{{Short description|Australian cinematographer}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} '''Bonnie Elliott''' is an Australian [[cinematographer]]. She has been nominated for and won numerous [[AACTA Awards]] in cinematography, including for ''[[Spear (film)|Spear]]'' (2015), ''[[Seven Types of Ambiguity (TV series)|Seven Types of Ambiguity]]'' (2017), ''[[H Is for Happiness]]'' (2019), and ''[[Stateless (TV series)|Stateless]]'' (2020).
==Early life and education== Bonnie Elliott graduated from the [[University of Technology Sydney]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |title=Media Arts and Production, University of Technology Sydney: Successful graduates |website=CILECT – The International Association of Film and Television Schools |date=20 January 2024 |url=https://cilect.org/members/media-arts-and-production-university-of-technology-sydney/ |access-date=15 November 2024}}</ref> While studying there, she was involved in the production of student films and the teen drama ''[[Heartbreak High]]''. One of her teachers was US-born cinematographer and documentary filmmaker [[Martha Ansara]].<ref name="Screen NSW">{{Cite interview |title=Interview with acclaimed cinematographer Bonnie Elliott |first=Bonnie |last=Elliott |url=https://screen.nsw.gov.au/news/interview-with-acclaimed-cinematographer-bonnie-elliott|date=6 December 2016 |access-date= 15 Nov 2024 |website=[[Screen NSW]]}}</ref>
In 2006 she obtained a Master of Arts in Film, Television, and Digital Media Cinematography [[AFTRS]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Our alumni |website=Australian Film Television and Radio School |url=https://www.aftrs.edu.au/alumni/our-alumni/?q=bonnie+elliott&Apply=Apply&sort=latest |access-date=15 November 2024}}</ref> where she studied under female cinematographers [[Jan Kenny]] and [[Erika Addis]].<ref name="Screen NSW"/>
==Career== Elliott worked as a [[clapper loader]] and [[focus puller]] for eight years, at the same time shooting her own work on a number of short films, using [[short end]]s left over from her jobs.<ref name="Screen NSW"/>
Her first feature film was ''[[My Tehran for Sale]]'' (2008), which she said would always be a major highlight of her career. Shot in Iran, the crew filmed in [[Tehran]] for 11 weeks. She was the only Australian, and the only female working with a crew of Iranian men, on the film about young artists living under the repressive Iranian regime, which made it somewhat risky.<ref name="Screen NSW"/>
Elliott was requested by [[Stephen Page]] of [[Bangarra Dance Theatre]] to collaborate with him on the production of ''[[Spear (film)|Spear]]'' (released 2015), an adaptation of Page's stage work, which explores themes of [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] masculinity.<ref name="Screen NSW"/>
She shot [[Meryl Tankard]]'s 30-minute documentary film ''Michelle's Story'', about the dancer and choreographer [[Michelle Ryan (dancer)|Michelle Ryan]], who has [[multiple sclerosis]]. Ryan became artistic director of [[Restless Dance Theatre]] in 2013. The film premiered at the [[Adelaide Film Festival]] in October 2015, and won the Audience Award there.<ref name=film2015>{{cite web |title=Michelle’s Story of resilience |website=[[InDaily]] |date=14 October 2015 |url=https://www.indaily.com.au/arts-culture/film/2015/10/14/michelles-story-of-resilience |access-date=15 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MICHELLE'S STORY |website=Bonnie Elliott ACS |url=https://bonnieelliott.com/DOCUMENTARY/MICHELLE-S-STORY |access-date=18 November 2024}}</ref> It went on to screen at other festivals, and won other awards.<ref >{{cite web |title=Michelle's Story |website=Adelaide Film Festival |url=https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/investment-fund/2015/michelles-story |access-date=18 November 2024}}</ref>
She filmed the short film ''Drowning'' with longtime friend and collaborator [[Craig Boreham]], as a prelude to the 2016 film ''[[Teenage Kicks (film)|Teenage Kicks]]'', which was made on a tiny budget.<ref name="Screen NSW"/> ''Drowning'' had its Australian premiere at the [[Flickerfest]] International Short Film Festival in December 2009 at [[Bondi Beach]] in [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmink.com.au/news/flickerfest-launches-over-bondi/ |title=Flickerfest launches over Bondi|website=[[FilmInk]]| date=9 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215051100/http://www.filmink.com.au/news/flickerfest-launches-over-bondi/ |archive-date=15 December 2009 }}</ref>
In 2017, Elliott was cinematographer for "Joe", the second episode of ''[[Seven Types of Ambiguity (TV series)|Seven Types of Ambiguity]]''.<ref name="AACTA 2017"/>
She also shot the 2019 family film ''[[H Is for Happiness]]'',<ref name="AACTA 2020 A"/> and on the psychological thriller ''[[Undertow (2018 film)|Undertow]]'', released in 2020.<ref name=stratton/>
She worked on the [[ABC TV (Australian TV channel)|ABC TV]] drama series ''[[Fires (TV series)|Fires]]'', which aired in late 2021, and the documentaries ''Freeman'' and ''Step into Paradise''.<ref name="AACTA 2021 A"/>
