bio
Michael is an Australian-Indian screenwriter and director.
His most recent short film THE ECHO held its world premiere at the 66th Oberhausen International Short Film Festival 2020, followed by its Australian premiere at the 68th½ Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) 2020. This short work, adapted from the poem 'The Rider' by Naomi Shihab Nye is the first part of an anthology of short visual expressions exploring youth. He has recently begun development on the next instalment, CHAMELEON.
Michael is interested in the outsider looking in; themes of identity and the complexity of youth feature heavily in his work. Along this vein, Michael is developing several long-form projects including THE PLACE BENEATH THE SUN THAT BURNS, a feature film set in rural India and the six part comedy/drama IF PAIN PERSISTS, nominated for an Australian Writers Guild Monte Miller Award 2019. His ongoing documentary project A WAY OF BEING, which began in 2019 with support from the Blacktown Arts Creative Fund is currently in production.
In 2018 Michael was the recipient of the Emerging Producer Placement with Screen NSW, working across the development and production slate of the NSW state funding body. Later that year Michael was selected as a participant in the AFTRS/ Screen Australia national Talent Camp lab with his script THERE SHE IS.
Michael has completed television and film development attachments with Matchbox Pictures (NBCUniversal), as well as television writing placements with Easy Tiger, furthering his breadth of experience across the film and television landscape. He continues to be involved in television developments, most recently with Aquarius Films for the young adult sci-fi drama THE UNLISTED (Netflix/ABC) and as a writer with Justine Flynn’s Buster Productions, working along side script editor Kim Goldsworthy on the pilot RORY & FERGUS.
Press