Upon graduating from AFTRS in 1984 Jocelyn worked as a script editor for the Channel 7 Drama Unit in Sydney. A year later, Jocelyn received a grant from the Australian Film Commission to direct a short children’s comedy called THE SEIGE OF BARTON’S BATHROOM. The Australian Broadcasting Commission saw the short film and commissioned Jocelyn to create a 12 part children’s series, THE BARTONS. She went on to write for numerous television productions prior to writing and directing her feature film debut PROOF, starring Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe. PROOF had its world premiere in Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991. The film screened at numerous international film festivals, winning many awards including the Sutherland Trophy from the British Film Institute, Critic’s Choice Award at Sao Paulo International Film Festival and Bronze Award at Tokyo International Film Festival.
In 1994 Jocelyn moved to LA to direct HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT (1995) starring Winona Ryder and Anne Bancroft, and A THOUSAND ACRES (1997) starring Michele Pfeiffer, Jessica Lang and Colin Firth. She works closely with her husband PJ Hogan, acting as a producer on MURIEL’S WEDDING, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, PETER PAN and MENTAL.
In 1997 Jocelyn’s eldest daughter was diagnosed with autism. Jocelyn put her filmmaking career on hold to focus on the development of her children. In 2009 Sue Maslin approached Jocelyn to write and direct THE DRESSMAKER. The film starred Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving and Liam Hemsworth and was released in 2015. It took over $20m at the Australian Box Office and won AACTA Awards for Best Costume, Best Actress (Kate Winslet), Best Supporting actress (Judy Davis), Best Supporting Actor (Hugo Weaving) and Audience vote for Favourite Australian Film of the Year.
In 2012 Cate Blanchett engaged Jocelyn to direct her first play, SEX WITH STRANGERS by Laura Eason (House Of Cards), at the Sydney Theatre Company. In 2019 Text Publishing published UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, a memoir of filmmaking and motherhood. Her television credits include WANTED (Matchbox/Ch7/Netflix), set up director LES NORTON (Roadshow Rough Diamond/ABC), STATELESS (Matchbox/Cate Blanchett/Tony Ayres/ABC), set up director WAKEFIELD (Jungle/ABC/BBC) and all 6 episodes on the ABC miniseries THE SAVAGE RIVER.
