Garth Davis (born 1974) is an Australian television, advertising and film director, best known for directing the film ''

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

'' (2016), and the film ''

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...

'', written by

Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson (born 1964) is a British playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen. Early life E ...

. He earlier directed episodes of the series '' Top of the Lake'' (2013).

Early life

Garth Davis was born in 1974.

Career

Davis directed several episodes of the series '' Top of the Lake'' (2013). In October 2013,

Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of li ...

hired Davis to direct a film adaptation of '' Shantaram'', but that did not come to fruition; instead, it was later made into a

television adaptation An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: * Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...

for

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...

. He directed

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America pri ...

film ''

'', in his feature film directorial debut, which premiered to rave reviews at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

in 2016. In January 2016, Davis was hired to direct a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...

about

, titled ''Mary Magdalene'', written by

. The film had its world premiere at the National Portrait Gallery in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in February 2018. In 2019, Davis teamed up with See-Saw Films joint directors

Emile Sherman Emile Sherman is an Australian film and television producer best known for producing the film ''The King's Speech'' (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for exe ...

and

Iain Canning Iain Canning is an English film and television producer best known for producing the film ''The King's Speech'' (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for executi ...

in a new production company called I AM THAT, with

Samantha Lang Samantha Lang is an Australian film director and screenwriter. Her production company is Handmaid Media. Early life and education Samantha Lang was born in London, England, migrating to Australia with her family at the age of 14. She atten ...

as head of development. In August 2020, it was announced that Davis would direct an as yet untitled sequel to '' Tron: Legacy'', for

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit ...

. In April 2022,

Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...

announced funding for ''Immersion'', a science fiction drama TV series to be directed by Davis, written by

Matt Vesely Matt may refer to: * Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) * Matt, Switzerland, a ...

(''

Aftertaste Aftertaste is the taste intensity of a food or beverage that is perceived immediately after that food or beverage is removed from the mouth. The aftertastes of different foods and beverages can vary by intensity and over time, but the unifying ...

'') and executive produced by

(''

The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ...

'') and director/producer

Awards

*2008: Gold Lion at the

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...

, and a

D&AD Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. I ...

Yellow Pencil, for the

Schweppes Schweppes (, ) is a beverage brand that originated in the Republic of Geneva; it is made, bottled and distributed worldwide by multiple international conglomerates, depending on licensing and region, that manufacture and sell soft drinks. Schwep ...

commercial "Burst" *2010: Finalist in the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Commercials Director *2013:

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Direction for ''Top of the Lake'' (which also won three other Emmys) *2016: ''Lion'' was nominated for six

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

at the 89th Academy Awards in 2016, including Best Picture *2016: Directors Guild of America Award for best direction, ''Lion''

Personal life

Davis lives in Australia with his three children and partner Nicola Lester.

Filmography

Film

Short films

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Garth 1974 births Living people Australian film directors Australian television directors Advertising directors