He graduated from NIDA in 1988 and has directed the following films:
- Strictly Ballroom (1992), starring Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice
- Romeo and Juliet (1996), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
- Moulin Rouge (2001), starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
Baz Luhrmann has listed Bollywood films as a major influence on his work, especially Moulin Rouge!.
Luhrman is also credited with a 1999 UK number one single entitled Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen).