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April Phillips 2017

April Phillips
BornApril Phillips
Coventry, England
OccupationActress, writer, singer, producer
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipNew Zealand
EducationMaster's degree (Scriptwriting)
Alma materVictoria University of Wellington
Agent(s)Gail Cowan Management(acting)
Playmarket (scripts)
Website
aprilphillips.com

April Phillips is an actress, writer, singer, director and producer of film and theatre. She was born in Coventry, England, but resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Her production company, Godiva Productions Limited, was named after the Lady Godiva legend of her hometown of Coventry.

Writer

Phillips holds a master's degree in Scriptwriting from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington. Her theatre works are represented internationally by Playmarket.[1] and by David Spicer Productions in Australia.

Phillips writes predominantly for theatre and film but has had two radio plays recorded by Radio New Zealand.[2] Her most successful stage play, the modern farce "STiFF", has been produced internationally.[3][4][5][6]

Phillips has won numerous awards and film festival selections for her film and theatre scripts (see "Awards" below).

Actress

Phillips is a stage and screen actress.[7] She is represented by Gail Cowan Management. (see "Filmography" below). She has been a member of the acclaimed women's comedy troupe Hens' Teeth[citation needed] since 1995.

Singer

Phillips is a professional and recorded singer. In addition to singing in various bands and at jazz festivals her TV appearances include multiple performances on Television New Zealand's "Good Morning" Show and "Breakfast Show" and the TV satirical series "McPhail and Gadsby" alongside Jon Gadsby and David McPhail. She released her debut jazz album in 2004 and has since donated 100% of her income from that album to Make A Wish New Zealand. She recently recorded a follow up song called "What I'd Do For You" for Make A Wish New Zealand[8]

Phillips also released an album of her own original pop songs called "Tempting Fate" and appears on a collaborative Nat King Cole tribute CD "Unforgettable".

Producer

Phillips' production company Godiva Productions Limited has produced various musical stage shows including the jazz play Blue Eyes and the Nat King Cole tribute show Unforgettable. More recently she produced the musical shows The Glory of Gershwin for the 2016 Wellington Jazz Festival and The Retro Pack jazz revue. She was co-producer on the short films Utu Pihikete and Letter For Hope. Both films have received official selections at numerous US film festivals and won awards (see Award" below). She was executive producer on the film REM.

Director

Phillip's directorial debut was the award-winning sci-fi/horror short film REM [9] which she also wrote and acted in. The film was officially selected for many international film festival screenings including "Fantasia"[1], Montreal[10] and "Horror Hound", Cincinnati, and notably at the 51st Worldfest, Houston where the film won a Platinum REMI award. Phillips's was nominated Best Director (Short Film) at the Ouchy Film Awards, Lausanne, Switzerland and Best Actress (Short Film) at the Madrid International Film Festival 2017. The film received 7 nominations at the Short Film Awards (S.O.F.I.E.S) in New York where Phillips won Best Director. Phillips short film "The Last Man on Earth" [11] was completed in 2019 and was officially selected for Screamfest 2020, London Sci-Fi Film Festival, North Hollywood Film Festival and the 53rd Worldfest Houston where it received the Special Jury Award for Suspense/Thriller. Phillips earned an Honorable Mention as Director from the Los Angeles Film Awards (L.A.F.A) and Best Sci-Fi award, and Best Director at Festigious. The film was a finalist at the 2019 Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Filmography

Year Title Role Other Notes
2019 The Last Man on Earth [2] Prime Minister Writer/Director/Executive Producer Short Film
2017 Mortal Engines Medic Feature Film
2016 REM Gail Morris Writer/Director/Executive Producer Short Film
2014 Girl vs. Boy Series 3 Carrie King TV Series
2014 Passion in Paradise Mary King TV Series
2013 Utu Pihikete Beth Brown Writer/Co-Producer Short Film
2013 Letter For Hope Jane Writer/Co-Producer Short Film
2012 Mr Wilkins Janice Hockney Short Film
2011 Eternity Cynthia Green Feature Film
2009 The Lovely Bones (dir. Sir Peter Jackson) Mother Feature Film
2005 The Lost Children (Eps. 5 & 6) Doris TV Series
2001 The Strip Ep 7 ("Assume The Position") Miss Petit TV Series
1999 Duggan ("Moving House" Ep) Rose Bergson TV Series
1998 First Impressions Self and Various TV Series
1998 McPhail and Gadsby with Jon Gadsby and David McPhail Core Cast TV Series
1997 McPhail and Gadsby with Jon Gadsby and David McPhail Core Cast TV Series

