Sophie Hyde is an Australian film director, writer and producer based in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. She is co-founder of

Closer Productions Closer Productions is a film and television production company founded by filmmakers Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason in Adelaide, South Australia, in January 2004. It is known for award-winning feature films such as '' 52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and ''A ...

and known for her award-winning debut fiction film, '' 52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and the comedy drama ''

Animals Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...

'' (2019). She has also made several documentaries, including ''Life in Movement'' (2011), a documentary about dancer and choreographer

Tanja Liedtke Tanja Michaela Karin Liedtke (6 October 1977 – 17 August 2007) was a German-born professional choreographer and dancer. She was most noted as a dancer, choreographer and director of contemporary dance in Australia and Europe. Early life ...

, and television series, such as ''

The Hunting ''The Hunting'' is an Australian drama series starring Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, screening on SBS TV and SBS on Demand on 1 August 2019. The four-part miniseries was created by Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack at Closer Productions, ...

'' (2019). Her latest film, '' Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'', premiered at the Sundance Festival on 23 January 2022, being released later in the year on

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

and in cinemas in the UK and Australia.

Early life and education

As a teenager in Adelaide, Hyde learnt acting skills at the Unley Youth Theatre (later Urban Myth and now SAYarts), where she met some of her future colleagues. She later studied film theatre at

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

in Adelaide and followed up at

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria an ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1988.

Work

2000s

Returning to Adelaide based on funding supplied to make a film about women's toilets, in 2005 she re-met her now partner Bryan Mason,

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

and

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

. Since then they have shared both a personal and professional relationship, both working out of their company Closer Productions in suburban Adelaide and parenting their child Audrey Mason-Hyde.

2010s

Hyde and Mason started making videos for

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s and dance shows, then moved to

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

s. After becoming friends with

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

and dancer

, they started making a documentary about her. After the dancer's untimely death in a traffic accident in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 2007, they completed the film and named it ''Life in Movement'', which was named best work at the 2011 Ruby Awards for the arts, won the 2011 Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize and won AACTA nominations for direction and for best feature documentary. Hyde completed her first feature film as director, co-writer and co-producer, '' 52 Tuesdays'', filmed in Adelaide in 2013, then spent a year promoting it. This film earned many accolades, including World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award for Hyde at Sundance in 2014 and a

Crystal Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

. Hyde's next project was a six-part

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

called ''Fucking Adelaide'' ( aka ''F*!#ing Adelaide''), commissioned by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

and

Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...

, aired on national TV from 15 July 2018 and

ABC iview ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia. As of 2016, ABC iview attracts around 50 million plays monthly and ac ...

after debuting at the

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented biennially in March from 2003, since 2013 AFF has been held in October ...

in 2017. A dark comedy about "home, family, identity and the 'small town-ness' of Adelaide", each episode was a part of a story told from a different character’s perspective, including a character played by Hyde's child Audrey and also starring

Tilda Cobham-Hervey Tilda Cobham-Hervey (born 1994) is an Australian actress from Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in circus and physical theatre. In 2014 Cobham-Hervey made her film debut at the age of 19 in ''52 Tuesdays'', a critically acclaimed ind ...

Brendan Maclean Brendan Maclean is an Australian singer-songwriter and actor. Music Brendan Maclean's debut EP, ''White Canvas'', was uploaded to iTunes March 2010. In January 2014 he released a second EP, ''Population'', produced by Paul Mac. The lead singl ...

and

Kate Box Kate Box is an Australian stage, film and television actress. She is known for her roles as Nicole Vargas in ''Rake'' and as Lou Kelly in '' Wentworth''. Career In 2003, Box graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) Her firs ...

as three siblings who respond to their mother's (played by

Pamela Rabe Pamela may refer to: *''Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded'', a novel written by Samuel Richardson in 1740 *Pamela (name), a given name and, rarely, a surname *Pamela Spence, a Turkish pop-rock singer. Known as her stage name "Pamela" * MSC ''Pamela'', ...

