), winning David Gulpilil a Best Actor award at Cannes. Late-career highlights include The Survival of Kindness (2022), awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival; and being Jury President at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
