Jane Campion was born on April 30, 1954 in Wellington, New Zealand, and now lives in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She studied at the Australian Film and Television School where she made her first short films: Tissues (1980), Mishaps: Seduction and Conquest (1981), Peel (1982), Passionless Moments (1983), A Girl's Own Story (1984), Two Friends (1986). Her filmography includes: 1989 Sweetie (Bryon Kennedy Award, Australian Film Institute) 1990 An Angle at my Table 1993 The Piano (Academy Award for best original screenplay, Palm d'Or at Cannes, and more prizes) 1996 Portrait for a Lady 1999 Holy Smoke