Lianne Mackessy is a multi-passionate creative whose body of work spans acting, screenwriting and directing. As a storyteller, Lianne’s work draws on her rich personal backstory to bring complex, empathetic stories to the screen. After graduating from drama school, Lianne went on to complete her undergraduate studies in screenwriting at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in 2016, where she is currently undertaking the Masters of Screen in Directing.  

As an actor, Lianne has appeared in numerous Australian television series and independent feature films. As a filmmaker, Lianne’s debut short film Not a Wallflower (writer/director), had its premiere at MIFF in 2020, and the following year Lianne was selected to attend the MIFF Accelerator Lab, alongside the most promising emerging directors in Australia. In 2021 Lianne directed Filters, a short drama that premiered at Cinefest Oz, and the same year she co-wrote the award-winning short documentary What Was It Like? which is currently streaming on ABCiview. Lianne co-wrote and performed in the short romantic comedy Hopeful Romantic, premiering at Flickerfest 2023. Lianne’s films have played at numerous film festivals around Australia and internationally.

As a teaching artist, Lianne has worked extensively with Bus Stop Films, a not-for-profit organisation that uses filmmaking and the film industry to raise the profile of people living with disabilities and other marginalised groups and has been writing and directing inclusive film projects with Bus Stop since 2018.