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Director's Biography and FilmographyMichael Mahonen - Writer/Director/Producer of "Sandstorm"
"Sandstorm" is Michael's first movie as writer, director or producer. Michael was born and raised in Kirkland Lake, a small gold mining and hockey town in Northern Ontario. In 1986 Michael moved to Toronto to attend George Brown Theatre School where he received classical theatre training for three intensive years. In his graduating year, which was focused on professional production and performance, Michael played the lead role of Hamlet in a rarely seen uncut version of the play which ran more than four hours. Shortly after graduating, Michael was one of 15 actors under the age of 35 selected from across Canada to perform for several months at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre in a theatre company headed by Richard Monette, Artistic Director for the Stratford Festival. He went on to star in "Road to Avonlea", Canada's most popular television series of all time, for which he received three Gemini nominations for his portrayal of the character "Gus Pike". Michael won the Gemini Award for Best Lead Actor for his internationally acclaimed performance in the mini-series, "Conspiracy of Silence". He has worked in film, television and theatre in both Canada and the United States. In 2001, Michael began the mind/body/spirit practice of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong). He was inspired to write, direct and produce the movie Sandstorm to help expose the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners that is currently taking place in China. In February 2004, Sandstorm was screened at India's Mumbai International Film Festival where it received strong and passionate responses from audience members, one of whom compared the Falun Gong practitioner in the movie to Mahatma Gandhi. In April 2004, Sandstorm was awarded a "Festival Special Prize" at the Law and Society International Film and Television Festival in Moscow, Russia, which screened more than 120 international entries. On June 12, Sandstorm won best feature film at the deadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City and on July 3, won best feature film at the 27th Philafilm International Film Festival in Philadelphia. Michael has written one other full-length screenplay and has two others in the works. Earlier this year he directed a stage performance at Toronto's John Bassett Theatre and recently guest starred in an episode of the CBC's acclaimed new TV series, "This is Wonderland" as well as playing the role of Malcolm in a television movie of "MacBeth". Unofficial websites:
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