Michael is an award-winning filmmaker, researcher and educator. His recent feature drama, DISCLOSURE (2020), explores the social fallout following an allegation of child-on-child abuse. The film premiered at Palm Springs International Film Festival, and was nominated for an Australian Academy Award (Best Indie Film) and an Australian Directors' Guild Award (Best Direction in a Feature Film), and won the ATOM Award for Best Fiction Feature Film. Disclosure is currently streaming on Stan. Michael is a graduate of the UK's National Film and Television School, and holds a Doctorate from the University of Melbourne where he received the Margaret Lawrence Social Justice Award in recognition of the social impact of his narrative fiction ... Read more
About me
Michael is an award-winning filmmaker, researcher and educator. His recent feature drama, DISCLOSURE (2020), explores the social fallout following an allegation of child-on-child abuse. The film premiered at Palm Springs International Film Festival, and was nominated for an Australian Academy Award (Best Indie Film) and an Australian Directors' Guild Award (Best Direction in a Feature Film), and won the ATOM Award for Best Fiction Feature Film. Disclosure is currently streaming on Stan. Michael is a graduate of the UK's National Film and Television School, and holds a Doctorate from the University of Melbourne where he received the Margaret Lawrence Social Justice Award in recognition of the social impact of his narrative fiction work. Michael's current practice-led research explores the articulation and application of moving image narratives as methodology, with reference to subject areas including social justice, biography, ethnography, masculinity and trauma. As an educator, Michael has a 12-year track record designing and delivering filmmaking courses in fiction directing and screenwriting, including two years as Head of Directing at the UK's Northern Film School. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
About me
Professional Member of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA)
Professional Member of the Australian Directors' Guild (ADG)
Professional Member of the Australian Writers' Guild (AWG)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
About me
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 27/09/2023 |
'On the Art of Storytelling in the Digital Age', Atlas University, Mumbai, https://atlasuniversity.edu.in/news/dr-michael-bentham-from-the-university-of-south-australia-conducts-an-inspiring-session-on-the-art-of-storytelling-in-a-digital-age/ |
| 16/12/2021 |
'The Ten Best Australian Films of 2021', NME, https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/film-features/nme-best-australian-films-2021-3119165 |
| 05/11/2021 |
'2021 ADG Nominations', Inside Film, https://if.com.au/double-nominations-for-wayne-blair-shannon-murphy-at-adg-awards/ |
| 31/10/2021 |
'Australian Stories Are Back In Force', The Curb, https://www.thecurb.com.au/australian-stories-are-back-in-force-with-the-2021-aacta-award-nominations/ |
| 19/09/2021 |
'Review: Disclosure is a pacey, well-written domestic drama with a strong cast', The Canberra Times , https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7430692/a-gripping-middle-class-drama/ |
| 16/09/2021 |
'Disclosure is a tense and all-too-raw drama that delights in its ambiguity', The AU Review, https://www.theaureview.com/watch/film-review-disclosure-is-a-tense-and-all-too-raw-drama-that-delights-in-its-ambiguity/ |
| 13/09/2021 |
'Disclosure: twisted by the pool', Sydney Arts Guide, https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/disclosure-twisted-by-the-pool/ |
| 07/04/2021 |
'Independent Australian Movie ‘Disclosure’ Tackles the Uncomfortable Topic of Child-on-Child Abuse', Mum's Lounge, https://mumslounge.com.au/lifestyle/indi-movie-disclosure-uncomfortable-topic-child-on-child-abuse/?fbclid=IwAR2dDQzwwMssjfnVPJ8wiE8vGN4NWToXOji1q9p_2_-FowU3sj83xLajqws |
| 27/03/2021 |
'There Are Two Sides to Every Story', David Stratton in The Australian, https://disclosurefeaturefilm.wordpress.com/news/ |
| 24/03/2021 |
'Top acting & hot-button issues drive the searing Oz drama Disclosure', Jim Schembri, https://www.jimschembri.com/top-acting-hot-button-issues-drive-the-searing-oz-drama-disclosure/ |
| 03/07/2020 |
'Screen Grabs: In the grip of hard truths—both political and personal', Dennis Harvey, https://48hills.org/2020/07/screen-grabs-in-the-grip-of-hard-truths-both-political-and-personal/ |
| 22/01/2020 |
'Best of 2020 Palm Springs Film Festival', Brad Schreiber, https://bradschreiber-29377.medium.com/best-of-2019-palm-springs-film-festival-b7773ace406a |
| 09/01/2020 |
'A unique, highly relevant gem', Alex Saveliev, Film Threat, https://filmthreat.com/reviews/disclosure/ |
About me
Doctor of Philosophy The University of Melbourne
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Leeds Beckett University
Bachelor of Arts with Honours The University of Sussex
Postgraduate in Fiction Direction National Film and Television School
Michael will present a co-authored paper with Associate Professor Mark Carey (University of Plymouth, UK), entitled 'Screenwriting as Strategy: towards a working definition of narrative fiction filmmaking methodology' at the Screenwriting Research Network (SRN) annual conference in Vienna, 21-24 September 2022.
