About

Australian cinematographer John Seale is the Oscar-winning eye behind the lens of some of Hollywood’s most memorable moments. This program celebrates the richness and diversity of his body of work, drawing from a career that spanned across six decades.

Born in Warwick, Queensland, Seale began his career as a camera assistant for the ABC before establishing himself as one of Australia’s most celebrated cinematographers, with films such as Brian Trenchard-Smith’s Ozploitation stunt-spectacular Deathcheaters 1976 and the Gold Coast neo-noir Goodbye Paradise 1983.

Making his Hollywood debut shooting the thriller Witness 1985 for fellow Australian Peter Weir Seale’s bold use of colour and creative lensing quickly caught the eye of major American filmmakers. Over the subsequent years, he found acclaim for his cinematographic work on Rain Man 1989, The Firm 1993 and The English Patient 1996 – the latter of which earning him the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

His collaboration with George Miller on the groundbreaking blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road 2015 was internationally celebrated for its innovative camerawork and aesthetic extravagance. Seale would reunite one final time with Miller on the fantastical romance Three Thousand Years of Longing 2022 before announcing his retirement from filmmaking.

In Conversation: John Seale

1.30pm, Sat 23 Sep 2023 | Free, no bookings required
Join us for an in-person In Conversation event with Oscar-winning Australian cinematographer John Seale, as he discusses his fascinating career and his collaborations with some of Hollywood's most celebrated filmmakers.

QAGOMA acknowledges the generous assistance of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Canberra; the British Film Institute, London; NBCUniversal Archives & Collections, Los Angeles; and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, Los Angeles in providing materials for this program.