Biography

Kirsty writes, acts, directs, produces and coaches young actors.

Her most recent role was Sarah in Damien Power's feature No Exit. Projects in development include Suzanne Adamson's Save Me, Hamilton's feature Without Sin and short The Rose Garden.

Kirsty was born and raised in New Zealand, is of Maori - Whanau a Pani, Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Ruapani, Ngati Kahungunu, Scottish, English, German and Irish descent.

Hamilton trained as an actress at Toi Whakaari - The New Zealand Drama School.

She played Catherine in Simon Bare's short film - Eau De La Vie and Grace in Costa Botes feature film Saving Grace (1997) (nominated for best actress at the NZ TV and film awards).

Kirsty has played numerous roles in theater including Rosalind in Miranda Harcourt's production of Shakespeare's play As You Like It, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Maria in Twelfth Night, Charlotte in Harold Pinter's Party Time directed by Harry Burton (UK), Mouse in Riwia Brown's Roimata, Mrs Cheveley and Lubov in Chekov Gone Wilde directed by Patrick Graham, Valerie in Connor Mc Pherson's The Weir, Lorraine in Elaine Murphy's Little Gem, Joan in Patrick Graham's Is and a host of classical roles.

In 2007 Kirsty was chosen as a Shakespeare Globe Center of New Zealand's Fellow at Shakespeare's Globe theater alongside Rawiri Paratene in London, where she studied acting Shakespeare for the summer.

In 2009 she graduated from European Act a summer acting, teaching Meisner and screenwriting program, in London, Paris and Berlin through the London Actor's Center, showcasing at RADA.

Kirsty returned to NZ from two three year long stints in London to obtain a place in the creative writing Masters at the International Institute of Modern Letters.

After earning her masters in 2012, she went on to gain an honors degree in screen production at the University of Auckland . She made her first two short films there, Kat and Breathe.

In 2016 she was chosen by the New Zealand Directors Guild alongside nine other up and coming female directors to take part in a series of workshops for female writer/director making the move to features. That year she was picked by the New Zealand Film Commission as an Accelerator participant at MIFF.

Kirsty is also a qualified secondary school teacher of Drama and English.

She completed her third short film in 2018 - Cold, starring Matthew Sunderland which premiered at the Sandy Dennis Film Festival.

- IMDb mini biography by: kirsty hamilton