Gracie Otto Biography

Gracie Otto (born 23 May 1987 in Sydney) is an Australian actress, film producer, writer and film director.

Early life

Gracie Otto is the daughter of the Australian actor Barry Otto and Susan Hill. Her sister is actress Miranda Otto and her brother-in-law is actor Peter O'Brien. She attended Burwood Girls High School, performing extremely well in sport and music.

She also received 100% in the HSC for her first short film Kill Blondes. As a schoolgirl she represented Australia and NSW in Futsal in New Zealand, Greece and Canada and NSW in Softball.

Gracie completed four years of study in film - a two year Screen Production course (2003-4) while at high school; and a Certificate IV in Film (2005), Diploma in Film (2005) and Advanced Diploma in Film (2006) at the renowned Sydney Film School.

Gracie has directed five short films, all of which have screened at prestigious international and Australian film festivals. Gracie's previous four short films - La Meme Nuit (2007), Tango Trois (2005), Broken Beat (2005) and Kill Blondes (2004) have also been acclaimed in major festivals including Flickerfest, St Kilda, European ECU Paris, Short Film Market Cannes, Interfilm Berlin, Palm Springs, Shoot Me Netherlands, Salento Italy, Spirit On Screen and Show Me Shorts NZ, Singapore, Santiago, Normandy and the Australia-Japan Student Film Festivals (Tokyo).

Gracie's most recent short film, Seamstress, was a winning screenplay in the Jameson Short Film Competition, and stars Australian acting legends Barry Otto and Julie Forsythe and supermodel Mink Sadowsky. Screening in 2011 at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, St Kilda Short Film Festival, London Short Film Festival and Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, audiences have responded to her homage to Hitchcock and cinematic 60s style.

She is preparing to direct her first feature and has three writer/director projects in development " an Australian/French co-production Rue De Tournon about the wild and romantic adventures of two Aussie girls in Paris; Blonde V Brunette, a noir piece inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch and living in LA.

Gracie is currently shooting a feature documentary, called Chalky, about legendary British theatre and film impresario Michael White.

Gracie has earned critical acclaim as an actress for her performances in leading roles in two Australian feature films Three Blind Mice (2008) and LBF " Living Between F**ks (2011) both of which have screened at major film festivals including SXSW, Sydney, London and Toronto. Three Blind Mice also marked Gracie's debut as a feature film editor, probably one of the few times the leading actress doubled in this role. Apart from her editing skills on display in Three Blind Mice and her own short films, Gracie also worked as an editor on the feature documentary Rocket Compulsion and frequently does corporate work.

Gracie is also a photographic model and ambassador for many top Australian and international designers and magazines and has developed a substantial portfolio including Stronghold Jeans (US) and Australian fashion magazines including InStyle, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Who, Madison and Sunday. Last year she also graced the first cover of the new international art magazine, Stil, channeling Barbarella. She has also walked in shows for Pussycat Dolls Lingerie, Coca Cola Little Black Dress and Thirty Days of Fashion.

She is the Ambassador for the Chambord Shine Awards and has also been Ambassador for Royal Randwick Autumn Racing, international accessories company Mimco and Australian designer Jane & Eleni. Gracie appeared as a celebrity guest on Talkn' Bout Your Genertation as well as a presenter at the IF awards. She was the spokes person for Tropfest with John Jameson productions and MC the Moet and Chandon lunch at Audi Race Week in Hamilton Island.

Gracie is an Industry Advisory Board member of the Sydney Film School and a Creative Director of Class Movies. She is committed to several charities including Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, Madison Ovarian Cancer, Nobody Was Thirsty and Bulgari Save the Children Foundation.

In 2011 Gracie's achievements were recognised when she was awarded the InStyle & Audi Women of Style Scholarship to assist her to develop her feature film projects. Previously Gracie had twice been a finalist in the SOYA Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards Film Category in 2008 and 2009, a finalist for the 2009 British Council Realise Your Dreams award, and a finalist for the 2009 Inside Film Rising Talent Award.

Gracie Otto has represented Australia and New South Wales in indoor soccer in some international games. In softball, she represented her home state New South Wales in the 2004 Australian Championships.

DUI charge

On the evening of 31 July 2009 Gracie Otto registered a 0.063 blood/alcohol reading during a random breath test. As a result she was charged for low range drink driving. Approximately one month later she pleaded guilty to the offence in the Waverly Local Court. Magistrate Antony Townsden did not suspend Otto's licence, accepting she needed it to maintain her busy film industry schedule.

Filmography

Actress

• Eve (2005)
• The New Life (2006)
• Good Luck with That (2007)
• Three Blind Mice (2008)
• Sea Patrol (2009)
• L.B.F (2011)

Director

• Kill Blondes (2004)
• Broken Beat (2005)
• Tango Trois (2006)
• La Meme Nuit (2007)
• Seamstress (2011)
• Chalky (2012)