Gracie Otto

GRACIE OTTO is one of Australia's best-known and most respected young directors with ten years of successful filmmaking to her credit. Her extensive filmography is a major accomplishment for someone her age. From her first award winning student short film KILL BLONDES to the recent critical acclaim of her feature debut THE LAST IMPRESARIO, her films have regularly garnered awards and achieved international recognition at festivals throughout the world.One of Australia's celebrated Otto family of actors - father Barry is a legendary stage and film actor, sister Miranda enjoys an international television and film career, and brother-in-law Peter O'Brien is an Australian television star - Gracie's success has been predominantly on the other side of the camera since completing an Advanced Diploma In Film at the renowned Sydney Film School in 2006. Gracie's short films SEAMSTRESS, LA MEME NUIT, TANGO TROIS, BROKEN BEAT and KILL BLONDES have all won awards and screened internationally.Gracie's acclaimed documentary THE LAST IMPRESARIO is the ultimate realization of her prodigious short film talent. As director, writer, producer and cinematographer, her film celebrates the life of British producer and playboy Michael White who transformed British culture through hundreds of productions including Oh Calcutta, Rocky Horror, Chorus Line, Dame Edna and Monty Python. An intimate portrait of a larger than life character, the film was acclaimed by Variety and the Hollywood Reporter at its BFI London FF world premiere. Featuring interviews with 60 of his close friends and associates including Naomi Watts, Anna Wintour, John Cleese, Lorne Michaels, Kate Moss, Barry Humphries and Yoko Ono, the film has now screened at major festivals around the world, had theatrical releases in the UK, Italy, Canada and Australia, and is on VOD Platforms in the USA. The Last Impresario was nominated for the prestigious Australian Academy AACTA Awards for Best Feature Documentary.Since moving to Los Angeles in January 2016, Gracie has established strong relationships in film and television, represented by the prestigious William Morris Endeavour Entertainment agency, and in TVC and media production she was signed by Joinery to their renowned roster of directors.This year Gracie worked as Associate Producer on director Nick Broomfield's highly anticipated BBC/Showtime feature documentary on Whitney Houston, CAN I BE ME. She also directed a short documentary with Sean Penn and Audible, WHO IS PAPPY PARIAH, and produced and directed two short comedy sketches for Emmy award winning producer Stephanie Laing's PYPO online comedy platform.Gracie is in demand internationally as a freelance director of TVC and online content including fashion films, music videos and commercials. Recent directing credits in the USA include fashion films for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Russh, Jones and Laud magazines with some of the biggest names in the industry - Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Amanda Seyfried, Elizabeth Debicki, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, singers Brooke Candy, Samantha Jade and Pitbull, and international models Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee, Charlee Fraser and Lara Worthington.In Australia Gracie has developed an impressive slate of television commercials for clients including Virgin Australia, Mimco, Westfield, Sportsgirl, Bendigo Bank/Masterchef, Hesta Superannuation, Impulse Perfume, Perth Zoo (Won Best Ads), Bell Direct Broker, Southcape Cheese and the Daily Edited, as well as two French New Wave inspired trailers for Flickerfest.Other international collaborations include a series of webfilms in France for iconic French interior designer Francois Champsaur who commissions her regularly to create films to promote his designs in stunning locations - PARFUM DE REGRETS at a luxury Paris hotel; LA CABANE for a Marseille beach house; and YEARLING for the millionaire horse auction room at Deauville.As a filmmaker, Gracie is also recognized as an accomplished writer, editor and actress. In 2014 she was successfully commissioned by BBC FIRST Australia's newest arts channel, to curate and write the first week-long online Twitter drama inspired by shows from the BBC.Gracie is also a talented actor with leading roles in three Australian feature films. Her professional debut was the lead role of Emma in THREE BLIND MICE (2008), an acclaimed film that premiered at Toronto FF and won the BFI London FF Critics prize and a competition prize at the Sydney FF. The cast boasted a host of Australia's top actors including Jackie Weaver. Gracie also edited THREE BLIND MICE and has been praised by critics for her dual role "Gracie Otto who was also the editor manages to combine a kind of Katharine Hepburn fast-talking sassiness with contemporary flair and is a joy to watch."Other acting roles include LBF - LIVING BETWEEN F**CKS, co-starring with Toby Schmitz, which premiered at SXSW and the Sydney Film Festival and for which she also directed 2nd Unit in Paris. Recently Gracie played the role of Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick in a remake of the iconic film POOR LITTLE RICH GIRLS 2 and channeled the role of Jane in an homage to PARIS/TEXAS at a live Art Installation at Free Fall Gallery in Sydney.Gracie has received many awards for her work but also as an individual Australian talent. In 2014 she was a finalist in the Asia Pacific New Documentary and Outstanding New Australian Documentary Talent Award. In 2013 she won the prestigious Qantas SOYA Film Category for her body of work, including a mentorship in the US with Robert Luketic, director of Legally Blonde. Previously she had won the SOYA Audience Award and been a finalist for three years. She also won the 2011 Audi & InStyle Women of Style Scholarship, an innovative award that champions the most iconic and influential women working in all areas of business and the arts in Australia. And in 2010 Gracie was a finalist for the Inside Film Rising Talent Award. She received the Chairman's Award on her graduation from Sydney Film School, an auspicious indicator of her future success.A keen sportswoman, Gracie represented Australia in futsal soccer in New Zealand, Canada and Greece, and represented NSW in the 2004 Australian Softball Championships.Gracie has a number of film projects in various stages of development through her own company Ralf Films as well as Dollhouse Pictures, a new company formed with Rose Byrne and other Australian high profile female creative artists. Her feature drama Girls In Hotels, set in luxury hotels around the world, has received development funding from Screen Australia's Gender Matters program. Gracie has also acquired the rights to/is also in development on Armistead Maupin's audacious novel Maybe The Moon. Other current projects include Rue De Tournon, a co-production set in Paris and Sydney that follows the wild love adventures of two young Aussie girls and a quirky Australian doco celebrating the life of Koko the kelpie canine star of multi-award winning film Red Dog.Gracie is represented in Australia by Jean Mostyn at the Yellow Agency (directing) and United Management (acting) and in the USA by Simon Faber and Solco Schuit at William Morris Endeavour Entertainment, David Unger of Three Six Zero Group, and production company Joinery. Her international publicist is Jessica Carrera of Carrera Press Agency. Show less «