) request to return to the family home in Adelaide. Hyde has said that "It’s about the beautiful side of family, but also the negative side of being around people who feel like they know you, but perhaps don't allow you to change."; also that it reflects her love of Adelaide, which is greater once one has been away. The title started out as a joke, reflecting how Hyde felt about returning to Adelaide after being away — "both comforting and claustrophobic". Co-written by Matthew Cormack and Matt Vesely and produced by

Rebecca Summerton Closer Productions is a film and television production company founded by filmmakers Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason in Adelaide, South Australia, in January 2004. It is known for award-winning feature films such as ''52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and ''An ...

, it was in competition at the Séries Mania International Festival in France2018, and screened in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. In 2018 Hyde made ''Animals'', based on the novel of the same name by

Emma Jane Unsworth Emma Jane Unsworth (born 1979) is a British writer from Bury, Greater Manchester. She writes short stories and has had three novels published; ''Hungry, the Stars and Everything'', ''Animals'' and ''Adults''. Unsworth is also a screenwriter o ...

, in Dublin. This was her first feature film shot abroad, and was screened in the Premieres category at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and as an

"pop-up" event in April 2019. It was an Irish-Australian co-production and although not initiated by Hyde, it was a Closer Productions film. In January 2019 it was announced that a

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

mini-series called ''

'' would be screened later in the year on

SBS TV SBS may refer to: Broadcasting * SBS Broadcasting Group, Belgium, formerly many countries * Talpa TV, formerly SBS Broadcasting B.V., Netherlands ** SBS6, Dutch television channel ** SBS9, Dutch television channel * Special Broadcasting Service ...

, produced and directed by Hyde and starring

Richard Roxburgh Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962) is an Australian actor, writer, producer, and director. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including three AACTA Awards (including AFI), three Logie Awards, ...

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series '' Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significan ...

, Sam Reid,

Jessica De Gouw Jessica Elise De Gouw (born 15 February 1988) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the television series '' Arrow'', as Mina Murray in the NBC TV series '' Dracula'', and as Elizabeth Hawkes ...

Elena Carapetis Elena Carapetis is an Australian actress and writer, best known for her role as Jackie Kassis in ''Heartbreak High'', as well as numerous other television series and theatre roles. Early life Elena Carapatis graduated from Australia's National ...

and

Sachin Joab Sachin Joab is an Australian actor. He took an interest in acting during primary school and attended various acting schools and workshops. Since graduating from the National Theatre, Joab has appeared in several films and television, including ...

. ''In My Blood It Runs'' (2019), directed by ''

Gayby Baby ''Gayby Baby'' is a 2015 Australian documentary film directed by Maya Newell that follows four children raised by same-sex parents. Synopsis ''Gayby Baby'' observes the lives of four children—Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham—whose parents are e ...

'' director Maya Newell, produced by Hyde, Rachel Nanninaaq Edwardson,

Larissa Behrendt Larissa Yasmin Behrendt (born 1969) is an Australian legal academic, writer, filmmaker and Indigenous rights advocate. she is a professor of law and director of research and academic programs at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education ...

and Newell and made in collaboration with

Arrernte Arrernte (also spelt Aranda, etc.) is a descriptor related to a group of Aboriginal Australian peoples from Central Australia. It may refer to: * Arrernte (area), land controlled by the Arrernte Council (?) * Arrernte people, Aboriginal Australi ...

and Garrwa people in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

, had its world premiere at the

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

in April/May 2019.

2020s

Starting to work as an international

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

director, in 2021 Hyde directed the comedy film, starring

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...

, called '' Good Luck to You, Leo Grande''. Written by

Katy Brand Katherine Frances Brand (born 1979), known as Katy Brand, is an English actress, comedian and writer, known for her ITV2 series ''Katy Brand's Big Ass Show'' and for Comedy Lab ''Slap'' on Channel 4. Early life and education Brand was born in ...

, the film was made by Genesius Pictures in the UK. This is her first film in a long time as an independent director, without Closer Productions and with her not acting as producer as well. It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival (an online rather than in-person event because of the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Uni ...

