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julian higgins / director |
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JULIAN HIGGINS was born and raised in New Hampshire, where he began making movies in seventh grade. He received a BFA in Film from Emerson College in Boston, and went on to earn an MFA in Directing at the world-famous American Film Institute Conservatory.
His AFI thesis film, THIEF – inspired by little-known events in the early life of Saddam Hussein – won the Narrative Gold Medal at the 2011 Student Academy Awards, as well as Best Drama and Best Director honors at the 2011 Student Emmy Awards. THIEF also won the AFI's Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award, the Grand Prize Vision Award for Best Short at the Heartland Film Festival, the Angelus Film Festival’s Triumph of the Spirit Award, and twenty-one other prizes. The film is currently playing festivals internationally.
On the strength of the film, Emmy-winning producer-director Greg Yaitanes invited Julian to shadow him during the final season of the acclaimed television drama series HOUSE. Julian directed episode #15 of the season, which aired on April 2, 2012.
Julian lives in Los Angeles.
Julian on Twitter.
Julian on IMDB.
THIEF on Facebook.
THIEF official site.
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News
- April 23, 2012 // THIEF will be playing at the American Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival! View the Emerging Filmmakers Showcase lineup here.April 19, 2012 // Sarasota Film Festival screenings of THIEF.April 15, 2012 // THIEF has its Middle East premiere at the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai.April 9, 2012 // New Ivy Film Festival interview with Julian on THIEF, HOUSE, and the creative process.April 3, 2011 // Hollywood Reporter coverage of Julian's small-screen debut.April 2, 2012 // HOUSE episode airs!March 29, 2012 // New video promos added for HOUSE! See Projects page for links.March 28, 2012 - Emmy Magazine article on Greg Yaitanes' mentorship of Julian on HOUSE.February 26, 2012 // THIEF takes the Director's Choice Award for Best Student Short at the Sedona Film Festival!February 1 & 3, 2011 // Santa Barbara International Film Festival screenings of THIEF.January 30, 2012 // Official video for Sonny Fredie Petersen single BAD GIRL released.January 28, 2012 // THIEF screens at the Windrider Forum during the Sundance Film Festival.January 25, 2012 // Wrapped production on HOUSE.January 13, 2012 // First day of production on HOUSE.December 12, 2011 // Andrew Wheeler wins Best Cinematograpy for THIEF at Kosovo's Skena Up Festival!December 3, 2011 // THIEF screens at the Bahamas International Film Festival.December 1, 2011 // THIEF screens at Camerimage in Poland.November 6, 2011 // THIEF screens at AFI Fest.October 22, 2011 // THIEF receives an Honorable Mention at the Ojai Film Festival.October 15, 2011 // Julian accepts the Grand Prize for Short Film at the Heartland Film Festival!October 15, 2011 // THIEF wins Best Short at the Jacksonville Film Festival!October 14, 2011 // Julian accepts the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival!October 8, 2011 // Julian accepts the Angelus Film Festival's Triumph of the Spirit Award for THIEF!October 7 & 8, 2011 // BendFilm Festival screenings of THIEF.October 2, 2011 // THIEF wins the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Narrative at the Guam IFF!September 26, 2011 // Guam Int'l Film Festival interview on the making of THIEF. Read it here.September 24, 2011 // THIEF screens in Berlin at the REC International Youth Film Festival.September 23, 2011 // Albanian premiere of THIEF at the Fieri International Film Festival.September 20, 2011 // Julian directed a music video for Danish artist Sonny FP. Details soon.September 20, 2011 // Greek premiere of THIEF at the International Short Film Festival in Drama.September 18, 2011 // Best Cinematography & Best Student Film -- Big Bear Lake Int'l Film Festival!September 17, 2011 // Screening of THIEF at The Somewhat North of Boston Film Festival.September 15, 2011 // Slovakian premiere of THIEF at the Cinematik Int'l Film Festival.September 14, 2011 // THIEF plays the Rome Int'l Film Festival.
