MsGillian Ashurst

I am a Canterbury based writer and director. My first short film, 'Venus Blue,' debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999. This was followed by 'SciFi Betty,' which premiered at Clermont-Ferrand. In 2001 I made my feature film debut with the award winning, 'Snakeskin' – a fast paced road movie featuring Melanie Lynskey and Takika Waititi.

I have also directed various commercials and documentaries, including 'Rocketman: the Story of William Pickering' and a three part series on Ernest Rutherford. I have trained under leading international specialists in scriptwriting and directing, including Joan Sheckel, Judith Weston and Robert Marchand (the Mike Leigh method.) In 2016 I won an NZFC Female Director’s Scholarship, and in 2021 I completed another short film, 'The Meek.'

I continue to create my own work, alongside my teaching practise.

I have a particular interest in researching creative practise, particularly around the writer/director combination.