Adam Elliot

Oscar Winning Director

Celebrated film director, Adam Elliot, used talent and tenacity to push himself to the pinnacle of the Film industry. He has entertained audiences with his quirky and innovative animations like his 2003 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film with Harvie Krumpet. His other films, Uncle, Cousin, and Brother emphasise the abundant talent this wunderkind holds. Named Young Victorian of the Year in 1999, Adam has received numerous acknowledgements and distinctions, and continues to inspire and nourish the industry as an ambassador, patron and juror. His story is hugely inspiring.

Academy Award ® winning director, Adam Elliot, has become one of the worlds most celebrated animators. For almost a decade, his films, UNCLE, COUSIN, BROTHER and HARVIE KRUMPET, have been viewed by millions of people around the world and have participated in over five hundred film festivals.

They have won over one hundred awards, and in 2003, HARVIE KRUMPET, won the Oscar ® for Best Animated Short Film, eclipsing the work of the Disney, Pixar and Fox studios. All his films have been eligible for Academy Award ® consideration, and in total have won five Australian Film Institute Awards from six nominations - more AFI Awards than any other Australian director. In total, the films have accumulated over $200,000.00 in prizes and have been translated, sold and distributed to broadcasters, airlines and theatres around the globe. The DVD of his films has been released in Europe, Asia and America, with sales of over 40,000 copies in Australia alone. 

Latest Movie

Adam’s latest movie “Mary and Max” on January 16th 2009 became the first Australian Movie to ever open The Sundance Festival that was started by Robert Redford and Paul Newman. It received rave reviews and is considered a very strong chance to at least be nominated for an Academy Award next year. It hits the Australian screens in April 2009.

In 1999 he was made Young Victorian of the Year and has been honoured with many industry distinctions. He has been made an ambassador and patron for various institutions and charities and is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He also travels the world as a juror at international film festivals and is in constant demand as a public and corporate speaker. The appeal of his films is universal. Infused with a balance of humour and pathos, his simple and endearing characters touch a nerve with so many people from all walks of life. Adam has a passion for human observation and his films are highly personal and detailed explorations of the human spirit.

Harvie Krumpet

“We were trying to finance a project that wasn't market friendly - its a one-off, half hour, adult, claymation film with no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, featuring an illiterate immigrant, a story about cancer, assisted suicide, lightening strike and Alzheimer’s.”

After dozens of rejections, long hours of hard-work, driven by a passion and belief, a small independent film-maker, Adam Elliot, in February 2004, won the Oscar ® for Best Animated Short, eclipsing the work of Salvador Dali & Walt Disney, Pixar and Twentieth Century Fox

Speaker

A naturally gifted, engaging and entertaining communicator Adam shares his story: A Dream and Vision, years of success without wider recognition, numerous obstacles, rejections, limited funding, long hours, appalling work conditions to finally produce a global winner! He is an overnight success after years of hard work.
“A story of a Dream where Passion + Commitment + Talent make Success” 

Adam Elliot – winner five AFI Awards, DVD Sales of Harvie Krumpet of 40,000 in Australia alone (that’s one copy per 1000 Australians) and an Oscar won by Adam not just for himself but for all Australians. The Oscar is housed permanently in the Australian Centre for Moving Image in Melbourne.

“It was Australian Taxpayers money that funded Harvie, the Oscar and Harvie are for all Australians”.

The Oscar win for Adam has opened many doors in the USA, but Adam and his team committed to staying in Australia and produced Australia’s first claymated multi-million dollar feature called “Mary & Max”, due for release in April 2009. In November 2008, Mary & Max made Australian movie history becoming the first ever Australian movie to be screened on opening night at the prestigious Sundance Movie festival.

About Adam 

Adam was a very shy child and loved to lock himself in his bedroom, spending hours drawing and making things out of pipe cleaners and egg cartons. At age 12 he was sent to a private boy's school where he excelled at Art, English Literature, Photography, Drawing and Sculpture. He was a member of the school’s Highland Pipe Band and got over his shyness by playing the Bass drum. He enjoyed acting and in his final year was awarded the schools highest honour, The A.G. Greenwood Trophy for an outstanding dramatic performance as the role of Dr. Watson in The Sherlock Holmes Play, 'The Incredible Murder of Cardinal Tosca'.

After leaving school, Adam spent five years hand-painting t-shirts at a local craft market. His most popular design being 'Murray the tap-dancing Dim-Sim'. In 1996 he decided to go to university and study animation at The Victorian College of the Arts. There he made his first film 'Uncle'. After graduating in 1997, he went on to complete the other two parts of his trilogy, 'Cousin' and 'Brother'.

In 2003 he completed a half hour Claymation called, Harvie Krumpet, narrated by Geoffrey Rush and starring Kamahl, it was produced by Melanie Coombs of Melodrama Pictures. In February 2004, HARVIE won the Oscar ® for Best Animated Short Film, eclipsing the work of Salvador Dali & Walt Disney, Pixar and Twentieth Century Fox. It has gone on to win dozens of awards and has participated in hundreds of film festivals around the globe.

Adam is an ambassador and patron of many organizations and charities and travels to various festivals around the world judging short films and giving forums on the art form. In 1998 Adam was given the honourable title of 'Young Victorian of the Year’ for his achievements in film making, as well as being awarded the 'Medibank Private Arts Award'. He was then the state representative for the Young Australian of the Year Awards. The following year he was presented with the annual 'Film Victoria's Greg Tepper Award' for outstanding achievement by an emerging filmmaker.

Testimonials

“ Well, I must say it was one of the best - if not the best - presentation I have seen. Your story showed to me that we all have our own special talents and that it is incumbent on each of us to find out what that is. It is up to us to make the most of those chances – and they are chances, they are not pitfalls or dead ends. It was good to listen to a real person with character and values.”
Mancell

“Excellent…Adam's "Hollywood" story was very entertaining - he injected the right amount of humour in the right places. He was approachable and very obliging and mingled with our clients before, during and after lunch without hesitation. I have already recommended Adam to speak at a function for our Sydney office clients.”
PricewaterhouseCoopers

“Adam Elliott - the presentation was excellent. Adam was a pleasure to work with - he was a big hit on the night. He allowed himself to be photographed with all the delegates, he signed DVD's of his work individually addressed to each attendee, and he participated in the dinner both before & after the presentation. He was a hoot & must be one of the entertainment industries true gentlemen. I would recommend his presentation to anyone - plus it offered a respite from the normal "mountain climber" type presentations given during this style of gathering.”
Attachmate Australasia

“Adam made the night very special – he mixed, he had photographs, he signed, he shared and was a great speaker. We will use him again.”
Adairs

“Adam Elliot was an inspiration, an educator and an entertainer. We just loved him.”
Lead On Inc