Martin Butler

Martin Butler (born 1952) is an Australian film and television producer, director, and screenwriter. He is best known the 2015 award-winning film Tanna, and usually collaborates with filmmaker Bentley Dean and editor Tania Nehme.

Early life and education Martin Butler was born in England in 1952.

He studied politics and economics at Oxford University, and afterwards worked for the manager of The Who. He migrated to Australia in 1981.

In 2009, he co-directed Contact with Bentley Dean. The film tells the story of 20 Martu people who in 1964 became the last people in the Great Sandy Desert to have come into contact with Europeans. The film won many awards.

Other films, made in collaboration with Bentley Dean, include Tanna (director, producer, and writer) (2015), and A Sense of Self (director, producer) (2016).

For Tanna, he received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at 89th Academy Awards.

Personal life

His long term partner was the late journalist, television presenter and barrister Liz Jackson, with whom he had two children including Rose Jackson.

Accolades

2013: Winner, Walkley Documentary Award in the Walkley Awards, for First Footprints 2017: Winner, Walkley Documentary Award, for A Sense of Self; awarded to Liz Jackson, Martin Butler, Bentley Dean, and editor Tania Nehme

Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s) AACTA Awards Best Film Martin Butler, Bentley Dean and Carolyn Johnson Best Direction Martin Butler and Bentley Dean Best Cinematography Bentley Dean Best Original Music Score Antony Partos Best Sound James Ashton, Emma Bortignon and Martin Butler Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film Martin Butler and Bentley Dean African-American Film Critics Association Best Foreign Film Tanna