Outputs:
Bentham, M. (2022) 'The decline of the film school auteur: Are industry and university drivers stymieing new voices?'. The Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association (ASPERA) Annual Conference: CREATIVITY MATTERS: PRODUCTION. POETICS. PEDAGOGY. POLICY, Griffith Film School, Griffith University, Brisbane, 11-13 July 2022.
Bentham, M. (Writer/Director). (2020) Disclosure... Read more
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2020 |
|
Bentham, M. (Director/Producer). (2012) Worlds Apart [Participatory Video Installation]. Arts Council England (UK)
Bentham, M. (Director). (2005) Mowing the Lawn [Motion Picture] UK: Stampede Films
Bentham, M. (Director). (2001) Chatham Jack [Motion Picture] UK: Channel Four Television
Research
Michael will present a co-authored paper with Associate Professor Mark Carey (University of Plymouth, UK), entitled 'Screenwriting as Strategy: towards a working definition of narrative fiction filmmaking methodology' at the Screenwriting Research Network (SRN) annual conference in Vienna, 21-24 September 2022.
Outputs:
Bentham, M. (2022) 'The decline of the film school auteur: Are industry and university drivers stymieing new voices?'. The Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association (ASPERA) Annual Conference: CREATIVITY MATTERS: PRODUCTION. POETICS. PEDAGOGY. POLICY, Griffith Film School, Griffith University, Brisbane, 11-13 July 2022.
Bentham, M. (Writer/Director). (2020) Disclosure [Motion Picture]. Australia: Disclosure Films Pty Ltd, Breaking Glass Pictures (US), Bonsai Films, Madman Entertainment (ANZ)
Bentham, M. (2017). 'Writing to right': how does the screenwriter reconcile tensions between fact and fiction in the authorship of a biopic? Screenwriting Research Network Annual Conference, 'Screenwriting: Fact and Fiction, Truth and the Real', University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 28-31 August 2017
Bentham, M. (2016). 'From fact to fiction: authoring a modern biopic'. Screenwriting Research Network Annual Conference, 'Between Artistic Freedom and Norms', Leeds, United Kingdom, 8-10 September 2016
Michael's feature film debut DISCLOSURE received its World Premiere in the Official Selection, Palm Springs International Film Festival (2020). The film subsequently secured distribution in North America (BGP) and Australia/New Zealand (Bonsai Films/Madman Entertainment), and is currently streaming on Stan.
Disclosure was nominated for an Australian Academy Award (Best Indie Film) and an Australian Directors' Guild Award (Best Direction), and won the ATOM Award for Best Fiction Feature Film.
In 2017 Michael won the University of Melbourne's Margaret Lawrence Social Justice Award in recognition of the impact his narrative fiction films have in raising awareness and debate about community issues on a local and global level.
External engagement & recognition
External engagement & recognition
NEWS:
Feature film Disclosure (2020) is now availabe to view on streaming platform Stan.
