Louise’s passion for the industry was sparked by working in the art department on the film Occasional Coarse Language. Her first gig was editing WIN News in Wagga Wagga, where she quickly learned the discipline of working to daily deadlines.
Louise’s role models were Murphy Brown, a successful career woman on TV during her formative years and her grandmothers, who encouraged her to study and also taught her how to be a craftswoman. Jane Campion was the first woman Louise saw being celebrated for filmmaking and watching The Piano changed her life.
Shooting her first feature All My Friends are Leaving Brisbane was a dream come true. Shot for $42,000, the dream became a cinematic reality when writer/director Geoffrey Wright endorsed the project, helping her secure vital post production funding. All My Friends are Leaving Brisbane ran for 7 weeks in cinemas and went on to win audience awards at the Natfilm Festival Copenhagen and London Australian Film Festival.
Louise was thrilled when her next feature Jucy enjoyed a world premiere at TIFF, named as a festival top pick by programmers and screening to sold-out audiences, something she considers a career highlight to date. The whole budget for Jucy was $150,000 and it was released in cinemas in Australia and it had a wide US release on DVD and on Netflix.
After building her directing muscles on Neighbours – Cross-Fit for directing according to Louise – she has been developing teen comedies Tracey’s Slumber Party and Brat Camp and psychological thriller Lulu and is attached to several projects in development. She has also recently directed comedy web series Stage Mums Season 3 and a touring comedy play, Side Kicks in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.
In the future Louise hopes to work with the best in the business, directing high end television and films. Her advice to women is to create projects you can produce with the resources you already have and greenlight yourself, because no one will hire you or fund you until you've proved beyond all possible doubt you can do the job.
Citing all the midday movies and video store $2 weekly hires she devoured when she was growing up, Louise continues to be inspired by film and TV that demands attention, including her current favourites Patty Cakes, I Love Dick and Get Out.