Elliott was cinematographer for the 2023 film ''[[Run Rabbit Run (film)|Run Rabbit Run]]''.<ref name=bell2023/> She was one of four responsible for cinematography for [[Jolyon Hoff]]'s 2025 feature documentary ''[[We Are Not Powerless]]'', with [[Maxx Corkindale]], Khadim Dai, and Andrew Commis.<ref>{{cite web | title=We Are Not Powerless | website=[[Adelaide Film Festival]] | date=19 October 2025 | url=https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/program/2025/we-are-not-powerless | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250930154238/https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/program/2025/we-are-not-powerless | archive-date=30 September 2025 | url-status=live | access-date=21 October 2025}}</ref>
==Influences== Elliott says that she has been inspired and influenced by a number of woman cinematographers, including [[Mandy Walker]]; [[Ellen Kuras]] (''[[Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind]]''); French DP [[Maryse Alberti]] (''[[The Wrestler (2008 film)|The Wrestler]]''); and Argentine cinematographer [[Natasha Braier]]. She also greatly admires the work of [[Harris Savides]], who collaborated with filmmaker [[Gus Van Sant]].<ref name="Screen NSW"/>
==Other activities== In 2020, Elliott devised the concept for #whoisinyourcrew, a campaign to promote female representation in cinematography.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Groves |first=Don |date=30 August 2020 |title=Cinematographers Society embraces greater diversity |url=https://if.com.au/cinematographers-society-embraces-greater-diversity/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |website=IF Magazine |language=en-AU |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233319/https://if.com.au/cinematographers-society-embraces-greater-diversity/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Recognition and awards== At the [[2012 Sorta Unofficial New Zealand Film Awards]], she won Best Short Film Cinematography for ''I'm the One''.<ref name="nzfilmawards">{{Cite web |date=6 December 2012 |title=saMOA! |url=http://www.nzfilmawards.co.nz/news/samoa/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |website=The New Zealand Film Awards |language=en |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233327/http://www.nzfilmawards.co.nz/news/samoa/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2016, she was nominated for the [[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography]] for ''Spear'' at the [[6th AACTA Awards]].<ref name="AACTA 2016">{{Cite news |last=Bulbeck |first=Pip |date=27 October 2016 |title=Australian Academy Awards: Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' Leads With 13 Nominations |language=en-US |work=Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/australian-academy-awards-mel-gibsons-hacksaw-ridge-leads-13-nominations-941645/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/australian-academy-awards-mel-gibsons-hacksaw-ridge-leads-13-nominations-941645/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In October 2016, Elliott was accredited by the [[Australian Cinematographers Society]],<ref>{{cite web |title=ACS accredited member list |website=Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) |date=1 July 2021 |url=https://cinematographer.org.au/acs-accredited-member-list/ |access-date=15 November 2024}}</ref> then the 10th woman to receive the accreditation of the total number of 379<ref name="Screen NSW"/> (by December 2019 there were 15).<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the 15 ACS accredited women |website=Screen Australia |date=8 March 2019 |url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/screen-news/2019/03-08-meet-the-15-acs-accredited-women |access-date=15 November 2024}}</ref>
In 2017, she won the [[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television]] for "Joe", the second episode of ''[[Seven Types of Ambiguity (TV series)|Seven Types of Ambiguity]]''.<ref name="AACTA 2017"/>
In 2018, renowned film critic [[David Stratton]] praised Elliott's "attractive photography" in his review of ''[[Undertow (2018 film)|Undertow]]'' in ''[[The Australian]]''.<ref name=stratton>{{Citation | last= Stratton | first= David | title= Performances anchor tangled plot | periodical= The Australian | date= 7 March 2020}}</ref>
In 2020, at the [[10th AACTA Awards]], she was nominated for the [[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography]] for ''[[H Is for Happiness]]'',<ref name="AACTA 2020 A">{{Cite news |last=Keast |first=Jackie |date=2 November 2020 |title='Babyteeth', 'Mystery Road', 'Stateless' score early AACTA nods |language=en-AU |work=IF Magazine |url=https://if.com.au/babyteeth-mystery-road-stateless-score-early-aacta-nods/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://if.com.au/babyteeth-mystery-road-stateless-score-early-aacta-nods/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and won the AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television for "The Circumstances in Which They Come", the first episode of ''[[Stateless (TV series)|Stateless]]''.