Gregory Erdstein

Gregory Erdstein is an Australian film director and writer, best known for the indie comedy That's Not Me.

Career

Erdstein is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, School of Film & TV, Melbourne, Australia.

Erdstein has collaborated with his wife, actress/writer Alice Foulcher, on several films including the controversial short film Picking up at Auschwitz,[1] the Tropfest finalist short A Bit Rich[2] and Paris Syndrome.[3] They spent most of 2014 as artists in residence at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France, where they made Paris Syndrome, and co-wrote the screenplay for their first feature film, That's Not Me.[4]

In 2014 also co-wrote and co-directed the short film Two Devils, with Van Diemen's Land director Jonathan auf der Heide. It premiered at the 2014 Melbourne International Film Festival.[5]

In 2015 Erdstein commenced production on his debut feature, That's Not Me, which filmed in Melbourne, Australia and Los Angeles, USA.[6] The film will had its World Premiere in February 2017 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival,[7] and Australian Premiere in June 2017 at the Sydney Film Festival[8] - where it came Fourth at the Foxtel Movies Audience Awards.[9] That's Not Me has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 87%.[10] The Guardian ranked it #5 of the Top 10 Australian Films of 2017,[11] with critic Luke Buckmaster giving it a 4 star review.[12] Andy Howell of Ain't It Cool praised Foulcher's lead performance, writing: “[Alice Foulcher] shoulders all the drama and gives one of the best twin performances I’ve ever seen... Having nuanced drama embedded in a comedy is a tightrope walk, but she’s got the skills to land it.”[13] The film was also flagged by the Santa Barbara Independent as a Must-See movie of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival,[14] and sold out a number of sessions at the festival.[15] Junkee Media called the film "An emotionally resonant and comedic quarter life crisis… It’s a simple set-up delivered endlessly in comedy, but managed so well in That's Not Me that you remember how rare it is that balance is achieved in Australian films."[16] The Sydney Arts Guide praised the film and performances, writing: "There’s not a dud note in That's Not Me thanks to a solid foundation in a script by Alice Foulcher and Gregory Erdstein, and anchored by a winning lead performance by Foulcher and helmed with an assured hand by Erdstein. The support casting is impeccable…Isabel Lucas is ferociously good".[17] Jake Watt of Switch called the film "a marvel of indie ingenuity, with dollops of charm and confident direction."[18] Karl Quinn writing for The Age said the film is "bursting with comedy, humanity and interesting ideas",[19] the Huffington Post called it "a stunning exploration of identity, the industry and the thirst for fame…the perfect blend of comedy and tragedy”,[20] whilst Concrete Playground praised it as "earnest, astute, insightful and thoroughly amusing. This is a movie that is both universal and unmistakably Australian – and that’s just one of many delicate balancing acts that That’s Not Me achieves".[21] That's Not Me won the award for Best Film Under $200k at the inaugural 2018 Ozflix Independent Film Awards.[22]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2016 That's Not Me Director / Co-writer
2015 Paris Syndrome Director / Co-writer short film
2014 Two Devils Co-director / Co-writer short film
2014 A Bit Rich Director / Co-writer short film
2013 Why Ryan is on Detention Co-writer short film
2012 Picking up at Auschwitz Director / Co-writer short film
2009 Facing Rupert Director / Writer short film
2008 The Device Director / Writer short film
2008 Work to Rule Director / Writer short film
2007 Radius of Action Director / Writer short film
2001 The Masterplan Director / Writer short film

References

  1. ↑ Villella, Fiona. "St Kilda Film Festival: final weekend highlights". The Age. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  2. ↑ "Tropfest finalists announced". Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Gregory Erdstein and Alice Foulcher on their new Australian comedy That's Not Me". Cinema Australia. 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  4. ↑ "Alice Foulcher: In The City Of Lights With Paris Syndrome". Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  5. ↑ (MIFF), Melbourne International Film Festival. "MIFF 2014". 2014.miff.com.au. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  6. ↑ "Inside Film: Indie Comedy That's Not Me Wraps Filming".
  7. ↑ Murthi, Vikram. "That's Not Me Clip: A Twin Uses Sister's Celebrity For Personal Gain | IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  8. ↑ Maddox, Garry (2017-04-05). "Sydney Film Festival announces Casey Affleck, Whitney Houston and werewolf films". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  9. ↑ Gray, Richard (2017-06-21). "SFF 2017: 'Ali's Wedding' and 'Roller Dreams' take Audience Awards". The Reel Bits. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  10. ↑ That's Not Me, retrieved 2018-09-10
  11. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (2017-12-20). "From Mountain's majesty to Lion's roar: the best Australian films of 2017". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  12. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (2017-09-06). "That's Not Me review – smart, low-budget dramedy putting creators on path to stardom". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  13. ↑ Copernicus. "Copernicus is a fan of THAT'S NOT ME at SBIFF". Aint It Cool News. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  14. ↑ "SBIFF 2017: Films to Find". www.independent.com. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  15. ↑ "Melbourne made film a hit". Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  16. ↑ "Sydney Film Festival Review: 'That's Not Me'". Junkee. 2017-06-24. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  17. ↑ "THAT'S NOT ME Review - Sydney Arts Guide". Sydney Arts Guide. 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  18. ↑ Watt, Jake. "SWITCH. | Film review: That's Not Me - a marvel of indie ingenuity". SWITCH. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  19. ↑ Quinn, Karl (2017-08-31). "That's Not Me: The winning comedy film made by Aussie couple for just $60,000". The Age. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  20. ↑ Whitehead, Mat (2017-09-05). "What Is It Like To Try And Be More Famous Than Someone With Your Exact Face". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  21. ↑ "That's Not Me". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  22. ↑ Quinn, Karl (2018-04-15). "Is it time to make low-budget Australian movies cheaper at the cinema?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
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