Tahyna MacManus is an Australian director, writer and producer. Tahyna began her career as an actress, starring in several television and film blockbusters including . In 2014, Tahyna wrote and directed her first short film "OREN" which debuted on the international festival circuit. In 2017, Tahyna co-founded an all female led production company Neon Jane Productions alongside producer Kelly Tomasich. In 2020 the duo launched The Australian Womens Film Festival, a short film festival celebrating women in film and honouring those who have made a significant contribution to the industry.
Early life
MacManus grew up in the Sydney beach-side suburb of Cronulla with her Italian father, Dutch mother and younger sister, model Cheyenne Tozzi. She began modelling at eight years old.
Career
MacManus played Perri Lawe on the ABC drama Blue Water High in 2005. She returned to the series for the second-to-last episode of the second series, which aired in December 2006. Following that, she starred in Beautiful, her first feature film, playing 17-year-old provocateur Suzy. In 2009, she appeared in as Emma, a mutant able to turn her skin into diamond. Tahyna starred in the film Trophy Kids alongside David Gallagher and Ryan Eggold, which won Best Ensemble Cast at the Breckenridge Festival of Film. In the same year Tozzi also starred in the psychological thrillerNeedle, which was directed by John V. Soto. She does the voice acting and her likeness was used for a character named Daina Le Guin in the 2011 sci-fi horror game Dead Space 2. In 2010 and 2011 MacManus was the face of Australian cosmetic brand Australis Cosmetics. In 2012, Tahyna directed an ameteur stage production of John Patrick Shanley’s ‘Savage In Limbo’ which sold out to audiences during its run in Los Angeles before she began work on The Last Light where she played Jenny. In 2013, Tahyna went back in front of the camera to star in Mathew A Brown's psychological thriller Julia as well as begin work on her own short film directorial debut. In 2014 Tahyna released her debut short film Oren on the international festival circuit. Oren won Best International Film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. In 2017 she began filming her feature documentary Misunderstandings Of Miscarriage which aims to shatter the silence and grief surrounding pregnancy loss through interviews with women across the world. The film also includes interviews with obstetricians, gynaecologists, psychologists and endocrinologists whilst simultaneously documenting Tahyna's own traumatic journey through miscarriage. The film features Claire Holt and Deborra-Lee Furness and will be released in 2020. In 2020 she co-founded The Australian Womens Film Festival alongside Kelly Tomasich.
Filmography
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2005–06
Blue Water High
Perri Lawe
27 episodes
2008
The Strip
Kristal Cade
3 episodes
2008
'
Quinci Feeney
"Forbidden Fruit"
2009
Eleventh Hour
Gorgeous Model
"Olfactus"
2009
'
Olivia Hamilton
"Family Affair"
2011
Charlie's Angels
Amanda Kane
"Bon Voyage, Angels"
2015
Scary Endings
Sasha
"We Always Come Back"
Personal life
On 25 January 2014, Tahyna married dancer Tristan MacManus. On 5 April 2016, she gave birth to a daughter named Echo Isolde. On 14 March 2019, she gave birth to a son named Oisín Lír.
