{{short description|Australian filmmaker (born 1963)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2012}} {{Infobox person | name = Pip Karmel | image = | caption = | birth_name = Philippa Karmel | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1963}} | birth_place = [[Adelaide]], South Australia, Australia | occupation = [[Film editor]], director, screenwriter | years_active = 1984–present | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | parents = | children = }}
'''Philippa "Pip" Karmel''' (born 1963) is an Australian filmmaker. As a film editor, she has worked exclusively with director [[Scott Hicks (director)|Scott Hicks]] in a [[List of film director and editor collaborations|notable collaboration]] from 1988 through 2007; their work together includes the 1996 film ''[[Shine (film)|Shine]]''. She has directed and written several films, including ''[[Me Myself I (film)|Me Myself I]]'' (2000), which was released internationally.
==Early life and education== Philippa "Pip" Karmel was born in 1963 in [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]].<ref name=austlit>{{cite web |title=Pip Karmel |website=[[AustLit]] |date=19 August 2020 |url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/OLD?id=A%23G%28&idtype=oldid |access-date=25 January 2026}}</ref><!---uncited-- She is the daughter of [[Peter Karmel]], who was an Australian economist, professor, and university administrator. --->
She studied visual arts in Adelaide. She subsequently studied film directing and editing at the [[Australian Film Television and Radio School]].<ref name=austlit /> She interrupted her studies to edit [[Scott Hicks (director)|Scott Hicks]]' feature ''[[Sebastian and the Sparrow]]'' (1988), which was her first feature credit as an editor.<ref name=Urban />
Her graduate film was ''Sex Rules'' (1989), a short film.<ref name=Sardi />{{fails verification|date=January 2026}}{{better source|date=January 2026}}
==Career== ===Television and ''Shine''=== In the early 1990s Karmel worked primarily as a director and writer. She directed an episode, ''The Long Ride'', for the Australian television program ''[[Under the Skin (TV series)|Under the Skin]]''; the episode won the [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series|Australian Film Institute Award for Best Tele-feature]].<ref name=Sardi /> Hicks persuaded Karmel to return to editing for the film, ''[[Shine (film)|Shine]]'', which Hicks was directing and had co-written.<ref name=Urban /> ''Shine'' (1996) has become Hicks' most recognised film; it is based on the early life of [[David Helfgott]], who became a concert pianist following several years of institutionalization for mental illness. In his ''Variety'' review, [[David Stratton]] wrote, "Securing the musician's cooperation was obviously crucial to Jane Scott's accomplished production, which is also distinguished by [[Geoffrey Simpson]]'s fine camerawork and Pip Karmel's editing, the latter skillfully shaping a wealth of material into a fast-paced, compelling narrative."<ref name=Stratton>{{cite news |title=Variety Reviews - Shine |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117904862?refcatid=31 |last=Stratton |first=David |author-link=David Stratton |date=21 January 1996 |work=Variety}}</ref> Karmel has now edited several additional films with Hicks.
==''Me Myself I''== Karmel worked throughout the 1990s on the film ''[[Me Myself I (film)|Me Myself I]]'' (2000), which she wrote and directed. Karmel's script explores the choices made by an unmarried woman who has become a successful journalist; in the film, the woman enters an "alternate reality" in which she is married to a former beau and has three children. The film was mainly seen in Australia, but was internationally distributed and widely reviewed.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Me Myself I |date=21 April 2000 |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000421/REVIEWS/4210305/1023 |work=The Chicago Sun Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Holden |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Holden |title=Me Myself I (1999) - FILM REVIEW; Oh, It's a Wonderful Life! (If Only She'd Realized It) |date=7 April 2000 |work=The New York Times |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9802E3DD133FF934A35757C0A9669C8B63 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Critic Reviews for Me Myself I |work=metacritic.com |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/me-myself-i/critic-reviews }}</ref>
==Screenplays== Karmel wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation of [[Geraldine Brooks (writer)|Geraldine Brooks']] 2001 novel, ''[[Year of Wonders]]'', a story of a 17th-century plague year in an English village.<ref>{{cite news |title=Literati to glitterati |last=Rodgers |first=Jonathan |work=Time Out Sydney |url=http://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/film/newsinterviews/literati-to-glitterati.aspx |year=2006<!--year of ''Candy'''s release-->}} Interview with James Bogle, Pip Karmel, and Luke Davies about adapting novels for screenplays.</ref> Karmel was slated to direct the film, but it was still "in development" in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Year of Wonders (Rumbalara) |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/445530/Year-of-Wonders-Rumbalara-/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103204010/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/445530/Year-of-Wonders-Rumbalara-/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-11-03 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2012 |accessdate=2011-01-26}}</ref>
