Khoa Do

Khoa was born in Vietnam, but arrived in Australia as a refugee with his parents in 1980. In 2006, Khoa wrote and directed the feature film Footy Legends, starring Anh Do, Claudia Karvan and Angus Sampson. Upon its release, Footy Legends was praised as “a spirited, beautifully realised and highly entertaining sports family drama” (FILMINK magzazine) and “Footy Legends triumphs!” (IF Magazine). In 2003, Khoa completed his feature film debut, The Finished People - a gritty and realistic story of at-risk youths on the edge of survival. Made on virtually no budget, Khoa directed, produced and co-wrote the film. Khoa was nominated for two AFI Awards (including Best Direction), three Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), and an AWGIE Award. At 25, Khoa was the youngest director in Australian history to be nominated for an AFI Award for Best Director. In 2001, Khoa was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Screenplay in a Short Film for writing the half-hour television drama Delivery Day. In 2003, Khoa was awarded a Centenary Medal and the IF Independent Spirit Award. In January 2005, Khoa was announced as the 2005 Young Australian of the Year, for his work in film and with the community. In 2008, Khoa wrote and directed Mother Fish, a play which opened to a sell-out season in Sydney. Mother Fish won the 2008 Phillip Parsons Young Playwright’s Award. In late 2008, Khoa adapted Mother Fish into a feature film. Khoa is currently in post-production on this latest feature. Khoa’s dream is to one day learn how to cook, tidy up his room and sing karaoke in tune.