Max Currie is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter, most noted for his 2020 film Rūrangi.[1]

Max Currie
Born
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Occupation(s)Director, screenwriter

Biography

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Currie grew up in Palmerston North, and is the son of a microbiologist and a kindergarten teacher.[2] Currie moved to Auckland for university, and later spent a year in Germany, working as a chef in an Australian-themed restaurant.[3] He moved to New York City as the spouse of a diplomat, and worked as a bartender at a gay bar on the Lower East Side.[3]

Currie was formerly a reporter and presenter for the documentary television series Queer Nation, and a writer for the soap opera Shortland Street.[3] His debut film Everything We Loved was released in 2014,[4] garnering him nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2014 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards.[5]

Rūrangi began as a web series before being edited into a feature film.[6] The film premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival in 2020, and won the award for Best Feature at the 2020 Frameline Film Festival.[7]

In 2021, Currie appeared as a member of the Pit Crew in the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under.[8] In 2023, he appeared as a special guest in the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under.[9]

Personal life

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Currie is gay.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Celebrating trans experiences: Rurangi director Max Currie". Radio New Zealand, 11 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Max Currie". Big Screen Symposium. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Twelve Questions: Max Currie". The New Zealand Herald. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  4. ^ Boyd van Hoeij, "Everything We Loved: Berlin Review". The Hollywood Reporter, 24 February 2014.
  5. ^ Baillie, Russell (12 December 2014). "The Dark Horse sweeps NZ film awards". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  6. ^ Graeme Tuckett, "Rūrangi: A Kiwi film to celebrate and enjoy - and one that might just save lives". Stuff, 4 February 2021.
  7. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (8 March 2021). "Hulu Picks Up U.S. Rights To New Zealand Transgender Drama 'Rurangi'". Deadline Hollywood.
  8. ^ Jordan Hirst, "What we know about Max and Sean, Drag Race Down Under’s first Pit Crew". QNews, 5 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Snatch Game - Down Under Season 3". WOW Presents Plus, 8 August 2023.
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