Australian film director Bruce Beresford has collaborated with numerous opera companies around the world. His productions include La fanciulla del West for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, and Spoleto, Italy; Elektra for the State Opera Company of South Australia; Sondheim's Sweeney Todd for Portland Opera and The Crucible for the Washington Opera. Mr. Beresford also recently created a new Rigoletto production for Los Angeles Opera and San Diego and created the original production of Carlyle Floyd's Cold Sassy Tree.

Mr. Beresford has received much critical acclaim and many awards for his film and work in both Australia and the United States. In 1980, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay Breaker Morant; this film was also selected for competition at Cannes Film Festival and won eleven Australian Film Institute Awards. In 1983, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for Tender Mercies, starring Robert Duvall. In 1989, his film Driving Miss Daisy won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Jessica Tandy).

Other films directed by Mr. Beresford include Bride of the Wind, Double Jeopardy, Last Dance, Crimes of the Heart, Paradise Road and Evelyn, starring Pierce Brosnan. Mr. Beresford was also at the helm of HBO's recent made-for-cable movie And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself starring Antonio Banderas that aired in 2003.

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