Karmel and [[Vincent Sheehan (producer)|Vincent Sheehan]] wrote a screenplay for a comedy ''What Alice Forgot'', and in 2012 received a grant to support further development of a film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thirteen feature projects to receive development support from Screen Australia |url=http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/news_and_events/Media-Release-documents/2012/mr_120301_dev_approvals.pdf |publisher=Screen Australia |date=1 March 2012 |access-date=2 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017010058/http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/news_and_events/Media-Release-documents/2012/mr_120301_dev_approvals.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In August 2020, it was announced that Karmel would be writing the script for a screen adaptation of ''The Mothers'', written by Genevieve Gannon.<ref name=austlit/>
==Recognition and awards== [[Andrew Sarris]] noted in his review of ''Me Myself I'' in ''[[The New York Observer]]'', "Ms. Karmel, whether as erstwhile writer, editor, or maker of short films, has earned the right to a long and fruitful directorial career on the strength of ''Me Myself I'', one of the most striking feature-film debuts ever".<ref name=Sarris>{{cite news |title=Station Wagon Fender Bender is Rachel Griffiths' Big Break |last=Sarris |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Sarris |url=http://www.observer.com/node/42805 |work=The New York Observer |date=9 April 2000}}</ref>
Karmel's editing of ''Shine'' (1996) was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing]],<ref name=austlit/> the [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing]], and an [[American Cinema Editors#Eddie Awards|American Cinema Editors Eddie Award]], and it won the [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Achievement in Editing]].{{cn|date=January 2026}}
For ''Me Myself I'' (2000), Karmel was nominated for the [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Direction]] and for [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]].{{cn|date=January 2026}}
==Filmography== This filmography is based on the [[IMDb|Internet Movie Database]], and incorporates referenced additions to that listing.<ref name=imdb>{{imdb name|0006729}}. Karmel's work as a first assistant editor on ''Call Me Mr. Brown'' is not credited at IMDb.</ref>
===Editor=== *''Ana Who'' (documentary) (Karmel, 1984). *''[[Sebastian and the Sparrow]]'' (TV) (Hicks, 1988). *''[[Shine (film)|Shine]]'' (Hicks, 1996). *''The Ultimate Athlete'' (documentary, Hicks, 1996).<ref name=Urban /> *''[[Hearts in Atlantis (film)|Hearts in Atlantis]]'' (Hicks, 2001). *''[[No Reservations (film)|No Reservations]]'' (Hicks, 2007).
===Director=== *''Ana Who'' (documentary) (1984) *''Sex Rules'' (short) (1989). Won the Jury Prize at the [[ATOM Award|ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) Awards]].<ref name=Sardi /> *''Fantastic Futures'' (short) (1991). Won Gold Award of the [[New York Film Festival]].<ref name=Sardi /> *''The Long Ride'' (1993) (episode of the television series ''[[Under the Skin (TV series)|Under the Skin]]'', written by [[Tony Ayres]]).<ref name=Urban>{{cite web |title=Pip Karmel, Editor |last=Urban |first=Andrew L. |work=Urban Cinefile |url=http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=97&s=Features}}</ref><ref>{{Worldcat|oclc=37065005|name=The Long Ride}}</ref> Won [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series|Australian Film Institute Award for Best Tele-feature]].<ref name=Sardi>{{cite book |title=Shine: Screenplay |last1=Sardi |first1=Jan |authorlink1=Jan Sardi |last2=Hicks |first2=Scott |authorlink2=Scott Hicks (director) |publisher=Grove Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-8021-3508-7 |page=164 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cRQMov9juNgC&pg=PA164 }}</ref> *''[[Me Myself I (film)|Me Myself I]]'' (2000). Karmel also wrote the screenplay.<!--The film had a wide release in April 2000. It was shown at several festivals in late 1999.-->
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *Williams, Phillip (3 February 2007). "[https://archive.today/20070618104131/http://www.moviemaker.com/editing/article/the_peak_experiences_of_pip_karmel_2464/ The Peak Experiences of Pip Karmel: Editor/director shines in her latest, 'Hearts in Atlantis']", on Moviemaker website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Karmel, Pip}} [[Category:Australian film editors]] [[Category:Australian film directors]] [[Category:Australian women film directors]] [[Category:Australian screenwriters]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:Australian Film Television and Radio School alumni]] [[Category:Australian women film editors]] [[Category:Best Editing AACTA Award winners]]