{{Short description|Australian film director and scriptwriter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}} '''Alister Grierson''' (born 1969) is an Australian film director and scriptwriter.

== Early life and education == Born in [[Canberra]], he completed his secondary schooling at [[Canberra Grammar School]], graduated in Economics and Arts from the [[Australian National University]] and studied Japanese in Tokyo.{{cn|date=May 2026}} As an under-18 [[Australian Rules]] player, he represented the [[Australian Capital Territory|ACT]] in the [[AFL Under 18 Championships|Teal Cup]] but later switched to [[Rugby union|Rugby]], playing 1st grade both for his school and the ANU. Whilst at university, his interest in film-making developed, and he later gained a Master of Arts in Directing at [[AFTRS]]. He has shot 15 short films winning three [[Tropfest]] awards<ref>Tropfest 2005 Winners – Urban Cinefile at http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=10090&s=Features {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128065620/http://urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=10090&s=Features |date=28 November 2011 }}</ref> and is the director of the feature film, ''[[Kokoda (film)|Kokoda]]'', which he co-wrote.

== Career == In 2009, Grierson was invited to the ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' set during shooting by [[James Cameron]], and was selected to direct a 3D cave-diving drama ''[[Sanctum (film)|Sanctum]]'', using the Cameron-developed [[Fusion Camera System]].<ref>IGN Movies 9 September 2009 http://au.movies.ign.com/articles/102/1022975p1.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301175857/http://au.movies.ign.com/articles/102/1022975p1.html |date=1 March 2010 }}</ref> The script is inspired by the near-death experience of one of the writers, [[Andrew Wight]], who was trapped in a cave collapse under the [[Nullarbor Plain]]. It was shot at [[Warner Roadshow Studios]] on the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Queensland Gold Coast]], and the film opened 4 February 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://collider.com/james-cameron-alister-grierson-andrew-wight-interview-sanctum/ |title=James Cameron, Alister Grierson & Andrew Wight Interview SANCTUM 3D MOBILE EXPERIENCE &#124; Page 68239 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=19 February 2020 |archive-date=20 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220050036/http://collider.com/james-cameron-alister-grierson-andrew-wight-interview-sanctum/68239/ |url-status=live }}</ref> By mid-March the film had joined the top ten Worldwide Box Office Results (Australian Films): All Time,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/blogs/get-flickd/kings-speech-the-little-nonaussie-that-could/20110303-1bffp.html |title=King's Speech Box Office Records &#124; Sanctum &#124; Get Flick'd |website=www.smh.com.au |access-date=16 March 2011 |archive-date=10 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310180919/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/blogs/get-flickd/kings-speech-the-little-nonaussie-that-could/20110303-1bffp.html |url-status=dead }}{{title missing|date=May 2022}}</ref> in ninth position.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sanctum.htm |title=Sanctum |website=boxofficemojo.com |access-date=16 March 2011}}</ref> The worldwide gross had reached $108,943,221 by 19 October 2011.<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0881320/ Retrieved 17 March 2012 {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date= March 2022}}</ref>

He is the director of ''Parer's War'', starring [[Matthew Le Nevez]] and [[Adelaide Clemens]], a dramatised biopic about [[Damien Parer]] for the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]. Although set in Sydney (for the Australian locations), much of the filming was done in Queensland. The script, by [[Alison Nisselle]], is an adaptation of Neil McDonald's book ''Damien Parer’s War''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/07/filming-underway-on-parers-war-telemovie-for-abc.html |title=Filming underway on Parer's War telemovie for ABC &#124; TV Tonight |website=www.tvtonight.com.au |date=8 July 2013 |access-date=27 August 2013}}</ref><ref>http://www.filmink.com.au/news/cameras-roll-on-telemovie-lsquoparerrsquos-warrsquo/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822174955/http://filmink.com.au/news/cameras-roll-on-telemovie-lsquoparerrsquos-warrsquo/ |date=22 August 2013 }} Retrieved 27 August 2013</ref> Released on 27 April 2014, the film attracted the following comments from [[Graeme Blundell]] in ''[[The Australian]]'': "Parer's War is taut, intelligently constructed and sharply executed by Grierson,..." and "It’s all beautifully put together by Grierson..."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/parers-war-depicts-the-mateship-and-frailty-of-men-who-fought-in-the-pacific/story-fn9n8gph-1226894559154 |title= Parer's War depicts the mateship and frailty of men who fought in the Pacific|newspaper=Theaustralian |access-date=29 September 2014}}{{title missing|date=May 2022}}</ref>

Grierson directed the final three episodes of both series of the award-winning ABC serial ''[[Nowhere Boys]]''.

He directed ''[[Tiger (2018 film)|Tiger]]'', written by Michael Pugliese and Prem Singh. [[Mickey Rourke]] plays Frank Donovan in the film, which is produced by [[Mary Aloe]],<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4224754/Retrieved{{Dead link|date=September 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 11 November 2015</ref> and co-stars Pugliese, Singh and [[Janel Parrish]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/mickey-rourke-tiger-janel-parrish-prem-singh-1201644176/ |title=Mickey Rourke Joins Sikh Boxing Movie 'Tiger' |website=variety.com |date= 19 November 2015|access-date=23 November 2015}}</ref> Tiger was released at the [[San Diego International Film Festival]] on 13 October 2018 where it won Best Feature Film.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0340958}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grierson, Alister}} [[Category:Australian film directors]] [[Category:1969 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian Film Television and Radio School alumni]] [[Category:People from Canberra]] [[Category:People educated at Canberra Grammar School]]