Aussie playwright Stephen Sewell to make directorial debut

An Australian playwright and author will direct his first feature film, based on one of his own books.

Sydney-based production company Jaggi.Shute has acquired the rights to Stephen Sewell’s script Babylon, an adaptation of his book of the same name, with the writer signing on to direct as well.

The film will be produced by Steve Jaggi and Liz Shute, to be executive produced by Academy Award winner Bruce Beresford as well as Janine Pearce of The Reef and co-produced by Marc Van Buuren.

Sewell said: “Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure of seeing some fantastic actors bring my characters to life on the stage and screen. The opportunity to take the reins as Director and work closely with the actors to mould my characters is a writer’s dream come true.”