# Cate Shortland

Cate Shortland (born 10 August 1968) is an Australian director and screenwriter. She received international acclaim for her 2004 romantic drama film Somersault, her 2012 historical drama film Lore, and her 2017 psychological thriller film Berlin Syndrome. She is best known for directing the 2021 superhero film Black Widow.

## Early life

Shortland was born in Temora, New South Wales. She graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, where she received the Southern Star Award for most promising student.

## Career

Shortland has created several award-winning short films: Strap on Olympia (1995); Pentuphouse (1998); Flower Girl (2000); and Joy (2000).
She spent three years directing episodes of the Network Ten television series, The Secret Life of Us.
In 2004, Shortland released her debut feature-length film, Somersault (2004), which was entered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. She directed the Australian television film The Silence.
Her second feature, Lore, had its Australian premiere at the 2012 Sydney Film Festival. It won at the Locarno International Film Festival in August 2012 the Prix du Public UBS. In November, the film won the Bronze Horse for best film at the Stockholm International Film Festival. The film was selected as the Australian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.
In 2015, Shortland announced she was working on a third feature film, Berlin Syndrome. Based on the book of the same name by Melanie Joosten, the film starred Teresa Palmer as an Australian photojournalist who becomes imprisoned in the apartment of a man with whom she has a one-night stand. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
In July 2018, Shortland was announced as the director of the 2021 Black Widow film for Marvel Studios.

## Personal life

Shortland is a convert to Judaism. She married filmmaker Tony Krawitz in 2009, and they have two children.

## Filmography

Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
| 1998 | Pentuphouse | Yes | Yes |
| 1999 | Flowergirl | Yes | Yes |
| 2000 | Joy | Yes | Yes |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
| 2004 | Somersault | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | Lore | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | Berlin Syndrome | Yes | Additional |
| 2021 | Black Widow | Yes | No |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
| 2001–2003 | The Secret Life of Us | Yes | No | 10 episodes |
| 2002–2003 | Bad Cop, Bad Cop | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | The Silence | Yes | No | TV movie |
| 2012 | The Slap | No | Yes | Episode "Rosie" |
| 2014 | Devil's Playground | No | Yes | Episode "The Whirlwind and the Storm" |
| 2015 | Deadline Gallipoli | No | Yes | Episode 2 |
| 2016 | The Kettering Incident | No | Yes | Teleplay for episode "The Search" Additional material for episode "The Mill" |
| 2019 | SMILF | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
| 2024 | Three Women | Yes | No | Episode 4: "Maggie" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Film | Notes |
| 2004 | Somersault | AACTA Award for Best Direction AACTA Award for Best Original Screenplay AWGIE Award for Best Writing in a Feature Film - Original FCCA Award for Best Director Inside Film Award for Best Feature Film Inside Film Award for Best Direction Inside Film Award for Best Script Ljubljana International Film Festival Kingfisher Award Miami International Film Festival Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Director Miami International Film Festival Special Mention Breakthrough Award Nominated — Cannes Film Festival - Golden Camera Nominated — Cannes Film Festival - Un Certain Regard Award Nominated — FCCA Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated — Tokyo International Film Festival Grand Prix |
| 2006 | The Silence | Australian Screen Sound Guild award for Best Achievement in Sound for a Tele-Feature or Mini-Series Nominated — AFI Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series Nominated — the 2007 Logie Awards for Silver Logie in Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie. |
| 2012 | Lore | Abu Dhabi Film Festival - Black Pearl Award for Best Narrative Feature ADG Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film AFCA Award for Best Director AFCA Award for Best Screenplay AWGIE Award for Best Writing in a Feature Film - Adapted Beijing International Film Festival Tiantian Award for Best Director Beijing College Student Film Festival Special Jury Award FCCA Award for Best Director Filmfest Hamburg Critics Award Hamptons International Film Festival - Golden Starfish Award Locarno Festival - Audience Award Stockholm International Film Festival - Bronze Horse for Best Film Tromsø International Film Festival - Aurora Award Valladolid International Film Festival - Pilar Miró Award for Best New Director Nominated — AACTA Award for Best Direction Nominated — AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated — Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award for Best Director Nominated — Beijing International Film Festival Tiantian Award for Best Director Nominated — BFI London Film Festival Nominated — FCCA Award for Best Screenplay Nominated — Locarno Festival - Audience Award Nominated — Sydney Film Festival Prize Nominated — Thessaloniki International Film Festival - Open Horizons Award Nominated — Valladolid International Film Festival - Golden Spike for Best Film |
| 2017 | Berlin Syndrome | Nominated — AACTA Award for Best Direction Nominated — Dallas International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - Narrative Feature Competition Nominated — Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - World Cinema — Dramatic |