Branden Wittchen is an award-winning writer/director who doesn’t shy away from confronting material. His films often fit into one of three categories: absurdist comedies, disturbing psychological thrillers, or dramatic slice-of-life stories. His films often draw heavily on his own experiences of growing up in the outback, where he has returned to shoot several of his films including Roy starring renowned Australian character actor Roy Billing (Jack Irish), and At the End starring Gyton Grantley (The Dressmaker). Since graduating Film School in 2017 his career has also included directing music videos for such clients as Tia Gostelow (Triple J Unearthed High and Qld Music Award Winner) and Ian 'Dicko' Dickson (Australian Idol).
Branden is currently in pre-production for his debut feature length film, a surreal nightmare about meeting your girlfriend's Dad entitled ‘Meat Daddy’. Filming begins in early 2024. He is also developing a feature length adaptation of his 2020 short film ‘Remus and Ron’ that found success at Lift-Off Film Festival and Monster Fest.
"My transformative experiences with Kolperi began back in 2015. While in my first year at film school I participated in the outback filmmaking boot camp during the early years of the Winton Film Festival. While there I met Gyton Grantley - of Underbelly and The Dressmaker fame - and had the opportunity to write and co-direct a short film starring him that played in film festivals across the nation and the U.S. This was a great opportunity that really kick started my career.
The following year I returned to the Winton Film Festival and wrote and co-directed a short starring Roy Billing (Jack Irish) with the boot camp and Griffith Film Schools support. Due to schedule changes we ended up having to complete production and post-production in about 18 hours. That short ended up winning the audience award at the festival that night!
A few years later I returned to take part in the writer’s boot camp run by Kolperi, where I developed a pilot episode for a crime series inspired by true stories from my hometown. And in 2021 I directed a short film titled “Flat Hill” that was produced by Ash and Kolperi and featured improvised performances - my first experience with such a method. These experiences have all been challenging but formative to my filmmaking career that I am more than grateful for."