Michael Hamlyn - Specific Films

Michael has worked in the film industry for longer than he cares to remember.

In 1980 he established Midnight Films, and became Julien Temple’s producer for the next three years. Their credits included The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball for Amnesty International, It’s All True for the BBC and music videos for bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Kinks.

With director Richard Lowenstein he produced White City and for Terry Windsor Party Party.

In 1987 Michael moved across the Atlantic to the United States to make U2 - Rattle and Hum, directed by Phil Joanou. While in America, Michael established Midnight Films Inc as a leading music video producer which had a client list boasting names such as U2, INXS and Bruce Springsteen.

Between 1987 and 1989 Midnight Films Inc won 12 MTV Awards including Best Video Award for INXS’s Need You Tonight and the Viewers’ Video of the Year Award for U2’s With or Without You. In 1989 Midnight Films won Best Video Grammy for U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name.

In 1991 Michael returned to the UK and in partnership with PolyGram formed Specific Films. It was then that he first met Stephan Elliott who’d just written The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It took a further two years to get financed and in 1993 the film went into production. The film was first shown at the San Francisco Film Festival in 1994 and the rest is history. Michael’s association with Australia has continued ever since. His various Australian credits range from producer of Mr Reliable directed by Nadia Tass in 1995 to, most recently, executive producer on The Proposition directed by John Hillcoat in 2005.

Priscilla’s second journey commenced after various lunches with Alan Scott and a long dinner with Garry McQuinn and Liz Koops; since then our trip has taken us to Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and now finally to London.

It’s good to be home again at last.