<ref name="AACTA 2020 B">{{Cite news |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=30 November 2020 |title='Stateless' and 'Babyteeth' Dominate Australian Academy Awards |language=en-US |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/stateless-babyteeth-dominate-australian-academy-aacta-awards-1234842066/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/stateless-babyteeth-dominate-australian-academy-aacta-awards-1234842066/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2021, she had three nominations at the [[11th AACTA Awards]] – the AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television for "Everything's Gone", the second episode of ''[[Fires (TV series)|Fires]]'', and the [[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary]] for ''Freeman'' and ''Step into Paradise''.<ref name="AACTA 2021 A">{{Cite news |last=Keast |first=Jackie |date=4 November 2021 |title=Further AACTA nominations for 'The Newsreader', 'Nitram' |language=en-AU |work=IF Magazine |url=https://if.com.au/further-aacta-nominations-for-the-newsreader-nitram/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://if.com.au/further-aacta-nominations-for-the-newsreader-nitram/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Of these three, she won only the first award.<ref name="AACTA 2021 B">{{Cite news |last=Slatter |first=Sean |date=6 December 2021 |title='Fires', 'The Newsreader', 'New Gold Mountain', 'The Dry', 'Nitram', among early AACTA winners |language=en-AU |work=IF Magazine |url=https://if.com.au/fires-the-newsreader-new-gold-mountain-the-dry-nitram-among-early-aacta-winners/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233321/https://if.com.au/fires-the-newsreader-new-gold-mountain-the-dry-nitram-among-early-aacta-winners/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In ''[[Comic Book Resources]]''' review of ''[[Run Rabbit Run (film)|Run Rabbit Run]]'' (2023), Josh Bell said that, as cinematographer, Elliott works with [[Daina Reid]], the film's director, to "continue creating striking images even as the plot goes in circles".<ref name=bell2023>{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Josh |date=27 June 2023 |title=REVIEW: Netflix's Run Rabbit Run Is a Dull Exercise in Exploring Trauma Through Horror |url=https://www.cbr.com/netflix-run-rabbit-run-move-review/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |website=CBR |language=en |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://www.cbr.com/netflix-run-rabbit-run-move-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Awards and nominations=== {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Award !Result !Ref. |- |2012 |''I'm the One'' |[[2012 Sorta Unofficial New Zealand Film Awards|Sorta Unofficial New Zealand Film Award]] for Best Short Film Cinematography |{{Won}} |<ref name="nzfilmawards"/> |- |2016 |''[[Spear (film)|Spear]]'' |[[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography]] |{{Nominated}} |<ref name="AACTA 2016" /> |- |2017 |''[[Seven Types of Ambiguity (TV series)|Seven Types of Ambiguity]]'', Episode: "Joe" |[[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television]] |{{Won}} |<ref name="AACTA 2017"/> |- |rowspan=2|2020 |''[[H Is for Happiness]]'' |AACTA Award for Best Cinematography |{{Nominated}} |<ref name="AACTA 2020 A" /> |- |''[[Stateless (TV series)|Stateless]]'', Episode: "The Circumstances in Which They Come" |AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television |{{Won}} |<ref name="AACTA 2020 B"/> |- |rowspan=3|2021 |''Freeman'' |rowspan=2|[[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary]] |{{Nominated}} |rowspan=2|<ref name="AACTA 2021 A" /> |- |''Step into Paradise'' |{{Nominated}} |- |''[[Fires (TV series)|Fires]]'', Episode: "Everything's Gone" |AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television |{{Won}} |<ref name="AACTA 2021 B" /> |}
==References== <references>
<ref name="AACTA 2017">*{{Cite news |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=29 October 2017 |title='Lion' Leads Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Nominations |language=en-US |work=Deadline Hollywood |url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/lion-australian-academy-nominations-aacta-see-saw-the-weinstein-co-full-list-2017-1202197213/ |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://deadline.com/2017/10/lion-australian-academy-nominations-aacta-see-saw-the-weinstein-co-full-list-2017-1202197213/ |url-status=live }} *{{Cite news |last=Convery |first=Stephanie |date=4 December 2017 |title=Aacta awards 2017: Lion and Ali's Wedding sweep early categories |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/04/aacta-awards-2017-lion-and-alis-wedding-sweep-early-categories |access-date=13 July 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713233318/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/04/aacta-awards-2017-lion-and-alis-wedding-sweep-early-categories |url-status=live }}</ref>
</references>
==External links== *{{official|https://bonnieelliott.com/}}
{{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Bonnie}}
[[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian cinematographers]] [[Category:Australian women cinematographers]] [[Category:AACTA Award winners]] [[Category:University of Technology Sydney alumni]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Australian Film Television and Radio School alumni]]