Tom Zubrycki is the son of a Polish immigrant family who settled in Canberra in 1955. After completing a Bachelor of Science at the ANU he moved to Sydney where he worked as a Science and Maths teacher before enrolling in a masters degree at UNSW in Sociology.

In early 1970’s Tom was a leading participant in the video access movement before starting on his first film WATERLOO (1981), an historical account of a battle by residents against redevelopment of their inner Sydney suburb. This was soon followed by KEMIRA – DIARY OF A STRIKE(1984) and FRIENDS AND ENEMIES (1986).

In the 1990’s he turned his attention to migrant and refugee stories. BILLAL (1995) traced the impact on the life of Lebanese family disrupted by a racially motivated attack. HOMELANDS (1992) told the story of a refugee family torn apart by their conflicting desire to return to their homeland. In the course of making these films Tom evolved a distinctive engaged observational story-telling style marked by an ability to get close to his subjects.

After a short stint as commissioning editor at SBS in 1996, Tom returned to filmmaking. His documentaries include the highly regarded THE DIPLOMAT (2000) about East Timorese independence leader Jose Ramos Horta, and MOLLY & MOBARAK (2003) a story exploring the friendship between an Afghan asylum-seeker and a young woman in a country town. His more recent work includes THE HUNGRY TIDE (2011) about climate change in the Pacific nation of Kiribati, and HOPE ROAD (2017) the story of a former South Sudanese refugee who sets out to build a school back in his village with a group of dedicated Aussie supporters.

As well as making his own films Tom has produced and mentored several early career writer/directors, many of them Indigenous. The documentaries include STOLEN GENERATIONS (2000). GULPILLIL – ONE RED BLOOD (2002), MAD MORRO (2009), THE PANTHER WITHIN (2006) and TEACH A MAN TO FISH (2018).

All up Tom has produced and/or directed more than 36 documentaries, several of which have received awards including AACTA’s for Best Documentary (KEMIRA – DIARY OF A STRIKE, and THE DIPLOMAT) and an International Emmy for EXILE IN SARAJEVO. His films have screened in film festivals around the world.

In 2009 Tom was presented with The Cecil Holmes Award for his ongoing career support for directors. A year later he received the Stanley Hawes Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to documentary filmmaking in Australia.

Tom has served on the board of the Australian Directors Guild, ASDACS, Metro Screen, the program committee of OZDOX – the Australian Documentary Forum, and is on the Sydney Film Festival film advisory panel. Tom taught documentary for 10 years at the University of Technology, Sydney and teaches occasional master-classes in documentary at Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

Tom’s current projects include ABLAZE – a feature documentary due to launch at the 2020 Melbourne International Film Festival. ABLAZE is co-written and co-directed by Alec Morgan and Tiriki Onus. ABLAZE follows the journey of Opera singer Tiriki Onus across Australia to solve the mystery surrounding a recently discovered old movie believed to be made by his Aborig

FILMOGRAPHY

ABLAZE, 2020

Producer

Write/Directors: Alec Morgan and Tiriki Onus

Premiere: Melbourne International Film Festival 2021

THE WEATHER DIARIES, 2020

Producer

Writer/Director: Kathy Drayton

Festival and theatrical release: From mid 2020

UNDERMINED – TALES FROM THE KIMBERLEY, 2018

Executive Producer

Writer/Director/Co-producer: Nic Wrathall

Writer/co-producer: Stephanie King

Co-producer: Albert Wiggan

Executive Producer: Mitzi Goldman

Best Documentary (Audience award), Antenna Film Festival

Festivals: MIFF, Cinefest Oz, Byron Bay

TEACH A MAN TO FISH, 2018

Producer

Writer/Director: Grant Saunders

Festivals: Sydney Film Festival 2018. Finalist Documentary Australia Foundation competition for Best Australian Documentary.

HOPE ROAD, 2017 

Writer/Director/Producer

Festivals: Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival

FAIR GAME, 2017

Producer

Writer/Director/Co-Producer: Jeff Daniels

Commissioner: SBS-TV

THE PANTHER WITHIN, 2016 

Producer

Writers/Directors: Edoardo Crismani, Allan Collins,

Co-Producer: Vicki Sugars

Commissioner: NITV (National Indigenous Television)

