biography

Born in Sydney in 1982, Dustin Feneley is an MFA graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts Film School. His short films as writer and director (Night, Snow, Hawker, Eskimo Kiss) have won numerous awards and screened at over one hundred film festivals, including official selections at Cannes, London, Sydney and Melbourne.

In 2006, his short film Snow premiered in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in the Cinéfondation section. Snow was further honoured that year by exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

In 2007, Dustin was the recipient of the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award for Moving Image, the leading awards in Australia for emerging creative talent. In 2011, he was awarded the Filmmaker Grand Prix at the Sapporo International Short Film Festival in Japan, a unique award that recognises a filmmaker’s body of work in short films. 

Set in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Dustin’s debut feature project Stray was selected for development at the Directors Lab of the Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam and for CineMart at Rotterdam.

Stray had its World Premiere in Main Competition at the 2018 Moscow International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Saint George Award for Best Actor, before going on to screen and win awards at numerous festivals worldwide.

Stray was released nationally in cinemas in New Zealand in 2018, garnering strong box office and critical acclaim, considered by several critics to be the best New Zealand film of the year. Stray was acquired by US-based distributor Gravitas Ventures for worldwide release.

In 2019, Dustin was awarded Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under 1M) at the Australian Directors Guild Awards and Best New Director at the Brooklyn Film Festival for Stray.

Dustin is a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand, currently based in Melbourne.