Directing was a natural progression for Michele Aboud, an extension of the Australian creator’s ability to tell stories in stills images. Aboud has brought to directing 30 years of experience as a commercial photographer as well as her affinity for representing the human condition in a compelling way.

Michele graduated from the Photographic College of London and has lived and worked in Paris, London, New York and Sydney, each place offering an enormous opportunity for life’s experiences, and each helping to develop her keen sense of observation. Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Baz Lurhmann and Wim Wenders are included in her commercial portrait portfolio and an impressive list of brands, agencies and publications have contributed to her vast body of editorial and advertising work.

Making short documentaries has become a way of engaging with the fragility of life for Michele, a way to listen and learn, a way to grow from sharing with another. The concept and idea always come first for Michele in her filmmaking. Onto this foundation she weaves her story, with a strong sense of the need to retain its integrity and an intuitive sense of the impact of emotion. Her documentary, A Close Shave, has been recognised by several film festivals, including Woodstock, Berlin Short Film Festival, Byron Bay International FF, ARFF Amsterdam & ARFF Berlin.