Paul Swadel

Paul Swadel is a New Zealand film director and producer.

He has directed and produced many successful short films which have screened in competition at Cannes, Venice, New York and Sundance film festivals to name but a few. Saatchi & Saatchi spotted his talent early in the commercials world for their New Directors Showcase at Cannes in 2000. As a TV Commercial director he has done award-winning work for Sony, Nike and had his Playstation work picked up globally.

He has nurtured a filmmaking partnership with James Cunningham (Director) that spans 14 years and three globally successful short films [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0192333/ "James Cunningham: Director, IMDB"] ] . Their Film Infection competed at Cannes International Film Festival 2000, Sundance Film Festival 2001 and 20 other international Film Festivals. Paul and James are developing an indie performance capture driven CGI film Marshal with Mark Ordesky, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and are currently post-producing a proof of concept short film Poppy, that was shot on the Weta Digital motion capture soundstage. Poppy features Matthew Sunderland Winner of Best Actor Award at the 2008 NZ Screen Awards [ [http://www.qantasfilmandtvawards.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145866164 "Matthew Sunderland – 2008 Awards"] ] .

Swadel is a Co-Executive Producer of Headstrong with Ant Timpson and Leanne Saunders [ [http://www.headstrong.co.nz/ "Headstrong Ltd."] ] . Their feature film The Devil Dared Me To has it's world premiere at SXSW and screened at over 20 International Film Festivals. It has sold to Wild Bunch for the United Kingdom, Vivendi for the United States and Boll AG for rest of world. Their second feature film A Song Of Good began it’s festival run with a World Premiere at Rotterdam Film Festival where it sold out all of it’s screenings [ [http://www.asongofgood.com/ "A SONG OF GOOD – Feature Film"] ] . It garnered 5 nominations at the 2008 New Zealand Screen Awards, and won a "Best Picture" Award [ [http://www.qantasfilmandtvawards.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145866164 "A SONG OF GOOD – 2008 Awards"] ] .

He is currently developing a number of feature projects as a co-director with his brother Marc Swadel who has recently returned to New Zealand from Europe. Marc's reel includes work with The Strokes, Sonic Youth and Iggy Pop, and his TVC work was featured in the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase at Cannes in 2003. Their film Amatu is to feature leading New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison and physical effects work by Weta Workshop [ [http://www.headstrong.co.nz/default,50,amatu.sm "AMATU – Film in Development"] ] . It is a dark supernatural film set in Te Urewera an extremely isolated & primordial part of New Zealand.

Swadel has also directed a significant number of award-winning art documentaries around the world. These range in subject from Placido Domingo at the NY Metropolitan Opera – The Understudy, to an award winning six-hour series on the history of New Zealand Art – The Big Picture presented by Hamish Keith, which garnered 3 nominations at the 2008 New Zealand Screen Awards, and won "Best Series" and "Best Music" Awards [ [http://www.qantasfilmandtvawards.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145866164 "THE BIG PICTURE – 2008 Awards"] ] . He is currently directing How To Look At A Painting, a 12-part series with "Steven O'Meagher", Producer of New Zealand box office hit – Out of the Blue (2006 film)..

Paul Swadel has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Fine Arts with First Class Honours in Intermedia, from Auckland University. He is currently based in Auckland, New Zealand where he lives with his partner, Film Director Kirstin Marcon.

Filmography

PRODUCER
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179791/ A Song Of Good] (2008): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970529/ The Devil Dared Me To] (2007): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420805/ No Ordinary Sun] (2004): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389526/ Water] (2004): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459129/ Ride] (2004): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343687/ The French Doors] (2002): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303301/ Beautiful] (2002): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379840/ Junk] (2001): Executive producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245967/ Infection] (2000): Producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389111/ Like An Angel] (1999): Producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388777/ Blinder] (1998): Producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0254259/ Delf] (1997): Producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389422/ Supercollider] (1996): Producer
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0768814/ Zerographic] (1992): Producer

DIRECTOR
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1144977/ The Big Picture] (2007): Director
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818141/ The Understudy] (2005): Director
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0487022/ Colin McCahon: I Am] (2004): Director
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256582/ Accidents] (2000): Director
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389111/ Like An Angel] (1999): Director
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389422/ Supercollider] (1996): Director
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389114/ A Little Death] (1994): Director

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841419/ "Paul Swadel: Internet Movie Database"]

References