Juanita Wilson
Encyclopedia
Juanita Wilson is an Irish
director and writer from Dublin. Her short film The Door received an Irish Film and Television Award
(IFTA) in 2009 and an Academy Award nomination in 2010. Her debut feature film As If I Am Not There received the 2011 Irish Film and Television Award
for best film, best script, and best director.
where she studied fine art
as well as Dublin Institute of Technology
where she studied design
and journalism
. She began directing after this. She produced Inside I'm Dancing
and H3
.
provided money for the making of the film. She went to the Ukrainian
cities Kiev
and Prypiat, described as "the most radioactive place on earth" due to its close proximity to Chernobyl
, in order to film it. She was inspired to go there after seeing an abandoned playground with a ferris wheel on the internet. The setting of The Door is in Ukraine. It utilises the Russian language
complemented by English language subtitles. The Door won in the Short Film category at the 6th Irish Film and Television Awards in 2009. The Door was nominated in the category of Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
at the 82nd Academy Awards
. The Door also won awards at film festivals held in Bilbao
, Cork
and Foyle
. It also won "best director" at the Polish Grand OFF 2009 as well as winning the Sarajevo Film Festival
's Katrin Cartlidge Bursary 2009.
book and is a joint Irish production alongside Macedonia
and Sweden
. It is being filmed in Macedonia. The film was screened at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival. The film has been selected as the Irish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 84th Academy Awards
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
director and writer from Dublin. Her short film The Door received an Irish Film and Television Award
Irish Film and Television Awards
The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...
(IFTA) in 2009 and an Academy Award nomination in 2010. Her debut feature film As If I Am Not There received the 2011 Irish Film and Television Award
Irish Film and Television Awards
The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...
for best film, best script, and best director.
Education and production
Wilson attended the National College of Art and DesignNational College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design is a national art and design school in Dublin, Ireland.-History:Situated on Thomas Street, the NCAD started as a private drawing school and has become a national institution educating over 1,500 day and evening students as artists, designers and art educators...
where she studied fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
as well as Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology was established officially in 1992 under the but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. The institution can trace its origins back to 1887 with the establishment of various technical institutions in Dublin, Ireland...
where she studied design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. She began directing after this. She produced Inside I'm Dancing
Inside I'm Dancing
Inside I'm Dancing, also released under the title Rory O'Shea Was Here, is a 2004 Irish film directed by Damien O'Donnell and starring James McAvoy, Steven Robertson, Romola Garai, and Brenda Fricker...
and H3
H3 (film)
H3 was a film released in 2001 about the 1981 Irish hunger strike, events leading up to it, and subsequent developments in the prisoners' struggle for Prisoner of War status...
.
The Door
The Door was Wilson's first short film. The Irish Film BoardIrish Film Board
The Irish Film Board is Ireland’s national film agency and major film funding body. It was recommended for abolition by the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes in 2009.-Formative years:...
provided money for the making of the film. She went to the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
cities Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Prypiat, described as "the most radioactive place on earth" due to its close proximity to Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
, in order to film it. She was inspired to go there after seeing an abandoned playground with a ferris wheel on the internet. The setting of The Door is in Ukraine. It utilises the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
complemented by English language subtitles. The Door won in the Short Film category at the 6th Irish Film and Television Awards in 2009. The Door was nominated in the category of Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
at the 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
. The Door also won awards at film festivals held in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Foyle
Foyle
Foyle can refer to:*The River Foyle in Northern Ireland*Lough Foyle, the river's estuary*Several organisations and divisions that take their name from the river including:**Foyle **Foyle...
. It also won "best director" at the Polish Grand OFF 2009 as well as winning the Sarajevo Film Festival
Sarajevo Film Festival
The Sarajevo Film Festival is the premier and largest film festival in the Balkans, and is one of the largest in Europe. It was founded in Sarajevo in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, and brings international and local celebrities to Sarajevo every year. It is held in August and showcases an...
's Katrin Cartlidge Bursary 2009.
As If I'm Not There
Wilson completed her first feature film. It is titled As If I'm Not There, based upon the Slavenka DrakulićSlavenka Drakulic
Slavenka Drakulić is a noted Croatian writer and publicist who currently lives in Sweden.Slavenka Drakulić was born in Rijeka, PR Croatia, on July 4, 1949. She graduated in comparative literature and sociology from the University in Zagreb in 1976...
book and is a joint Irish production alongside Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It is being filmed in Macedonia. The film was screened at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival. The film has been selected as the Irish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 84th Academy Awards
84th Academy Awards
The 84th Academy Awards ceremony will honor the best films of 2011 and will take place on February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. It will be televised in the United States on ABC. The host was originally going to be Eddie Murphy. However, after Brett Ratner resigned as...
.
External links
- Juanita Wilson's diary from the Toronto Film Festival on IFTN - 07.10.2010