Jane Campion was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and currently resides in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington in 1975 and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in painting from Sydney College of the Arts in 1979.
After starting her filmmaking career in the early 1980s, Campion attended the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). Her first short film, Peel, won the prestigious Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986. Her other notable short films include A Girl's Own Story, Passionless Moments, After Hours, and the tele-feature 2 Friends, all of which garnered Australian and international awards.
Campion co-wrote and directed her first feature film, Sweetie, in 1989. The film won the Georges Sadoul prize for Best Foreign Film, the LA Film Critics' New Generation Award, the American Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Feature, and the Australian Critics' Award for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress.
Her subsequent film, An Angel at My Table, a dramatization based on the autobiographies of Janet Frame, won numerous awards, including the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1990. The film also received accolades at the Toronto and Berlin Film Festivals, earning the American Independent Spirit Award and being voted the most popular film at the 1990 Sydney Film Festival.
The Piano, released in 1993, won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making Campion the first woman to receive the prestigious award. Additionally, she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 1993 Oscars and was nominated for Best Director.
