CHRISTOPHER HOUGHTON
FEATURE FILMS
TOUCH
Role: Writer / Director
After committing a violent assault, Dawn takes to the road with her young daughter. Finding seclusion in a remote motel, she enters into a risky liaison with a local cop. Dawn is hiding from something far greater than her words or actions reveal. Ultimately, her desperation becomes untenable and the past closes in with a devastating twist.
AWARDS & FESTIVALS
TOUCH premiered at the Sydney Film Festival in 2014 and internationally at Cannes Cinephiles in 2015. Selected as the opening night film for the Manchester International Film Festival and also awarded Best Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Film Festival in 2015. Retitled DAWN for international release, see it onAmazon Prime.
Play full film here
SONS & MOTHERS
Role: Writer / Director
An intimate portrait of an all-male theatre troupe who create a poignant and irreverent love letter to their mothers. Heartwarming, funny and refreshingly honest, Sons and Mothers invites audiences to leave their view of disability at the door, and instead through the sheer delight of the Men’s Ensemble, experience what it is like to be simply human.
AWARDS & FESTIVALS
SONS & MOTHERS won Best Australian Documentary at Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Best Arts Documentary at the Australian Teacher's of Media (ATOM) Awards and long-listed for a Walkley. The film was also nominated for four AACTA Awards in 2015 for Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Editing, winning two of its four nominations.
Play full film here
SHORT FILMS
FEATURED SHORT
SWING
Role: Director
An unlikely friendship borne of mutual isolation sees two strangers discover they have more in common than they expect.
AWARDS
Best Short Film, Adelaide Film Fest 2007
Best Short Film, St Kilda Film Fest 2007
Best Short Film, (Nominee) ACCTAs 2007
LIGHTNESS
Role: Director
Disenfranchised by the very workplace he has dedicated his life to an ageing factory worker rekindles an age-old passion.
Written by Cath Moore.
AWARDS
Best Director, Australian Director's Guild & AFTRS (Graduate Award), 2002
Best Screen Direction, Screen Sound Aust. & AFTRS (Graduate Award), 2002.
Golden Tripod, Best Cinematography, ACS 2002
Best Screenplay, St Kilda Film Festival 2003
METHOD SCHOOL
Role: Director / Writer
This film was cast without a script and after six weeks of improvisation, a screenplay was written based on the relationships that evolved in the rehearsal room. There is one professional actor, one acting coach, one non-actor and a bunch of acting students, all of whom co-authored the film. The fun can be trying to determine which is which. Method School became a dark comedy about 'acting' and where what's real is up for grabs. It would not have been possible without the generosity of all concerned especially the maestro of acting, Martin Challis.
VERSUS
Role: Director
A husband and wife attempt to reconcile on the way to a birthday party. Well, sort of. Written by Kelly Schilling.
AWARDS
Best Director, Australian Director's Guild & AFTRS (Graduate Award), 2002
Best Screen Direction, Screen Sound Aust. & AFTRS (Graduate Award), 2002.
COMMISSIONS
FEATURED COMMISSION
THE BASH
Role: Writer / Director
Client: Variety SA
For three years, I wrote and directed a one-hour documentary supporting the SA Variety Bash for Channel 9. For 51 weeks of the year, a select
band of the SA community dedicate themselves to raising money for children in need. The 'Bash' is the one week a year they get to dress up and venture across Australia delivering on their promise.
Television Commercials
& Viral Campaigns
Client: SA Tourism / Agency: kwp! / Role: Director
Client: Dept Communities and Social Inclusion
Role: Director / Writer / Editor
Client: SipnSave / Agency: WMD / Role: Director
Client: The Zahra Foundation / Platform: TV, Web & Social Media
Role: Writer / Director / Editor
Client: Banana Blue / Agency: kwp! / Role: Director
Client: Dept Communities and Social Inclusion
Role: Director / Writer / Editor
Client: No Violence Coalition / Platform: Web & Social Media
Role: Writer / Director / Producer
Client: No Violence Coalition / Platform: Web & Social Media
Role: Writer / Director / Producer
CONTACT
Humanity is in the details and as a filmmaker I like to dive into the intimate spaces where our collective stories reside. For me, cinema is about elevating the everyday to the stars.
Over the last ten years or so, I've been lucky enough to receive some of Australia's most prestigious awards across drama, documentary, short films and television commercials for cinema and TV.
If you like what you see, get in touch.