John Sheedy is a multi-award winning film, television and theatre director, writer and producer.
Sheedy’s second and most recent feature film, RUNT was adapted for the screen by Craig Silvey based on Silvey’s children’s book of the same name for Studio Canal Australia and See Pictures. RUNT features an all-star Australian cast including Jai Courtney, Celeste Barber, Lily La Torre, Genevieve Lemon, Jack Thompson, Deborah Mailman and Matt Day. The film premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and Cinefest Oz both in 2024 and was released in cinemas in September the same year and the 11th most successful Australian children’s film at the local box office of all time.
John’s first short film MRS MCCUTCHEON had its Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2017, winning Best Australian Short Film. MRS MCCUTCHEON played at over 150 Festivals around the world and nominated for a multitude of festival awards, winning 52 of these. MRS MCCUTCHEON won Short Film Production of the Year at the 17th Annual Screen Producers Australia Awards, nominated for Best Short Film at the 7th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, and John received the award for Best Director at the 2018 Australian Directors Guild Awards.
John’s first feature film H IS FOR HAPPINESS for Cyan Films, Universal Pictures Australia and Level K, followed hotly after the success of his first short film. H IS FOR HAPPINESS had its world premiere at the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival as opening night Family Gala Film. It won the Film Prize at Cinefest Oz 2019, had its European premiere at Berlin International Film festival in 2020, winning the Grand Jury Prize. The film received ten nominations at the 2020 AACTA Awards, including for Best Film and Best Direction. John was also nominated for Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over) at the 2020 ADG Awards.
John’s second short film TARNEIT, a drama, took out the Iris Prize from Cardiff’s International LGBT+ Short Film Prize and Best Director in 2022 and screened as the Opening Night Film at Flickerfest 2023. John was also nominated for Best Direction in a Short Film at the 2022 Australian Director’s Guild Awards.
For television, IN OUR BLOOD, a drama inspired by historical events surrounding the AIDS pandemic in Sydney during the 1980s, marked John’s first adult drama series as set up director. Produced by Hoodlum Entertainment for the ABC in celebration of World Pride, hosted by Sydney in 2023, it was nominated for a 2023 AACTA Award for Best Mini-Series along with Best Actor nomination for Tim Draxl.
John previously set-up the teen drama series MORE THAN THIS, for Baby Banksia and the ACTF, which was subsequently acquired by Paramount +.
