biography

Three time British Academy Award Nominated director Osbert Parker, is perhaps best-known for his signature style of using cut-out animation mixed with live action to create one-of-a-kind imaginary landscapes within commercials and short films.

For the past three years Parker has been experimenting and crafting two short films that are receiving great acclaim on the film festival circuit. “Film Noir” was nominated for best short animated film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2006 and also was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It was included at the Telluride Film Festival as well.

"Film Noir" screened in competition at Slamdance this year whilst his newest short film, “Yours Truly,” (aka "Head over Heels") is screened in competition at Sundance 2008. "Yours Truly" won best animated film at last years Aspen Short Film Festival, the gold plaque at the Chicago Film Festival, best animated short at both Melbourne and St. Louis before being nominated for his third BAFTA in 2008.

Parker is a freelance director who has worked at Quentin Tarantino’s production company A Band Apart as their first commercial director in 1995 and as Steve Barron’s second unit director on Hallmark’s TV feature length ARABIAN NIGHTS. In 2005 he was selected by writer/director Richard Curtis as one of the directors to create a special animated MAKE POVERTY HISTORY film.

Parker’s commercial credits include such clients as Coca-Cola, Nike, Budweiser, The World Wildlife Fund and MTV.

He is currently creating the third short in his “Noir” trilogy and developing a mixed media feature
while he completes 3 new NPower commercials due for release later this year in April 2008.
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2007 'YOURS TRULY' aka Head over Heels (8 mins)

2008 BAFTA Nomination: Best Short Animated Film
Winner Best Short Animated Film: British Animation Awards (BAA) 2008
1st Prize (Animated Eye Award) Best Animated Short Film: Aspen Shortsfest
1st Prize Best Animated Short: Melbourne International Film Festival
1st Prize Best Animated Short: St. Louis Film Festival
1st Prize Best Animated Short: Durango Independent Film Fstival
Gold Plaque Winner for Best Animated Short Film: Chicago International Film Festival
Labo Canal+ Prize: Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival
Honourable Mention for Best Animated Short: Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival
Special Mention: Seattle 1 Reel Film Festival
Best Animated Film at the Cutting Edge nomination: British Animation Awards 2008

2008 Official competition screenings:

Sundance Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Cinequest, Dresden, Florida Film Festival, RiverRun, Santa Cruz, San Francisco Int. Film Festival, Tempere and ArtFilm Festival

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2007 Official competition screenings:

Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, AFI Film Festival, Los Angeles International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, LA Shorts Fest, Raindance Film Festival, Athens International Film Festival (Ohio), Platform International Animated Film Festival, 61st Edinburgh International Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Big Sur, 25 fps Festival & Telluride Film Festival

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2006 'FILM NOIR' (3 min 48 sec)

2006 Cannes Palme d'Or nomination: Best Short Film in official competition.
2006 BAFTA nomination: Best Short Animated Film.
Best UK Short Film: Raindance Film Festival 2006
Gold Plaque Winner for Best Animated Short Film: Chicago Film Festival
First Prize Best Animated Short: Athens International Film Festival (Ohio)
Best Experimental Short: Worldwide Short Film Festival 2006
Best Pioneering Film Award: San Francisco International Short Film Festival
Grand Prize for Best Experimental Film: Rhode Island International Film Festival
Winner Best Experimental Film: Festival International de Filmets de Badalona
Best Short Short: St. Louis International Film Festival
Best of Fest (short) Award: Boston Underground Film Festival 2007
JURY PRIZE: Ismailia International Film Festival
GOLD Remi Winner: WorldFest-Houston USA 2006.
Best Short Animated Film nomination: British Animation Awards 2006.

2006 Official selection: Telluride Film Festival, Annecy & Premiers Plans d'Angers.

2006 Official competition selection: AFI, Atlanta, Palm Springs, LA, Edinburgh, Encounters, LA ShortsFest, Brest Festival, Sarajevo,  25fps, Cinanima, Curats Vila do Conde, Imago, Sitges and Melbourne International Film Festivals. London Film Festival 2005 (working in progress cut)

2007 Official competition selection: Clermont-Ferrand, Miami, Santa Barbara, Cinequest, RiverRun,  Rotterdam,  Granada, Nashville, Ann Arbor and ArtFilm Film Festival, Hamburg, Hawaii, Expresion En Corto, CineVegas, Best of Festival - La Ciotat & Asiana International Film Festival.

2008 Official competition selection: Slamdance Film Festival
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2nd unit Director on Hallmarks TV feature film Arabian Nights dir. Steve Barron.
2004-5  Talks & workshops on experimental animation at the NFTS & RCA.

2001 Jury member British Environment + Media Awards.
1998 Jury member British Animation Awards.
1997 main stage speaker AIGA Design conference.
1995 Guest speaker at the Monterey TED6 conference.
1991 Jury member animate! tv scheme.

Created animations for The South Bank Show titles. Directed title sequences for Janet Street-Porter, Ruby Wax, Clive Anderson and award winning animated commercials for Nike, MTV, Budweiser, Coca-Cola and The World Wildlife Fund.

Animated graduation film, 'Clothes' went onto win 'the best original concept in animation' at The BAA British Animation Awards.
BAFTA nominated for best short animated film in 1988.
Annecy, Sydney Film Festival, Bristol and The London Film Festival selected it as an outstanding film in 1989.

1988 BA Honours in Graphic Design at Middlesex Polytechnic.

Student animated film, 'The Biz' highly commended at D&AD Film + TV student bursary. Screened at The Cambridge Animation Festival + The Los Angeles Film Festival in 1985.

1984 Diploma in Graphic Design at Berkshire College of Art & Design.