April-Rose Desalegn is an African-Australian writer, director and performer with a sharp eye for the absurdities of everyday life. Funny, transgressive and off- kilter, her work probes boldly into unsolvable human problems.

Desalegn honed her unique voice working across some of Australia’s leading creative companies, serving as Creative Coordinator at FINCH Production Company before writing treatments in Scripted Development at Helium Pictures.

She starred in and co-wrote Rebecca Metcalf’s film THE EVICTION, which was awarded Best Australian Short at MIFF 2025. The film also screened in SFF’s Dendy Short Awards 2025, with Desalegn appearing twice in this year’s selection — also credited as Assistant Director on Miski Omar’s BUTTON PUSHER.

A self-proclaimed creative chameleon, Desalegn holds a Bachelor of Laws and Communications (Social and Political Sciences) from UTS and a Master of Fine Arts (Dramatic Writing) from NIDA — all while working as an actor represented by Morrissey Management and a model represented by People Agency.

As a second-gen immigrant from Ethiopia, April intimately understands how miscommunication is just as hilarious as it is heartbreaking, and injects this comedy into all her stories.