Trudy Hellier

Trudy Hellier

Trudy Hellier is an accomplished Writer, Director and Actor, creating original material for the screen. She completed a BA in Theatre at Western Sydney University and worked extensively as an actor before studying Screen Writing at RMIT, as well as completing a Masters in Performance writing at VCA.

Trudy won an AACTA for her short film script Break and Enter, which also won the Australian Critics Circle Award and honourable mention at Aspen Film festival. She wrote and directed the half-hour film Trapped (Screen Australia) which opened St Kilda IFF and won the audience award. Her short films The Boy, Strolling and Foul Play have appeared in international festivals including Clermont Ferrand, Palm Springs, Odense, Edenborough, Flicker fest, Yellow Knife (Canada) MIFF and Aspen and sold to both Qantas and Virgin airlines.

Together with Elise McCredie, Trudy co-wrote The Furies (MTC), premiering off Broadway in NYC. Her play Waking Up Dead was nominated for the Greenroom Award for Best Writing and toured with Regional Arts Victoria. With Oscar winning producer Melanie Coombs, she developed feature film Barking Love (Screen Australia/Irish Film board). She is currently developing the feature film Clarice with director Amanda Brotchie and producer Lucy Mclaren, based on the life of Victorian artist, Clarice Beckett.

For television, Trudy wrote 4 episodes on Series 1 and 2 of narrative comedy Lowdown (ABC TV), winning an AWGIE and an AACTA nomination. She co-created online series Little Acorns (Screen Australia) starring Rachel Griffiths, winning NYC Webfest, SPAA and ADG nominations, and being optioned by Network 7 as a half hour TV series. Her drama Black Eyes (Film Victoria writer’s room) has been optioned by US company Stampede partnering with Kojo Studios.

She wrote the story for animation feature, Daisy Quokka (NBC Home Entertainment). Trudy recently co-directed feature film Shit which premiered at this year’s Melbourne Women’s Film Festival.

Trudy was selected for the Cinestory Lab in Los Angeles CA and most recently the prestigious Series Mania Writers Lab in France where her comedy/drama series Loved Up (co-created with Michelle Offen) was optioned to UK company Hat Trick.

Amongst others, Trudy has been on selection panels and judged for: The AWGIE awards, MIFF, St Kilda Film Festive, Film Victoria (VicScreen) short film fund, and the AACTA awards.

As an actor, she has appeared in over 40 productions including, Shantaram, Sunshine, Eye of the Strom and Round the Twist.

For the past four years she has worked as a mentor for third-year screen writing students at VCA and has also run writers rooms.

Trudy Hellier

WRITING & DIRECTING

SHIT (Feature Film)
Step Productions, 2023
Director                  

DAISY QUOKKA: WORLD’S SCARIEST ANIMAL (Animated Film)
Screen Australia/Universal Pictures Australia, 2020
Writer (story by)  

CARAVAN OF LOVE (Web Series)
In dev. Funded through Screen Australia Gender Matters initiative, 2017
Co-Producer/Director (with Maria Theodorakis)

LITTLE ACORNS (Web Series)
Screen Australia/Multi-Platform funding, 2016
Co-Writer/Creator/Director (with Maria Theodorakis)
Episodes 1-9

BLACK EYES (Television series)
In dev. Optioned by Matchbox Pictures, 2016
Writer/Creator (with Maria Theodorakis)

DEL FRICKER (Television Series)
In dev., Optioned by Werner Films as part of the StoryLab initiative, 2015
Writer/Creator

BARKING LOVE (Feature Film)
Australian Producers Optimism Films
Developed through Film Victoria, Final stage development co-funded through Screen Australia and Irish Film Board, 2016
Writer/Associate Producer

WAKING UP DEAD (Play)
Fortyfivedownstairs, 2014
Writer

LOWDOWN (Television Series)
High Wire Films/ABC, 2010-2012
Writer – Series 1 (Episodes 2, 6)
Series 2 (Episodes 2, 3)

FOUL PLAY (Short Film)
Selected for: Clermont Ferrand International, Trop Fest Shortlist, St Kilda Film Fest 2008, 2009, Encore screening St Kilda Film Fest Comedy, Fall Creek FF 2008
Writer/Director

THE FURIES
Developed through MTC, development funding from Australia Council, premiered off Broadway NY, 2006
Co-Writer (with Elise McCredie)

BLIND FAITH
2003
Writer/Director

CAR CITY (Feature Film)
Developed through Screen Australia, Optioned by Melanie Coombs, 2002
Writer

BREAK AND ENTER (Short Film)
Melodrama Pictures/Atom Films, 1999
Writer/Assoc. Producer

TRAPPED (Long form Short Film)
Funded by Screen Australia 1999
Writer/Director

EDUCATION

1994 – Bachelor of Arts, Theatre – Western Sydney University
2000 – Diploma Screenwriting – RMIT
2014 – Masters of Performance/Writing – Melbourne University (VCA)

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

WAKING UP DEAD
Green Room Awards: Nomination – Best Writing, 2015

LOWDOWN
Series 2, Episode 3 ‘One Fine Gay’
AACTA Nomination – Best Screenplay in Television, 2013
AWGIE Winner – Best Comedy script, 2013

BREAK AND ENTER
American Film Institute (AFI) Award:
Winner – Best Screenplay in a Short Film, 1999

WORK HISTORY – PERFORMER

1994-Present – Over 40 film, television and theatre credits including regular roles in AROUND THE TWIST, FRONTLINE, LOVE LETTERS FROM A WAR, MRS BIGGS, THE DEATH AND LIFE OF OTTO BLOOM, and SUNSHINE.

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