Hayley Cloake's professional journey commenced with the pursuit of a Bachelor of Design Studies from Queensland University, where she initially studied architecture. However, it was her innate passion for film that ultimately led her to alter her academic path, as she went on to receive a Bachelor of Film and Television from the esteemed Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University.
In her native Australia, Cloake began her career in the film industry by directing performance-based television commercials, as well as the hard-hitting documentary "MUCK UP DAY", which garnered a Special Commendation for Education at the 2001 Atom Awards. Her short films, "TEASE", "THUMP", and "TAKEN", delve into the complexities of human emotions in the face of desire, with "THUMP" receiving a Special Commendation at CIAFF, the Chapman Student Jury Prize at the Flickerfest Short Film Festival, and being a finalist for the Dendy Award at the Sydney Film Festival.
Cloake's short films have collectively been showcased in over twenty-five film festivals across the globe, including those in the USA, England, Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia, Romania, Spain, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia.
In 2001, Cloake relocated to the USA, where she refined her craft by directing music videos. She was subsequently nominated by the Music Video Producers Association for Best Directorial Debut in 2002. Five years later, Cloake made her feature film debut with "THE HOUSE OF USHER", a contemporary reworking of Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story from a female perspective. The film won the Best Cinematography award at the Boston Film Festival.