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Projects
- SELECTED WORKHOUSE, M.D. (2012)DirectorSeason 8, Episode 15: "Blowing the Whistle"BAD GIRL (2011)DirectorMusic video for Danish artist Sonny Fredie Petersen's single BAD GIRL (from album INTERNATIONAL, available on iTunes).4 min / HD / Warner MusicTHIEF (2011)Director / WriterTells the haunting story of Mehdi, an Iraqi boy who unwittingly befriends the young Saddam Hussein in 1959. Forty years later, in 2003, the two men come face-to-face a second time, and Mehdi must weigh his desire for revenge against his need to make peace with the past.25 min / 35mm film / American Film InstituteAWARDS
- 38th Student Academy Awards - Student Academy Award (Gold Medal)
- 32nd College Television Awards - Best Director & 1st Place Drama
- Heartland Film Festival - Grand Prize for Short Film & Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award
- Angelus Student Film Festival - Triumph of the Spirit Award
- Nantucket Film Festival - Audience Award
- Traverse City Film Festival - Best Fiction Short Film
- Ivy Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize & Best Graduate Short
- Woods Hole Film Festival - Best Dramatic Short & Short Film Audience Award
- Big Bear Lake International Film Festival - Best Cinematography & Best Student Film
- Guam Int'l Film Festival - Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short
- Sedona Int'l Film Festival - Director's Choice Award for Best Student Short
- Dances With Films - Audience Award
- CineGear Expo - Student Filmmaker Prize
- Skena Up Festival - Best Cinematography
- Jacksonville Film Festival - Best Short
- Tacoma Film Festival - Best Short
- Breckenridge Festival of Film - Best Student Film
- Big Island Film Festival - Best Student Short
- Ojai Film Festival - Student Film Honorable Mention
- HollyShorts - Audience Choice Award
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS- AFI Spotlight Showcase
- Newport Beach Film Festival
- Sesüchte Int’l Film Festival
- White River Indie Films
- Waterfront Film Festival
- Palm Springs Int’l ShortFest
- LA Shorts Fest
- Topanga Film Festival
- Roxbury Int’l Film Festival
- Rhode Island Int’l Film Festival
- Salt Lake City Film Festival
- Rome Int’l Film Festival
- Cinematik Int’l Film Festival
- SNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival
- Int’l Short Film Festival in Drama
- Fieri International Film Festival
- REC Int'l Student Film Festival
- BendFilm Festival
- Lucerne Film Festival
- Tallgrass Film Festival
- AFI Fest
- Camerimage
- Bahamas Int'l Film Festival
- Windrider Forum at Sundance
- Santa Barbara Int'l Film Festival
- Cleveland Int'l Film Festival
- Gulf Film Festival
- Sarasota Film Festival
- Tiburon Int'l Film Festival
- American Pavilion Emerging Filmmakers Showcase
NO WIND, NO WAVES (2008)Director / WriterA Chinese man comes to America for the first time to visit his immigrant son, but his trip goes terribly awry when he discovers his son has vanished without a trace.22 min / 35mm film / Emerson CollegeAWARDS- Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival - 1st Place Undergraduate Film
- 27th Annual EVVY Awards - Best Film, Best Director, Best Sound Design, Best Production Design
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS- Newport Beach Film Festival
- Nashville Film Festival
- Independent Film Festival of Boston
- Waterfront Film Festival
- I Mille Occhi Festival of Film & Art
- Big Bear Lake Int’l Film Festival
- Ivy Film Festival
- Big Island Film Festival
- NewFilmmakers
- Connecticut Film Festival
- Carolina Film & Video Festival
- White River Indie Films
- Flint Film Festival
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Screenings
- UPCOMING SCREENINGS OF THIEFCannes, FranceThursday, May 24 @ 2:30 pm at The American PavilionPAST SCREENINGS & AWARDSAFI Spotlight Showcase, Director's Guild of America; March 24, 201132nd College Television Awards, Los Angeles, CA; April 9, 2011WINNER: 1st Place DramaWINNER: Best DirectorIvy Film Festival, Providence, RI; April 22, 2011WINNER: Grand Jury PrizeWINNER: Best Graduate FilmNewport Beach Film Festival, Newport Beach, CA; April 29, 2011Sehsüchte 2011, Potsdam, Germany; May 5, 2011Big Island Film Festival, Waikoloa, Hawaii; May 14, 2011WINNER: Best Student ShortCineGear Expo Film Series, Paramount Studios, Hollywood; June 2, 2011WINNER: Student Filmmaker PrizeWhite River Indie Films, White River Junction, VT; June 4, 2011Dances with Films, Los Angeles, CA; June 8, 2011WINNER: Fusion Short Audience AwardWaterfront Film Festival, Saugatuck, MI; June 10, 2011Breckenridge Festival of Film, Breckenridge, CO; June 10, 2011WINNER: Best Student Film38th Student Academy Awards, Beverly Hills, CA; June 11, 2011WINNER: Student Academy Award (Gold Medal, Narrative)Nantucket Film Festival, Nantucket