Michael Dillon

Mr Michael Dillon
Cinematographer

Summary of Qualifications

MICHAEL DILLON AM
Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

CITATION For service to the Australian Film Industry as a pioneer in adventure and mountain film cinematography, and to the community through support for international humanitarian work.

Michael Dillon is Australia's leading cameraman/director of adventure and expedition documentaries.

At an international level he has won more awards in this field than any other individual worldwide.

His documentary "Everest Sea to Summit" which he conceived, produced, directed and filmed is the most internationally awarded adventure documentary of all time winning nine Grand Prizes at International Mountain and Exploration Film Festivals worldwide. Filming this documentary, during a 4 month period in 1990 involved walking for 700 kilometres carrying a heavy camera the entire time.

He has made 5 Adventure Documentaries with the first man to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary including the Grand Prize Winning "From the Ocean to the Sky" about a 4 month jetboat journey along India's River Ganges, and the National Geographic Special "Return to Everest". His latest film "Beyond Everest", about Sir Edmund Hillary's ongoing work with the Sherpa people of Everest, has won 5 International Awards.

Other expeditions and adventures he has filmed include the first Australian ascent of Everest in 1984, two Everest Ballooning Expeditions, a base jumping expedition in the Karakoram, four Antarctic Expeditions, two English Channel Swims , other expeditions in Siberia, Irian Jaya, Africa and the Andes, and a journey by London Taxi from London to Sydney. He has received two US Primetime Emmy nominations for cinematography, for his camerawork on "Survivor- the Australian Outback" and the National Geographic Television Special "Those Wonderful Dogs"

His natural history documentary credits include "The Big Wet", " Living Edens- Tasmania" and "State of the Planet with David Attenborough"

He is possibly unique in Australia for having received international awards in the diverse fields of Natural History, Adventure and General Documentary cinematography as well as for Direction, Production and Scriptwriting.

He won Australia's top award for Documentary Cinematography, the ACS Golden Tripod Award two years in succession, in 1985 and 1986, for a film about the Bicentennial camel race and an expedition with Sir Edmund Hillary in India.

He is still actively involved in the industry and is currently filming a documentary about the cataclysmic eruption of Papua New Guinea's Mount Lamington in 1951.

He is also a founding Director of the Australian Himalayan Foundation which is dedicated to giving something back to the people of the Himalayas in the form of Education, health and other developmental projects.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and was awarded the inaugural Australian Geographic Silver Medallion for Excellence in 1986. He was the first Australian to win the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award.


Employment

1972  VISITORS IN TIME (Portuguese Timor) 50 mins.  Cameraman.- NHK Japan, etc.

1973  A HIMALAYAN JOURNEY (Annapurna region, Nepal) - 50 mins. - Cameraman, Producer, Director.  ABC-TV, BBC-TV, Swiss, Dutch, Danish and Japanese TV.

1975  PEOPLE OF EVEREST (Nepal) 17 mins. Cameraman, Director. Sales to Danish, Swedish television, etc.

1975  THE LIVING GODDESS (Kathmandu, Nepal) 50 mins. 2nd unit cinematography. Seven Network Australia,  BBC-TV.
 
1976  TALL SHIPS - AMERICAN BI-CENTENARY (New York, U.S.A.) Co-cameraman. For the Maritime Museum, Sydney.

1976 ROMANCE DE CHILE (Mainland Chile and Easter Island). Co- cameraman. - For Lan Chile.

1976 KING OF THE CHANNEL (England)  30 mins. Co-cameraman.ABC Television. Winner of best sports documentary, Australian Logie Awards 1976.

1977 NOTHING GREAT IS EASY (English Channel, Loch Ness Scotland) 50 mins. Cameraman. ABC Television.

1977-78 FROM THE OCEAN TO THE SKY (India)  50 mins. Cameraman, Director. Sir Edmund Hillary's Ganges Jetboat expedition. Sales to BBC Television, Seven Network Australia, French, German, Austrian, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, Swiss, Finnish, Hungarian, New Zealand, South African, Japanese Television. Feltex Award for best documentary on New Zealand television, 1980. Gold Gentian for best film International Mountain and Exploration Film Festival Trento, Italy, 1980. Extended version (58 mins, 30 sec.) titled "Hillary's Challenge - Race to the Sky" screened nationally on the PBS Network, USA in May 1982.