Feature film Disclosure (2020) will screen as part of the Leeds Arts Research Centre (LARC) research programme, UK, 17 February 2022
AWARDS / NOMINATIONS:
Winner, 'Best Fiction Feature Film' (Disclosure), ATOM Awards, 2021
Nominated, AACTA Award, 'Best Indie Film' (Disclosure), 2021
Nominated, Australian Director’s Guild (ADG) Award, 'Best Direction in a Feature Film', 2021
Nominated, 'Best Film' (Disclosure), Cheltenham International Film Festival, 2021
Nominated, 'Best Australian Independent Film' Award (Disclosure), Gold Coast Film Festival, 2020
Nominated, 'Best Independent Film' Award (Disclosure), Newport Beach Film Festival, 2020
Winner, Margaret Lawrence Social Justice Award, University of Melbourne, 2017
Nominated, Grand Prize (Mowing the Lawn), Manhattan Short Film Festival, 2006
APPEARANCES / INTERVIEWS:
Guest Speaker, Sydney Film Festival (Travelling Film Festival), August 2021
'Raw-nerve drama about sexual assault drew from personal observation, not the zeitgeist', Jim Schembri interview with Michael Bentham, 26 March 2021
Guest Speaker, Ritz Cinemas, Sydney, 11 April 2021
Guest Speaker, Wallis Cinemas, Adelaide, 7 April 2021
'Australian filmmaker Michael Bentham chats to Subculture', interview with Subculture Media, 31 March 2021
Guest Speaker, Cinema Nova, Melbourne, 25 March 2021
'Disclosure: an Australian indie film and the team who made it', interview with Michael Bentham and producer Donna Lyon, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, 26 March 2021
Guest Speaker, Cameo Cinemas, Melbourne, 21 February 2021
Cinema Australia Podcast No. 57, interview with Michael Bentham and lead actor Matilda Ridgway, 11 Feb 2021
'Parental Guidance Recommended: Michael Bentham on making ‘Disclosure’, Rochelle Siemienwicz interviews Michael Bentham for ScreenHub, 25 August 2020
'A Stunning Debut', Norman B interviews Michael Bentham for North American radio show Life Elsewhere, 24 July 2020
Guest Speaker, Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2020
FILM FESTIVALS / EXHIBITIONS (Official Selection):
Disclosure (2020) Official Selection, Festival du Cinéma de La Foa, 2021
Disclosure (2020) European Premiere, Official Selection, In Competition, Cheltenham Internation Film Festival, 25 May 2021
Disclosure (2020) Official Selection, Sydney Film Festival (Travelling Film Festival), 2021
Disclosure (2020) Official Selection, Adelaide Film Festival, 2020
Disclosure (2020) Official Selection, Newport Beach Film Festival, California, 2020
Disclosure (2020) Official Selection, CinefestOZ, 2020
Disclosure (2020) Official Selection, In Competition, Gold Coast Film Festival, 2020
Disclosure (2020) World Premiere, Official Selection, Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2020
Worlds Apart (2012) Brighton Museum and Art Gallery 'World Stories:Young Voices' exhibition, UK, 2012
Mowing the Lawn (2006) Official Selection, In Competition, Manhattan Short Film Festival, 2006
Michael has a 12-year track record working as a course leader and senior lecturer in the UK and Australia, and is a Fellow of the UK's Higher Education Academy.
As Head of Directing at the Northern Film School he was nominated twice for a Golden Robe 'innovation in teaching' award for the design and delivery of a series of mise-en-scène directing workshops.
His students' films have received the highest distinctions, including Student Academy (Oscar) and Royal Television Society (RTS) Awards.
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| 110295 - Exploring `best practice¿ techniques and models of screen production for social impact | Current |
| Entangling agencies: towards an ethical framework for impact producing | Current |
| The Ghost Writer in the Machine: Exploring a new model for Australian screenwriting development and education through the use of Artificial Intelligence tools | Current |