Philip Hearnshaw (29 December 1952 – 24 July 2012) was an acclaimed Australian filmmaker best known for his work with
George Miller and
Doug Mitchell.
Early life and education
Philip was one of four children to parents
Eric Hearnshaw MM, an Australian politician, and Marion Hearnshaw, a nurse and independent and
liberal party candidate.
Hearnshaw was educated at
Kinross Wolaroi and
Normanhurst Boys High. He attended the
Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of ...
graduating with a bachelor of arts, communication and media.
Career
Hearnshaw's career spanned over 30 years, beginning in 1977 as a production assistant on ''
The Last Wave''. Much of his later work focused around animation and motion capture.
He is best known for his work as a producer on ''
La Spagnola'', ''
Babe'', and ''
Happy Feet
''Happy Feet'' is a 2006 computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by George Miller. It stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, and E ...
'', and as executive producer on
''Happy Feet 2''. He also worked extensively as a first assistant director from 1980 until 2005 making over 20 films and television series.
Throughout the 1990s Philip lectured in film and TV at
AFTRS in Sydney, Australia.
Awards and nominations
Hearnshaw was both a producer and first assistant director on the feature film ''Babe'' which won a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
for Best Motion Picture in 1995.
''La Spagnola'' was submitted to the 74th
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
as the Australian submission for Best Foreign Language film, but was not accepted as a nominee.
''Happy Feet'' won an Academy Award and a BAFTA in 2006.
In 2007, the Directors Guild of Australia presented Hearnshaw with an inaugural career achievement award for his work as a first assistant director.
Hearnshaw was executive producer on ''Happy Feet 2''. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative overseen by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and headquartered in Australia. In order to realise UNESCO's goals of promoting and preserving the different cultures th ...
in 2012.
In 2011 at Hearnshaw's retirement,
George Miller presented him with a plaque with a Hollywood star that read:
''Philip Hearnshaw: Producer, 1st Assistant Director, Protagonist, Filmmaker. In recognition of a lifetime of championing the screen industry, both local and global.
''
Personal life and death
While working in the UK as an assistant editor at the
BBC, Hearnshaw met Patsy Buchan, a registered nurse, and the couple had a daughter Juno in 1976.
Philip then met Catherine Griff in 1985 who worked at the
Australian Film Commission
The Australian Film Commission (AFC) was an Australian government agency was founded in 1975 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 producti ...
. Hearnshaw and Griff were married in 1988. Together they raised their son Dean.
In 2007 Hearnshaw was diagnosed with
motor neuron disease. Following a five-year battle with the illness, Philip died on 24 July 2012.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hearnshaw, Philip
1952 births
2012 deaths
Place of birth missing
Australian filmmakers
Neurological disease deaths in Australia
Deaths from motor neuron disease