Diploma Directing, 1978
Filmmaker Mario Andreacchio studied psychology before attending AFTRS. He directed a series of documentary shorts upon graduation before making his feature debut with 1986’s outback horror film Fair Game, working alongside cinematographer and former classmate Andrew Lesnie (The Lord of the Rings). Fair Game was one of the films heralded by Quentin Tarantino in Mark Hartley’s documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!
Mario won an International Emmy for 1988 telemovie Captain Johnno, while 1995’s Japanese-Australian co-production Napoleon—one of the first Australian films to incorporate digital VFX— marked the first of many international co-productions and led to the making of Dumas riff Young Blades (2001) and Gauguin biopic Paradise Found (2003) in France.
Mario also helped to formalise the China-Australia treaty for co-productions. The first film under the agreement was 2011’s The Dragon Pearl, starring Sam Neill and Wang Ji, which Mario directed. In addition to his work as a producer and director, he has also been a board member for the Australian Film Finance Corporation and the South Australian Film Corporation.
AFTRS HIGHLIGHT
Going to India to make my final-year film changed my life.
CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Transforming an idea that my children had come up with into a movie, Napoleon, that after 25 years is still bringing joy around the world.