Born and raised in Australia, Elissa Down completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Curtin University (Perth). Her major short works comprise a number of acclaimed films: Ladybirds, Summer Angst, The Cherry Orchard, Her Outback, The Bathers, Aged Fourteen and Pink Pyjamas. Both in 1999 and 2000 Down was nominated for Young Film-maker of the year at the Western Australian Screen Awards. Down’s films have screened at numerous festivals including Tampere, Locarno, San Francisco Indie, Brisbane and have been broadcast nationally and overseas.