1979  THE ELEVEN POWERS (Bali) 2nd unit cinematography. BBC-TV, the Seven Network Australia,  etc.

1979  NEPAL.  Cameraman. For Thai Airways International.

1979  JOURNEY INTO THE HIMALAYAS (India, Nepal). Co-cameraman Ladakh and Everest region episodes. ABC Television.
Cameraman of ABC-TV "Weekend Magazine" story of the making of the Everest episode of the series.

1979  DOWN THE KATHERINE (Northern Territory, Australia). Cameraman, Director.  Ausventure Wilderness Association.

1980 ACROSS THE PACIFIC (New Caledonia). Cameraman. For Club Mediterranee.

1980 BEYOND EVEREST (New Zealand, Nepal). 50 mins. Cameraman, Director. A four month journey with Sir Edmund Hillary in Nepal. BBC Television, ABC-TV, New Zealand, Swiss and South African Television. Silver Gentian for best mountain film, International Mountain and Exploration Film Festival Trento, Italy, 1982.

1980 NOUVELLE CALEDONIE (New Caledonia). - Co-Cameraman. For the New Caledonian Government Tourist Office.

1980 THE RUNNER (Simpson Desert).  50 mins. Cameraman.Dick Smith Adventure and the Seven Network Australia.

1981 THE MAHOGANY SHIP (Warnambool, Australia). 50 mins. Cameraman.Dick Smith Adventure, Ten Network Australia.

1981 ACROSS THE HORIZON (Malaysia). Cameraman. For Club Mediterranee.

1981 HOT AIR BALLOONING (NSW and Northern Territory Australia) Cameraman. For Adventure Travel Centre, Sydney.

1981 GLIDING OVER MT. COOK (New Zealand). Cameraman. Stirling Cigarette Cinema Commercial.

1981 SNOW DOWN UNDER (Ski touring, Snowy Mountains, Australia). 50 mins. Co-Cameraman. Ten Network.

1981-82 BIRDMEN OF KILIMANJARO (Tanzania). 50 mins. Co-Cameraman. Ten Network, Australia. Finalist Best Documentary Film, Best Achievement in Cinematography Non-feature Film Section. A.F.I. Awards 1983.

1982 OUTSTRETCHED HANDS (Vellore, South India). Producer, Director, Cameraman. Featuring the work of the Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, India.

1982 CRICKET IN INDIA (India, Pakistan). 50 mins. Cameraman. For Channel Four UK, ABC Television.

1983 RETURN TO EVEREST (Nepal). 59 mins. Cameraman, Associate Producer. National Geographic Television Special. PBS Network U.S.A.

1983 AJOURNEY TO THE DAWNING OF THE DAY (Fiji). 50 mins.Cameraman, Producer, Director. ABC-TV. PBS.

1984 EVEREST - THE AUSTRALIAN ASSAULT (Tibet, China). 75 mins. Director of Photography. Channel Nine, Australia. Silver Gentian for best video, International Mountain and Exploration Film Festival, Trento, Italy, 1986.

1984-85 DICKSMITH'S HIMALAYAN ADVENTURE"  (Nepal). 50 mins.Cameraman. For Dick Smith Adventure Pty.Ltd. and the Seven Network Australia.

1985 GREAT WHITE (Coral Sea, New Guinea). 50 mins. Co-Cameraman. For Assignment Adventure, Channel Four.

1985 THE FLIGHT OF THE WIND HORSE (Nepal). 50 mins. Co-Cameraman. For Assignment Adventure. Channel Four U.K., PBS Network U.S.A. A.F.I. Award, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Non-feature Category, 1986.

1985-86 MUSICAL MARINER (New Guinea, Tahiti, Easter Island). 2 x 50 mins. ABC-TV, BBC-TV and PBS USA "Adventure" series. Cameraman, Co-Producer. Finalist Best Documentary Film, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Non-feature Category, Australian Film Institute Awards 1987.

1986 INDIA - A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER.  50 mins. Cameraman, Producer, Director. ABC-TV.  1987 Golden Tripod Award, Australian Cinematographers Society.

1986-87 THE SACRED COW OF INDIA. 50 mins.Cameraman.  ABC-TV.

1987-88 MAN ON THE RIM (Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Tahiti, Hawaii, Western Samoa, Cook Islands, Siberia).  Co-Cameraman.  ABC-TV series.

1987THE INFINITE VOYAGE (Tibet). Cameraman. WQED West for PBS U.S.A.

