Australians in Hollywood : Biographical Notes
Scott Hicks
Scott Hicks (b. 1953) made his directorial debut with Freedom (1981). During
the 1980s he wrote and directed the acclaimed children's film Sebastian and
the Sparrow (1988), and made documentaries for America 's Discovery Channel,
including the award-winning The Great Wall of Iron (1989). Shine (1996), which
Hicks co-wrote and directed, was a project he had cherished since seeing David
Helfgott perform in 1986. Geoffrey Rush's Helfgott won the best actor Oscar,
and the film garnered nominations in six other categories, including direction,
screenplay and best film. Lisa Tomasetti's photograph, taken on the first day
of Australian shooting in Adelaide 's Botanic Gardens, is one of Hicks's favourite
stills from the production. Since Shine , Hicks has directed the Hollywood
films Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), which he also co-wrote, and Hearts in
Atlantis (2001). He is now developing scripts for a studio-backed film and
an independent Australian feature.
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