★ HOW OLD IS ELISSA DOWN?
Elissa Down is 50 years old, born July 2, 1975 in AU · Cancer.
#2971of 5,519 Writers on HotBirthdays
★ LEDE
About
Elissa Down made her mark directing award-winning shorts before her feature debut became a festival darling. Born in Australia in 1975, Down received dual AFI Awards for The Black Balloon (2008), her semi-autobiographical film starring Toni Collette and Rhys Wakefield, which premiered at Berlin and won the Crystal Bear. She has since directed Feel the Beat and The Honor List. A Cancer born on July 2, Down channels introspective storytelling into her screenwriting and direction.
★ FEATURE
Biography
Elissa Down is an Australian screenwriter and filmmaker whose short films became festival fixtures before her feature directorial debut reshaped her career. Born July 2, 1975, Down was nominated for Young Filmmaker of the Year at the WA Screen Awards in 1999 and 2000, with shorts including Summer Angst, The Cherry Orchard, Her Outback, The Bathers, and Pink Pyjamas screened across Tampere, Locarno, San Francisco Indie, and Tropfest. She was featured in Vogue's In Progress spread in 2005 as one of Australia's emerging artists.
Down's breakthrough, The Black Balloon (2008), was a semi-autobiographical feature co-written with Jimmy The Exploder and starring Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Gemma Ward, and Luke Ford. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2008, where it won the Crystal Bear for best feature-length film in the Generation 14plus category. On December 6, 2008, Down received the AFI Best Direction in Film Award and AFI Best Original Screenplay Award (shared with Jimmy The Exploder); the film also won the L'Oreal Paris AFI Award for Best Film. Her subsequent features include The Honor List (2018) with Meghan Rienks and Sasha Pieterse, and Feel the Beat (2020) starring Sofia Carson.
As a Cancer and Life-Path 4, Down's work reflects the introspective, detail-oriented sensibility typical of her sign and numerological profile. Australian filmmakers balance artistic vision with industry navigation, and Down's trajectory—from festival-circuit shorts to AFI-recognized features—exemplifies that path.
★ ORIGIN
Before Fame
Down built her reputation through award-nominated short films in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Works like Summer Angst, The Cherry Orchard, Her Outback, and The Bathers circulated through major international festivals including Tampere, Locarno, and San Francisco Indie, establishing her as a rising voice in Australian cinema. Her visibility grew when Vogue featured her as one of Australia's upcoming artists in their In Progress spread in 2005, ahead of her feature directorial debut.
★ SIDEBAR
Trivia
- The Black Balloon was semi-autobiographical and partially based on Down's own family.
- Down's feature debut won the Crystal Bear at Berlin International Film Festival in February 2008, the top prize in its competition category.
- She co-wrote The Black Balloon with Jimmy The Exploder and shared the AFI Best Original Screenplay Award with him in 2008.
★ SIDEBAR
Numerology
LIFE-PATH NUMBER
The Builder
Disciplined and structured. Elissa Down succeed where consistency beats charisma — long catalogs, repeatable craft, slow-grow audiences.
★ ALL LIFE-PATH 4 CELEBS →★ ASTROLOGY
Birthday compatibility
By Chinese zodiac — san-he trine for best matches, opposing pair for the most friction-prone.
HIGHLY COMPATIBLE
- Kendall JennerPig · 1995
- Brian MayPig · 1947
- Caleb HearonPig · 1995
- Nick RobinsonPig · 1995
- Nicola PeltzPig · 1995
CHALLENGING
- Patrick MöllekenRooster · 1993
- Ewa Farna
★ FAQ
Frequently asked
- How old is Elissa Down?
- Elissa Down is 50 years old (born July 2, 1975).
- When is Elissa Down's birthday?
- Elissa Down was born on July 2, 1975.
- What is Elissa Down's zodiac sign?
- Elissa Down is a Cancer, born July 2, 1975.
- What is Elissa Down's Chinese zodiac sign?
- Elissa Down was born in 1975, the year of the Wood Rabbit.
- Where is Elissa Down from?
- Elissa Down is from AU.
- What does Elissa Down do?
- Elissa Down is a writer.
- Is Elissa Down still alive?
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