Awards

  • 2020 53rd Worldfest, Houston - for the film "The Last Man on Earth" - Special Jury Award Suspense/Thriller [12]
  • 2020 Festigious Film Awards - for the film "The Last Man on Earth" - Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Sci-Fi [13]
  • 2019 Los Angeles Film Awards (L.A.F.A.) - for the film "The Last Man on Earth" - Best Sci-Fi and Honorable Mention (Director) [14]
  • 2019 Independent Shorts Awards, L.A. - for the film "The Last Man on Earth" - Best Women Short (Gold), Best Supporting Actor (Gold), Best Director - Female (Silver), Best Sci-Fi Short (Silver), Best Original Story (Bronze) and Best Original Score (Bronze)[15]
  • 2017 Short Film Awards, New York (SOFIES) - Best Director for the film "REM"[16]
  • 2017 Short Film Awards, New York (SOFIES) - Nominated in Best Actress, Best Writing, Best Film and Best Director categories.
  • 2017 Independent Spirit Award, Fantastic Planet Film Festival, Sydney[17]
  • 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award – Playwrights Association of NZ (PANZ)[18]
  • 2017 50th Worldfest, Houston – Platinum "REMI" Award for "REM"[19]
  • 2017 Fantastic Planet, Sydney – Independent Spirit Award for "REM"[20]
  • 2017 Madrid International Film Festival – Nomination for "Best Actress – Short" for "REM"
  • 2017 Global Independent Film Awards – Bronze Medal for "REM"[21]
  • 2017 Finalist SWANZ Award for Best Unproduced Screenplay for "Blind Eye"[22]
  • 2016 IndieFest Film Awards Award of Excellence Special Mention "REM"[23]
  • 2016 Ouchy Film Festival Lausanne selection and nominated Best Director "REM"[24]
  • 2016 Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival Best Foreign Short for "REM"[25]
  • 2016 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards Best Horror Short Foreign and Best Sound Design for "REM"[26]
  • 2016 Global Accolade Film Competition Award of Merit Special Mention for "REM"[27]
  • 2016 Best Shorts Film Competition Award for Excellence for the film "REM"
  • 2015 Best Shorts Film Competition Award for Excellence for the film "Utu Pihikete"[28]
  • 2014 Global Accolade Film Competition Awards for Excellence for the films "Letter For Hope" and "Utu Pihikete"
  • 2014 Action on Film Festival for the films "Letter For Hope" and "Utu Pihikete"
  • 2014 IndieFest Film Festival for the films "Letter For Hope" and "Utu Pihikete"
  • 2013 Doug Wren Award for Achievement
  • 2013 Finalist in SWANZ Awards Best Play category for "Motel"
  • 2013 Winner New Zealand Writer’s Guild 5 Page Film Treatment competition for "As Seen on TV"
  • 2012 Finalist in SWANZ Awards Best Play category for "SNiP"
  • 2010 Michael Hirschfeld Scholarship for Scriptwriting (Victoria University of Wellington)
  • 2010 Playwrights Association of NZ (PANZ) One Act Play for "Bonking James Bond"
  • 2010 Radio New Zealand Drama Student Short for the radio play "In Two Minds"
  • 2003 Playwrights Association of NZ (PANZ) Playwriting Competition for "STiFF"
  • 2003 Stellar Award for "Best Music Production" for "Blue Eyes"
  • 2002 Adam Play Reading Series – Downstage Theatre for "STiFF"
  • 1996 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards – "Hens' Teeth Women's Comedy Company" – Best Female Comedy

