Director, Writer and Producer at AFIN

Biography

Chanelle Hayden (20) is an up-and-coming queer Australian-Indonesian filmmaker based in Melbourne/Naarm. Originally from Queesnland, she was constantly surrounded by the arts, classically trained in the cello , she explored story telling through musicality and sound from a very young age. Representing the state on a national level at 17 at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in the Australian Honours Ensemble Program. Now, in her final trimester of her bachelors degree in Film Production at SAE University College Melbourne, with hopes of continuing her creative growth and studies in a specailsied Masters degree. Through her teenage years dealing with the loss of her parents and growing up in a mixed race and blended family, she sought comfort in her creative work. Exploring themes of her identity, Indonesian heritage, unconventional family relationships and ethics. In 2023, she established her company 'Paper Flower Films' with Braden McDonald to highlight untraditional and female driven narratives and storylines, shedding light on perspectives that don’t get enough attention in mainstream media. Her goal as a Director is to bring truth and perspective in her art. To write characters that reflect real people in the world, to stray away from the labels of protagonist and antagonist, diminishing the idea that every person has to be seen as’ good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ but instead as a person. Filmography: ‘Cyanosis’ 2023 Writer and Director North Bellarine Film Festival, Finalist for Emerging Filmmaker Award Melbourne Lift off, Offical Selection ‘Lungs’ 2023 Director North Bellarine Film Festival, Finalist for Emerging Filmmaker Award