1987RACING WITH THE SUN (Solar Car Race). Co-Cameraman. National Geographic Explorer.

1987  THOSE WONDERFUL DOGS (New Zealand Segment). Cameraman, Director. National Geographic Television Special. U.S.A. Emmy Award nomination for Cinematography 1989. Kodak Vision Award for Cinematography.

1988 THE GREAT CAMEL RACE, Part 1. Cameraman. ABC-TV, BBC-TV, National Geographic Explorer. 1989 Golden Tripod Award, Australian Cinematographers Society.

1989 A FARE TO REMEMBER-THE GREAT TAXI ADVENTURE (London to Sydney) Cameraman, Producer, Director. Ten Network Australia. Channel Four UK. National Geographic Explorer. Best Narrative Film. International Festival of Adventure and Sports Films. Annecy France 1990. Merit Award for Cinematography. Australian Cinematographers Society Awards. 1990.

1989 THE SOCIAL CLIMBERS (Peru). Co-Cameraman,Co-Director. ABC-TV.

1989 BENEATH INDIAN SKIES. Three part documentary series:"A Day's Work","Temples and Pilgrims","Marriage State".  Co-Cameraman. Seven Network.

1989-99 RING OF POWER (Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea). Co-Cameraman. National Geographic Explorer. ZDF Germany.

1990 EVEREST - SEA TO SUMMIT (India,Nepal). Cameraman, Producer, Director. Seven Network Australia. National Geographic Explorer. Merit Award for Cinematography, Australian Cinematographers Society Awards, 1993.Grand Prizes Trento, J.I.F.A.S., Poprad, Torello, Andorra, Calcutta, Teplice Nad Metuji and New York Mountain Film Festivals. Best Alpine Film Telluride, Les Diablerets and Graz Mountain Film Festivals. Special Jury Award Banff Mountain Film Festival.

1990THE KIMBERLEY - LAND OF THE WANDJINA. Co-Cameraman. ABC-TV. National Geographic Explorer.

1990-91 ANTARCTICA. The Infinite Voyage Series.  PBS. USA. Cameraman.

1991 FIRE ON THE WIND - BALLOONING OVER EVEREST. (Nepal)Co-Cameraman. ABC-TV. National Geographic.

1991-92 BLUE WILDERNESS.  Four part series with Ron and Valerie Taylor. Co-Cameraman. ABC-TV. National Geographic Explorer. Gold Palm Award for images. Underwater Film Festival Antibes.

1991-93  PACIFICA - TALES FROM THE SOUTH SEAS.  13 part series (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, and Tahiti).  Co-Cameraman. SBS, Discovery USA.

1992 SECRET PLACES. (Stewart Island, New Zealand). Cameraman.Seven Network.

1992 FLIGHT OF THE RHINO. (Zimbabwe). Co-Cameraman. Nine Network. National Geographic Explorer. Gold Camera Award, US International Film and Video Festival 1994. Merit award for action cinematography.  International Wildlife Film Festival, Montana, 1994.

1993 THE BIG WET (Northern Territory). Co-Cameraman. ABC-TV. Discovery Network, US. Gold Medal. Best Camerawork. New York Film Festival 1994.

1993 THE ICE CAPPED JUNGLE (Irian Jaya) Cameraman. Seven Network. Best Adventure Sports Documentary.  JIFAS ‘95

1993 THEPOWER OF DREAMS. Series (Arnhemland, Bathurst Island sequences). Cameraman. Discovery Network.

1994 TROPICAL BEAT (India, Senegal, Cuba, Thailand, Laos, Tanzania, Fiji). 8 part series with David Fanshawe. Cameraman. ABC-TV, BBC-TV.

1994 A GLORIOUS WAY TO DIE (Siberia). Cameraman. ABC-TV. National Geographic Explorer. Grand Prize Poprad…………, Autrans 1996.

1994 SPIRIT OF FIJI.  Cameraman.  For Fiji Visitors' Bureau.

1994-96  TALES OF OCEANIA (Indonesia, Philippines, Fiji, Tahiti, Arnhemland, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Marshall Is., Western Samoa, Vanuatu)  13 part series. Cameraman. SBS TV, Travel Channel USA.

