Jane Campion b.

30 April, 1954

Campion was born the second of two daughters to actress Edith Campion and theatre
director Richard M. Campion. Campion was raised in the theatrical New Zealand community
where her parents were well known. Initially adopting a career in painting Campion later turned
her attention to film and began to direct short films.

Almost immediately Campion was recognized as an important voice in world cinema. Her early
shorts screened at the Cannes Film Festival where she won the Short Film Palme d'Or, the
highest honour achievable at the festival for a short film.

Her 1989 feature film debut Sweetie played In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The
festival further honoured her in 1993 by awarding her the Palme dOr for her film The
Pianomaking her the first (and as of 2015 the only) female director to have this honour. She was
also nominated for Best Director at the Oscars for The Piano, the second woman ever to be
nominated in that category.

Campion has directed 7 feature films, 7 shorts and an entire season of the crime drama Top of the
Lake which goes into production on its second season in 2016.