Plays

  • Swingers - a comedy first produced by CAS'n'OVA Productions, Christchurch, New Zealand 2018[29]
  • "Motel" – a contemporary drama first produced by CAS'n'OVA Productions, Christchurch, New Zealand 2013[30]
  • "STiFF" – a modern farce first produced by Playbox Theatre, Hamilton, New Zealand 2002
  • "Death & Taxe$" – comedy first produced by 16th Avenue Theatre, Tauranga, New Zealand 2010[31]
  • "Bonking James Bond" – One act comedy first produced by CAS'n'OVA Productions, Christchurch, New Zealand 2012[32]
  • "Snip" – One act comedy first produced by CAS'n'OVA Productions, Christchurch, New Zealand 2012[33]
  • "Blind Eye" – a contemporary drama first produced by CAS'n'OVA Productions, Christchurch, New Zealand[34]
  • "Blue Eyes" – musical play first produced at Circa Theatre 2004, winner of the Stellar Award for Best Musical Production, Fringe Festival
  • "Killing Me Softly" – a contemporary drama first produced at Taki Rua Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand 1996
  • "Instinct" – One act drama first produced by Elmwood Players, New Zealand 2015[35]

All works are represented by Playmarket

The Prince Edward

In 1983 at the age of 17, Phillips was the focus of intense international media interest[36] when she appeared in a stage production of the play Charley's Aunt opposite Prince Edward at the prestigious Wanganui Collegiate School. The Prince was a tutor at the school for two terms during his gap year. The media speculated about a romance between the pair but Phillips has always maintained that they are just friends.

References

  1. ^ "Playmarket profile". playmarket.org.nz/.
  2. ^ "Programmes – New Shorts – 2011 Shorts Season". Radio New Zealand National.
  3. ^ Jewell, Stephen (8 June 2009). "A knickers play for these troubled times". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  4. ^ "International success for NZ Play". Scoop (Press release). 16 April 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  5. ^ "Doollee Playwrights Database". doollee.com.
  6. ^ "New Zealand Writers Guild". nzwg.org.nz. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. ^ "IMDb". IMDb.
  8. ^ "Singer Answers Foundation's Wish". Dominion Post. 9 October 2014.
  9. ^ Rem, retrieved 31 December 2017
  10. ^ "REM – Fantasia 2017". fantasiafestival.com. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  11. ^ TheLastManonEarth
  12. ^ "Worldfest Houston". Worldfest.org. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Festigious". Festigious. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Los Angeles Film Awards". LAFA. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  15. ^ "Independent Shorts Awards". Independent Shorts Awards. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Short Film Awards 2017 Winners". theshortfilmawards.com. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  17. ^ "A Night of Horror & Fantastic Planet 2017 Winners!". Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Outstanding Achievement Awards". Playwrights Association of New Zealand (Inc). 19 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  19. ^ "2017 Remi Winners – Worldfest-Houston". worldfest.org. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Fantastic Planet Film Festival". fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  21. ^ "announcements". Global Independent Film Awards. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  22. ^ "nzwritersguild". nzwritersguild. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  23. ^ Rem, retrieved 31 December 2017
  24. ^ "Official Selection – Summer (1) 2016". Ouchy Film Awards. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  25. ^ Rem, retrieved 31 December 2017
  26. ^ Rem, retrieved 31 December 2017
  27. ^ Rem, retrieved 31 December 2017
  28. ^ Rem, retrieved 31 December 2017
  29. ^ "CAS'n'OVA Productions". www.casnova.co.nz. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  30. ^ "CAS'n'OVA | Motel". www.casnova.co.nz. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  31. ^ "Past Shows". 16th Ave Theatre. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  32. ^ "CAS'n'OVA | Two Plays, One Night! Bonking James Bond & Snip (World Premiere)". www.casnova.co.nz. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  33. ^ "CAS'n'OVA | Two Plays, One Night! Bonking James Bond & Snip (World Premiere)". www.casnova.co.nz. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  34. ^ "CAS'n'OVA | Blind Eye". www.casnova.co.nz. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  35. ^ "Blog Archives". Elmwood Players. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  36. ^ "Ocala Star Banner article". Ocala Star Banner.

Article: List of New Zealand film directors

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