1995 WALTZING MATILDA - the Song That Shaped a Nation".  (Australia, England, France) Cameraman. Seven Network.

1995 BUSHFIRE - ANIMAL RESCUE. Co-Cameraman. ABC-TV. National Geographic Explorer.

1996 JOURNEYS OF ORIGIN.CHILE (Australia, Chile) Cameraman. SBS TV.

1996-98 ANIMAL WEAPONS (Australia, USA). Five part series.  Co-cameraman. Seven Network Australia. Discovery, USA.

1997 KANGAROO COMEBACK. National Geographic Television Special.  Co-cameraman. Silver Award NSW ACS Awards 1998.

1997-98 WILD ASIA (Indonesia, Japan). Co-cameraman. Television New Zealand.  NHK Japan.

1997 OUR PARK (Australia). Co-cameraman. SBS-TV.

1997 MIRACLE AT SEA (Australia).Co-cameraman. ABC-TV. Channel Four UK.Best Documentary, Logie Awards.

1997O SAMOA (Western Samoa). Co-cameraman. Grand Prize, International Festival of Tourist Films. Milan 1998.

1997-98 BRONZED AUSSIE GODS (Australia). Co-cameraman. ABC-TV. National Geographic Explorer.

1998 WILDEST ANTARCTICA.Co-cameraman.  Seven Network Australia.

1998 ANTARCTICA ALIVE. Cameraman. Seven Network Australia.

1998 WILD INDONESIA. Co-cameraman. PBS-USA.

1998-99 AUSTRALIA - EYE OF THE STORM, Southern Exposure (Antarctica) and La Nina episodes. Co-cameraman. Best Cinematography in a non-feature film. A.F.I. Awards 2000.
1999 WILDEST ARCTIC. Co-cameraman. Seven Network, Australia.

1999 BEYOND EVEREST (Nepal, New Zealand, Australia). Co-cameraman, Producer, Director. Himalaya Award.  Best human adventure film.  International Adventure Film Festival, Calcutta, 2000. Best Film on Mountain Culture at International Mountain Film Festivals in Slovakia 2000 and Trento and Vancouver 2001.

1999 STATE OF THE PLANET - with David Attenborough BBC-TV. Cameraman/Director.Mahogany Glider sequence.

1999-2000 ANIMAL OLYMPIANS. Co-cameraman. Seven Network, Australia.

2000 JOURNEYS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. The Travel Channel, USA. ABC-TV, Cameraman Ethiopia and Sudan episodes. (Ethiopia - Keepers of the Lost Ark". Silver Award for cinematography NSW ACS Awards, 2000.)

2000 THE LIVING EDENS - TASMANIA. ABC-KANE USA. Co-cameraman. ACS Golden Tripod Award 2003.

2000 SURVIVOR II - THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK. CBS, USA. Co-cameraman. US Emmy Nomination for Cinematography 2001.

2000 THE FORGOTTEN RHINO (Nepal). Co-cameraman. TV NZ. National Geographic Television.

2000BASE CLIMB II – DEFYING GRAVITY.  ABC-TV.  National Geographic Television.  Co-cameraman.

2001 BUDDHA'S GIANTS (Sri Lanka) Co-Cameraman. Natural History New Zealand. National Geographic Television.

2001 BUGWORLD.  For Oxford Scientific Films UK Co-cameraman.

2001 THE MARVELS OF MADAGASCAR. Seven Network. Cameraman.

2002TANTALISING TAHITI  Channel 7 Australia. The Travel Channel USA. Co-cameraman.

2002 SIXTY THOUSAND BARRELS SBS-TV. Co-Cameraman.

2002 EMERGING ASIA.  Cameraman/Director. For Croydon Travel Pty Ltd.

2002-03 LIFE AND DEATH AT CAFÉ BONES- Cameraman. Juniper Films.

2003 WEDDING IN NUKU'ALOFA (Tonga). 2 Part Series. Television New Zealand. Cameraman.

2003ALONE ACROSS AUSTRALIA. ABC-TV. Co-cameraman. Silver Gentian. Best Exploration film. Trento. 2005

2003 THE BARRIER BREAKERS (New Zealand) for ESPN. Co-cameraman.
 
2004THE VOLCANO'S WIFE (Papua New Guinea) Cameraman/Director.

2004 DEVIL DIARY. Discovery USA. Co-cameraman.

2004THE ADVENTURE IS NOT YET OVER.  BBC-TV. Co-cameraman.

2005-7 EVEREST-THE BOY WHO DARED; DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS-MONSTER BITE; MIRACLE ON EVEREST