DIRECTOR STATEMENT
An Artist’s Curse tells the story of a melancholic Mother Sonya, who sees the world from the P.O.V of her mentally impaired mind as she tries to unravel the shocking truth about her daughter.

It is a story about grief, personal demons and how we see the world from a different colour when experiencing mental trauma or suffering deeply. We all have the capacity to see things from a different perspective when clinically depressed or broken. This is what the film is about.

I wanted to create a story whereby the viewer bakes in the mind of an unfulfilled, artistic Mother, suffering from the loss of her child who has gone missing, who is trying desperately to regain her memory. We live in her fantasy, in her imaginations and in her delusions whilst discovering the influence of her childhood trauma.

It is my hope that viewers enjoy the film’s metaphorical style.
Thank you for reading this and I hope to see you at the festival.

DIRECTOR BIO
Steven is a Perth filmmaker with a background in education, media, and film. Steven has produced, directed, written and edited two feature films: The Xrossing in 2020, which had it’s international premiere at the St Louis International Film Festival, and earned several awards including best feature at Toronto Independent Film Festival. The Xrossing was distributed theatrically by Halo Films with worldwide online distribution through Freestyle Digital Media.

Steven’s second feature film, the WA psychodrama, Violett, has recently been picked up by Syndicado for worldwide distribution after the film won Best Australian Feature Film and Best Australian Actress (Georgia Eyers) at the A Night of Horror Sydney International Film Festival. Violett was also awarded Best Narrative Feature (under 1 mill) and Best Performance (under 18) recently at the WA Screen Culture Awards.

As writer, director, editor, producer and co-composer of Violett, Steven also earned several other International awards including Best Director at the London Film Awards, best composer, best editing and best feature film at the Crown Wood International Film Festival.

Both The Xrossing and Violett were produced by Steven’s production company, Playtime Motion Pictures; a boutique media production house that has been responsible for numerous short films and music video productions in collaboration with Australia’s Got Talent finalists such as Sisters Doll and Jonny Taylor.

Before Steven made his first feature film, he worked for nearly ten years in education as a Specialist Performing Arts Drama teacher, coordinating specialist & academy drama programs across Hampton Senior High School and Joseph Banks Secondary College.

As a teacher, Steven developed extensive theatre productions, working with students and professionals on shows to create enriching experiences for students. Steven also taught ATAR MPA; Media Production and Analysis and ATAR Drama Studies.

Steven brings an extended breadth of experience into his filmmaking, with an extensive history of film editing, music production, sound editing and acting/performance coaching. He is passionate about crafting thematic stories that strike a balance of confrontation, education, engagement and style.

PRODUCER
Jay Jay Jegathesan is an Oscar-qualified film producer, narrator, director, and actor who excels across animated, narrative, and live-action filmmaking. Renowned for his versatility, Jay Jay is ranked among the top 5 performers globally in the Main Professional and Endurance categories of the prestigious World Monologue Games.

An accomplished actor with 15 international Best Actor awards, his standout performances in short films like Soul Catcher, The Saint, and Catch & Release have earned acclaim on the global film circuit. With over 25 years of experience, Jay Jay’s work as a stage and voice actor spans Australia, Malaysia, and Japan, where he has delivered memorable performances in theater, one-off productions, and short films.
As Producer and Narrator for the celebrated animated shorts iRony and The Quiet, Jay Jay has achieved extraordinary success: these films have been showcased in more than 500 film festivals across 55 countries, winning over 200 awards, securing an AACTA nomination, and being selected for 21 Academy Award-qualifying festivals. His creative vision and storytelling mastery continue to captivate audiences worldwide.