Allison is a unicorn in the world of film and animation.
With a passion for storytelling that runs deep, she weaves captivating narratives that resonate with audiences on a personal level, while honouring beautiful, meaningful aesthetics.
A BAFTA-nominated director with 25 years’ experience, she’s built a stellar reputation delivering impactful films that not only connect with global audiences but are beautiful to boot.
Allison has worked on over 100 award-winning films – Oscars, Sundance, BAFTAs, Emmys – working with industry royalty like Spielberg, Guy Ritchie and Alex Gibney.
Allison has nurtured a love of telling important and difficult stories, tackling challenging narratives with her unique sensitivity and heightened visual storytelling approach.
Recent Accomplishments
- Directed her debut animated feature with Crayola Studios featuring David Tennant + Guy Pearce.
- Worked on over 100 films and episodic including 24 Sundance films, 5 Academy Award shortlisted/winning features, BAFTA and Emmy winners.
- Led juries and panels for international awards and festivals, including multiple time BAFTA jury member, VFX Jury President at D&AD Awards and festivals such as Aesthetica Film Festival.
- Nominated for a BAFTA for Netflix’s Take Your Pills.
- Directed, wrote and produced award-winning, hand illustrated animated short, The Amazing Adventures of Awesome.
My Story
I was a pretty typical Australian kid, born in the early 80’s to parents with a ‘sink or swim’ mentality.
Quite literally. Here I am at my grandparents’ farm riding Lightning, because apparently it was a good idea to stick a 5 year old on a horse named Lightning.
Growing up queer in suburbia, I realised pretty quickly that I didn’t fit the white picket fence theme. At 17, I upped sticks and left to study Film & Theatre at university, also becoming an avid player in the uni’s environmental and queer politics scene.
At graduation, my mother suggested I enrol in a secretarial course so I could get some “real skills.” Love you ma.
Fortunately, that wasn’t to be, as I was winning multiple awards for my writing with Sydney Theatre Company and my first short film had a string of successes on the festival circuit.
After an illness left me half deaf aged 20, I decided to set off with a backpack and a tent to explore the world.
I launched into artist residencies in Canada and China, hitchhiked across Quebec to spot icebergs, lived out of a tent for 4 months and climbed Kilimanjaro. Not all at once thankfully.
Landing in London with £50 to my name, like all good immigrants, I moved into a flat share with 9 others.
I worked 3 jobs at once, including a brief stint as a hand model, where the highlight was being a waterfall at a nail convention… (and, before you ask, there are no photos).
Not long after arriving in Europe, I entered the world of visual effects.
Living deep in the English countryside, I joined Ragdoll, just as they were entering development on the multi BAFTA-winning In The Night Garden.
Working with this formidable powerhouse of a company ignited my passion for creating beautiful and captivating stories for children.
After a couple of years as a Flame Artist, I went freelance, and started working with the incredible Passion Pictures.
Before long, 1 film turned into 3, turned into 6. Things were getting hectic so I set up my first London studio, Blue Spill.
I co-ran the studio for 8 years, a steep but incredibly rewarding learning curve, earning us multiple awards and widespread industry recognition. Then I separated from my business (and life) partner and found myself a single mother rethinking my life’s path.
After over a decade telling other people’s stories, I was ready to start exploring my own.
Inspired by my autistic son – I created my award-winning short film, The Amazing Adventures of Awesome, and founded my own design and animation studio, Past Curfew.
I threw myself into running the studio, underpinned by strong values to be passionate, committed and enamoured with the work we do.
With a focus on animation, the studio is exploring developing our own commissions where we can showcase depth and inclusivity, telling difficult stories to young audiences, beautifully.
With covid closing the doors of my London Soho studio, I decided it was time to jump ship and return with my family to Australia’s sunny shores.
Working with my UK-based team, with US and UK clients, the studio continues to work on high end episodic and film – deep in our passion for narrative focussed design and animation.
The move also gave me the opportunity focus more on my own storytelling. I’ve since directed my first animated feature, starring David Tennant, Guy Pearce and Teresa Palmer. And I’ve also been developing a slate of original film projects across animation and live action.
All while quietly wondering when my next big break in hand modelling might materalise…
Click here for a full list of accomplishments and awards