) on 23 January 2022. It was released on

in the US on 17 June 2022, in UK cinemas on the same date, and in Australian cinemas from 18 August 2022. In April 2022

announced funding for a number of projects, including ''Jimpa'', described as "an inter-generational queer family drama", to be made by Hyde along with co-writer Matthew Cormack, producer Liam Heyen and

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

Audrey Mason-Hyde.

Closer Productions

Hyde is co-founder, along with Mason, of the film production company Closer Productions, which is based in the Adelaide suburb of Glenside. Other members of the Closer team are Mason (editor, DOP, producer, director); Matthew Bate (writer, director); Rebecca Summerton (producer); Matthew Cormack (writer, sales/delivery); Raynor Pettge (visual effects, editor); and Matt Vesely (development manager, writer, director).

Filmography

Film

As director

*''Ok, Let's Talk About Me'' (2005) - short documentary. Producer, director. *''The Road to Wallaroo'' (2006) - short documentary biography. Producer, director. * ''My Last Ten Hours with you'' (2007) - short

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

-themed film, included in the ''

Boys on Film ''Boys on Film'' is a Peccadillo Pictures DVD series of compilations of independent LGBT-themed shorts. Chronology DVD * 2009: ''Boys on Film 1: Hard Love'' * 2009: ''Boys on Film 2: In Too Deep'' * 2009: ''Boys on Film 3: American Boy'' * 2010 ...

'' DVD series (6: Pacific Rim). Director. * ''Necessary Games'' (2009) - short drama/fantasy. Producer, co-director (with Kat Worth). *''Elephantiasis'' (2010) - short film. Producer, director. Winner, Best Director, World of Women Film Festival. * ''Life in Movement'' (2011) - documentary about dancer and choreographer

. Producer/director/writer. *'' 52 Tuesdays'' (2014) - drama. Producer, director, co-writer with Matthew Cormack. * ''Animals'' (2019) - comedy/drama. Producer/director. * '' Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'' (2022)

As producer

* ''Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure'' (2011) - documentary/comedy/drama (written and directed by Matthew Bate). Producer. *''Sam Klemke's Time Machine'' (2015) - feature length documentary (written and directed by Matthew Bate). Producer. * ''My Best Friend is Stuck on the Ceiling'' (2015) - short comic film (written and directed by Matt Vesely). Co-producer. * ''In My Blood It Runs'' (formerly ''Kids'') (2019) - documentary (directed by Maya Newell and others). Producer.

Television

* ''Fucking Adelaide'' (2017) - TV

comedy drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple co ...

mini-series (6 short episodes) for ABC TV. Producer/director. AKA F*!#ing Adelaide and F**king Adelaide. *''

'' (2019) - four-part

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

screening on SBS in August 2019. Producer/director.

Video

*''Beyond Beliefs: Muslims & Non-Muslims in Australia'' (2007) - documentary. Producer, writer.

Awards

*Numerous nominations and awards for ''52 Tuesdays''. *

Melbourne International Film Festival The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1952 and is one of the oldest film festivals in the world following the founding of the Venice Film Fest ...

2009 — Best Experimental Short Film — Winner (with Kat Worth) — ''Necessary Games'' *

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, ...

2012 — Best Feature Length Documentary — Nominee (shared with Bryan Mason) — ''Life in Movement'' (2011) *

2012 — Best Feature Length Documentary — Nominee (shared with Matthew Bate) — ''Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure'' (2011) *

2012 — Best Direction in a Documentary — Nominee (shared with Bryan Mason) — ''Life in Movement'' (2011) *

Screen Producers Australia Screen Producers Australia (SPA), formerly the Screen Producers' Association of Australia (SPAA) and earlier names, is a national organisation representing film production businesses, emerging producers, service providers and screen industry supp ...

(SPA) Awards 2018 - Online Series Production of the Year – Winner (Closer Productions) – ''Fucking Adelaide'' (2017)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyde, Sophie Australian film producers People from Adelaide Living people 1977 births Australian women film directors Australian film directors Australian filmmakers Australian women film producers