Justin Dallas Kurzel ( born 3 August 1974 ) is an Australian film director and screenwriter . Kurzel was born in Gawler , South Australia to a family of immigrant roots , his father hailing from Poland and his mother from Malta . His younger brother , Jed Kurzel , is a blues rock musician who has scored most of Justin 's films . Kurzel is married to actress Essie Davis . In 1999 he was awarded a Mike Walsh Fellowship . His film debut was the Australian short film '' Blue Tongue '' ( 2004 ) . His feature film debut was '' Snowtown '' ( 2011 ) , for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Direction . Though controversial for its violence , the film was generally praised and holds an 84 % on Rotten Tomatoes with the critic consensus : " It 's a bleak and brutal endurance test , but for viewers with the strength and patience to make it to the end , Snowtown will prove an uncommonly powerful viewing experience . " His 2015 film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's '' Macbeth '' was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival
2015 Cannes Film Festival
2015 Cannes Film Festival
Justin Kurzel