Island, MA; June 23 & 25, 2011WINNER: Short Film Audience AwardPalm Springs International ShortFest, Palm Springs, CA; June 25, 2011The National Archives, Washington, DC; June 30, 2011.Traverse City Film Festival, Traverse City, MI; July 27, 2011WINNER: Best Fiction Short FilmLA Shorts Fest, Los Angeles, CA; July 28, 2011Topanga Film Festival, Topanga Canyon, CA; July 30, 2011Roxbury International Film Festival, Boston, MA; July 31, 2011Woods Hole Film Festival, Woods Hole, MA; August 4, 2011WINNER: Best Dramatic ShortWINNER: Short Film Audience AwardRhode Island International Film Festival, Providence, RI; August 11, 2011Hollyshorts, Los Angeles, CA; August 17, 2011WINNER: Audience Choice AwardSalt Lake City Film Festival, Salt Lake City, UT; August 20, 2011Rome International Film Festival, Rome, GA; September 10, 2011Cinematik International Film Festival, Pieštany, Slovakia; September 14, 2011Big Bear Lake International Film Festival, Big Bear Lake, CA; September 17, 2011WINNER: Best CinematographyWINNER: Best Student FilmSNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival, Concord, NH; September 17, 2011International Short Film Festival in Drama, Drama, Greece; September 20, 2011Fieri International Film Festival, Fier, Albania; September 23, 2011REC International Student Film Festival, Berlin, Germany; September 24, 2011Guam International Film Festival, Hagatna, Guam; October 1, 2011WINNER: Grand Jury Prize for Best Short NarrativeBendFilm Festival, Bend, Oregon; October 6 & 7, 2011Angelus Student Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA; Saturday, October 8, 2011WINNER: Triumph of the Spirit AwardTacoma Film Festival, Tacoma, WA; October 9, 2011WINNER: Best Short FilmJacksonville Film Festival, Jacksonville, FL; October 14, 2011WINNER: Best ShortHeartland Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN; October 14-22, 2011WINNER: Vision Award for Best ShortWINNER: Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart AwardLucerne Film Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland; October 21, 2011Tallgrass Film Festival, Wichita, KS; October 21 & 22, 2011Ojai Film Festival, Ojai, CA; October 22-23, 2011WINNER: Student Film Honorable MentionAFI Fest, Los Angeles, CA; November 6, 2011Plus Camerimage Festival, Bydgoszcz, Poland; December 1, 2011Bahamas Int'l Film Festival, Nassau, Bahamas; December 3, 2011SKENA UP Festival, Prishtina, Kosovo; December 5-12, 2011WINNER: Best CinematographyThe Windrider Forum, Park City, UT; January 28, 2012Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Santa Barbara, CA; February 1 & 3, 2012Sedona Film Festival, Sedona, AZ; February 23 & 25, 2012WINNER: Director's Choice Award for Best Student ShortCleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland, OH; March 23, 30 & 31, 2012Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; April 14 & 15, 2012Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota, FL; April 14 & 19, 2012Tiburon International Film Festival, Tiburon, CA; April 23, 2011
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Press
- 27 April 2012 - Pappas Post: "Yaitanes takes aspiring director under his wing"
- 9 Apr 2012 - Ivy Film Festival: "Interview with 2011 Graduate winner Julian Higgins"
- 3 Apr 2012 - The Hollywood Reporter: "College Television Awards alum makes small screen debut directing Fox series"
- 28 April 2012 - Emmy Magazine: "Opening the door on HOUSE"
- 26 Mar 2012 - Variety: "College TV awards lead to mentorship"
- 5 Dec 2011 - ICG Magazine: "Stolen Moments: A conversation with award-winning THIEF cinematographer Andrew Wheeler."
- 15 Oct 2011 - The Independent Critic: "THIEF review"
- 26 Sep 2011 - Guam Film Festival: "Filmmaker Spotlight Interview: THIEF"
- 1 Aug 2011 - Youtube: "Hitler Finds Out About New THR Rankings for Film Schools"
- 4 Jul 2011 - Grace As A Tree: "Top 3 Films from the Waterfront Film Festival"
- 27 Jun 2011 - Movies & Sandwiches: "THIEF Stole Me Away"
- 17 Jun 2011 - Press release from Technicolor: "THIEF honored with 2011 Student Academy Award"
- 13 Jun 2011 - Emerson College Today: "Recent Emerson graduate wins Gold Medal Student Academy Award"
- 12 Jun 2011 - Press release from the American Film Institute: "Student Academy Awards Bestow Top Prize In Narrative Filmmaking to AFI Alumnus Julian Higgins"
- 11 Jun 2011 - Video from Oscars.org: "Acceptance Speech: Julian Higgins (Narrative Gold Medal)"
- 11 Jun 2011 - Associated Press (via ABC News): "Student Academy Awards have foreign flavor"
- 11 Jun 2011 - Variety: "Acad fêtes student filmmakers"
- 3 Jun 2011 - Valley News: "Hanover Grad Wins Oscar"
- 11 Apr 2011 - Press release from Academy of Television Arts And Sciences: "32nd Annual College Television Award Winners"
- 3 Mar 2011 - Valley News: "Hanover Grad's Movie THIEF Screens at the Nugget"
