User:Cinemafan2019/sandbox

Jason Raftopoulos is an Australian film director, screenwriter and producer.

Early life
He was born in Melbourne, Australia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Film and Television from Swinburne University and later received a Master of Screenwriting at the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts.

Career
Raftopoulos began directing films in 2007, his short film From Dope to Dalai Lama winning Best Short Documentary at the Inside Film Awards in 2010. Raftopoulos’ short film Father’s Day would later be adapted into a feature film West of Sunshine which had its world premiere In Competition at the 74th Venice International Film Festival in 2017. Raftopoulos was nominated for The Golden Lion of the Future Award and for Best Film.

In 2018 Raftopoulos won the Jury Grand Prix Award for Best Film for West of Sunshine at the Festival des Antipodes in Saint Tropez, and Best Director at the Barcelona International Film Festival. In 2018 Raftopoulos was nominated for Best Director by the Australian Directors Guild and was nominated for Best Independent Film by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.

Filmography
2008 The Perfect Spin 2008 Faces in Fall 2009 Marti (Short) 2010 From Dope to Dalai Lama (Short) 2011 Father's Day (Short) 2016 Kin (Short)  2016 2017 West of Sunshine 2017

Awards

 * 2010 Inside Film Awards Best Short Documentary for From Dope to Dalai Lama.
 * 2017 Bratislava International Film Festival Grand Prix Nominee for West of Sunshine.
 * 2017 74th Venice International Film Festival Nominee Luigi De Laurentiis Award for West of Sunshine.
 * 2017 74th Venice International Film Festival Nominee Best Film for West of Sunshine.
 * 2018 Australian Directors Guild Nominee Best Direction in a Feature Film for West of Sunshine.
 * 2018 Barcelona International Film Festival Winner Excellence in Film Direction for West of Sunshine.
 * 2018 Rencontres Internationales du Cinema des Antipodes Winner Jury Grand Prix Win for West of Sunshine.
 * 2018 AACTA Awards Nominee Best Indie Film for West of Sunshine.