Mark Albiston

Mark Albiston is the creative force behind Sticky Pictures, which he set up with his wife, lawyer Amelia Bardsley, in 2000. The independent production company works across a range of genres including arts-based documentaries, short films, music videos and commercials.

Albiston initiated the project, and worked in a range of roles on three award-winning series of The Living Room (2002 - 2006), which brought new life to the sometimes fusty world of arts television in New Zealand. Focused on celebrating Kiwi creative people, the series delved into their art practices and lifestyles. Several of the artists presented the show they featured in from their living rooms, taking a swipe at the tradition of the extended armchair interview. Presenters ranged from The Black Seeds to comedians The Naked Samoans.

Follow-up show The Gravy began profiling Kiwi artists in 2007. The following year it won the Best Information Lifestyle/Magazine Programme award at the Qantas Film and Television Awards.

In 2007 Albiston directed the short film Run, from a script by actor Louis Sutherland. Selected to compete at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, this tale of a Samoan brother and sister struggling with an oppressive father while growing up on the Kapiti Coast, received a special mention from the jury.

Run was also picked as the opening film for the French Cesar short film festival, a selection of the world's best shorts that year. Run has gone on to win awards (including NZ Screen Awards for Best Short Film and Best Screenplay) and screen at numerous festivals worldwide. 

The Magical World of Misery - a documentary about artist Tanya Thompson (aka Misery) directed by Albiston for TV One's Artsville series - won the 2006 Qantas NZ Television Award for Documentary Directing.

Albiston has also directed two films for the Blood Earth & Fire exhibition at Te Papa, War of the Words (a documentary on spelling bees), the X-Air (2006) TV series (for Sky, TV3 and C4), and a Shihad music video featuring a praying mantis, All the Young Fascists.

At the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, Alibston and co-director Louis Sutherland were again awarded a special distinction - this time for their short film The Six Dollar Fifty Man, the story of an eight-year-old boy compelled to emerge from his make believe world after being bullied.

The film's impressive festival awards tally includes best international short at Sundance, a special mention in its section at Berlin, scooping three awards at the 2009 Qantas Film and Television Awards - including Best Short Film -  and top prize at the 2010 Flickerfest festival in Australia. The latter win guarantees that the film will be viewed by those who choose nominees for the 2011 Academy Awards.

Latest projects for Albiston include developing his and Sutherland's debut feature Shopping, and work on the third series of arts show The Gravy.