Amelia is an Australian director and producer with a passion for creating dynamic and inclusive works. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Theatre from The University of Notre Dame, an Advanced Diploma of Music Creation and Composition from TAFE NSW, and a Master of Applied Theatre from the University of New England. Most recently, Amelia directed Wally by Nick Vagne at KXT on Broadway and toured Hemlines to the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Prague Fringe Festival and Etcetera Theatre London. They co-directed ShopFront Arts Co-op’s When I Grow Up, directed the debut season of Hemlines at Sydney Fringe, and were recognized as an OFA 30 Under 30 Winner in 2024. Currently, they are developing a experimental movement work with support from Critical Path and are a resident artist with KXT/bAKEHOUSE. Amelia’s work often explores themes of media, identity, and power through bold, hybrid storytelling techniques.
In 2023, Amelia was a resident artist at ShopFront Arts Co-op, where they developed Under the Influence, a multidisciplinary performance work that premiered at 107 Projects in Sydney. Their film Pieces of You earned both Best Short Film and the Governors Award at Short Shorts & Asia. In 2022, they directed Next Step at the Festival of Regional Theatre and Short+Sweet Sydney, with both festivals recognising the work with awards. Amelia also devised and performed Where Shall We Meet? with ShopFront’s Harness Ensemble, stage-managed Who’s Afraid at Belvoir 25A (Four One One), and produced Waiting in Soho with Moon Bureau for Sydney Fringe Festival.
Previous credits include directing Good Talk (Moon Bureau) at Adelaide Fringe Festival and Anywhere Festival Brisbane (2021), and devising and directing Illuminated (Moon Bureau), which toured Sydney (2018), Adelaide, and Darwin Fringe Festivals (2019). Amelia co-wrote and directed Coming Out on Broadway through Open Shop Residencies at Sydney Fringe Festival (2019) and produced Two Quarters Full at Flight Path Theatre (2019). Their earlier works include directing HMS Headwind—winner of both Judges’ and Audience Choice at Short+Sweet Sydney (2018)—assistant directing The Spoils by Jesse Eisenberg at Flight Path Theatre (2019), and facilitating Home Theatre (2020), an online script development series featuring 18 artists from across Australia, culminating in live-streamed performances. Amelia also directed and produced the award-winning short film Girls Pty Ltd. (2018) and co-wrote and directed the award-winning series License to Succeed (2018).
Reviews
“Amelia Gilday has excelled in bringing this incredibly harrowing story about a missing boy and an altogether terrifying conspiracy to life”
Stage Door Podcast
on Wally
“Directed by Amelia Gilday, this performance had it all. There were choreographed fight scenes, pre-filmed scenes that were played on the screen throughout and a dream like sequence that felt like a to camera diary confessional, yet every member of the cast was involved. Gilday did a great job by incorporating these scenes and creating a world the actors and audience could see themselves in“
TheatreTravels
on Wally
“Under the insightful direction of Amelia Gilday, Hemlines creates an uncanny world, accentuated by the painted white faces that resemble pantomime performers. The collective hit gold”
InDaily Adelaide
on Hemlines
“theatrical genius”
Kaleidoscope Arts Journal
on Under the Influence
“Perfectly crafted and performed”
Theatre and Art Reviews UK
on Hemlines
“It was bold, it was brash, it was hilarious“
The Plus Ones
on HMS Headwind
Awards
Out for Australia 30 Under 30 Winner (2024)
Best Direction of a Musical Nomination, BroadwayWorld Awards (Hemlines, 2024)
Best Short Film and Governors Award Winner, Short Shorts & Asia (Pieces of You, 2023)
Best New Work Nomination, F.O.R.T (Next Step, 2022)
Best Web Series Winner, Eurasia International Film Festival (License to Succeed, 2019)
Best Web Series Winner, Miami Independent Film Festival (License to Succeed, 2019)
Nominated for an Australian LGBTI Award for Film and Television (2019)
Best Children’s Film Winner, Rome Film Awards (Girls Pty Ltd, 2018)
Jury Prize Nominee, Switzerland International Film Festival (Girls Pty Ltd, 2018)
Grand Short Film Prize Finalist, The Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival (Girls Pty Ltd, 2018)
Jury Award and People’s Choice Winner, S+S Sydney (HMS Headwind, 2018)