DOGS OF DEMOCRACY, 2016

Producer

Writer/Director: Mary Zournazi

THE SUNNYBOY, 2013 

Producer

Writer/Director: Kaye Harrison

Festivals: Vivid Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival

Limited Cinema release - Palace

Commissioner: ABC-TV

MENNY & THE BUNDAROOS, 2012

Producer

Writer/Director: John Harvey

Comissioner: Indigenous Dept ABC

BIG BOSS, 2012

 Producer

Writer/Director: Paul Sinclair

Commissioner: Indigenous Dept ABC

LIGHT FROM THE SHADOWS, 2012

Producer

Writer/Director: Director: John Harvey

Commissioner: Artscape and Indigenous Dept ABC

THE HUNGRY TIDE, 2011 

Writer/Director/Producer

Festivals: IDFA, FIFO (Special jury prize), DOC NZ, Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals

Commissioner: SBS-TV

STOLEN, 2009

Producer

Writer/Directors: Violeta Ayala and Dan Fallshaw

Festivals: The film premiered at The Sydney Film Festival, and later at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to play at more than 50 festivals around the world

Awards: Won Best Feature Documentary at the Pan-African Film Festival in Los Angeles.

THE INTERVENTION – KATHERINE, NT, 2008

Producer

Writer/Director: Julie Nimmo

Commissioner: ABC Documentaries and Indigenous Department of Screen Australia

MAD MORRO, 2008

Producer

Writer/Director: Kelrick Martin

Festival: Sydney Film Festival

Commissioner: SBS TV

WANJA, 2008

Producer

Writer/Director: Ange Abdilla

Festivals: IDFA, Sydney Film Festival

Commissioner: ABC TV

A FIGHTING CHANCE, 2007

Producer

Writer/Director: Mark Andersson

Co-producer: Katrina Lucas

Commissioner: SBS-TV

TEMPLE OF DREAMS, 2007

Writer/Director/Producer

Festival: Sydney Film Festival

SHORT STORIES, 2006 (4 x 1⁄2 hour series) 

Executive Producer

Commissioner: SBS-TV

THE PRODIGAL SON, 2005

Producer

Writer/Director: Tony Radevski

Festivals: Flickerfest

Commissioner: SBS-TV

VIETNAM SYMPHONY, 2005

Writer/Director

Festivals: Melbourne Film Festival, Hawaii, Goteberg, Vancouver, Mumbai

Commissioner: SBS-TV

MOLLY & MOBARAK, 2003

Writer/Director/Producer

Festivals: Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival, Brisbane Film Festival, Margaret Mead Film Festival, IDFA

Commissioners: Sundance Channel, SBS-TV

MAKING VENUS, 2002

Producer

Writer/Director: Gary Doust

Festival: Sydney Film Festival

Commissioner: SBS-TV

GULPILIL – ONE RED BLOOD, 2002

Producer

Writer/Director: Darlene Johnson

Festivals: Melbourne Film Festival

Commissioner: ABC-TV

THE SECRET SAFARI, 2001

Writer/Director

Producer: Sally Browning

Festival: Sydney Film Festival

THE DIPLOMAT, 2000

Writer/Director

Producer: Sally Browning

Festivals: Sydney & Melbourne FIlm Festivals

Awards: Best Documentary (audience vote) - Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals, AFI awards - Best Documentary and Best Direction in a Documentary

STOLEN GENERATIONS, 2000

Producer

Writer/Director: Darlene Johnson

Festival: Sydney Film Festrival

Commissioner: ABC-TV

WHITEYS LIKE US, 1998

Producer

Writer/Director: Rachel Landers − SBS-TV

DR. JAZZ, 1998

Producer

Writer/Director: David Perry 

Commissioner: ABC-TV

EXILE IN SARAJEVO, 1996

Producer

Writer/Directors: Tahir Cambis and Alma Sazbaz

Festivals: Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals, IDFA

Award: International Emmy

BILLAL, 1996

Writer/Director/Producer

Commissioner: ABC-TV

HOMELANDS, 1993 

Writer/Director/Producer

Festivals: Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals, IDFA

BRAN NUE DAE, 1991

Writer/Director/Producer

Commissioner: ABC-TV

LORD OF THE BUSH, 1990 

Writer/Director/Producer

Commissioner: ABC-TV

STRANGERS IN PARADISE, 1989

Writer/Director/Producer

AMONGST EQUALS, 1990

Writer/Director

Producer: Paul Humfress, Film Australia

Festivals: Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals

FRIENDS & ENEMIES, 1987

Writer/Director/Produce

Festival: Sydney Film Festival

Commissioner: AFC/ABC Fellowship film

KEMIRA - DIARY OF A STRIKE, 1984

Writer/Director/Producer

Festivals: Sydney Film Festival, Sheffield, Leipzig

WATERLOO, 1981

Writer/Director/Producer

Festival: Sydney Film Festival

Award: Best Documentary - Dendy Awards