Melbourne teen’s crime thriller ‘Crossroads’ selected for international film festivals
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Eleftherios Fotis Tsitsiras, a young Melbourne filmmaker, has written and directed a short film ‘Crossroads’, that has recently been accepted into two major film festivals.
His film will represent Australia at the Camera Zizanio International Film Festival in Greece where the film will screen from 1-6 December.
Before that it will also be screened at the Dubbo Short Film Festival (NSW) this week on 22 November.
“It is an incredible honour to have Crossroads screened both here in Australia and in Greece,” Tsitsiras said.
“I made this film to ask difficult questions about choices and identity, and I hope it resonates with other young people who are standing at their own crossroads.”
The Year 12 student’s filmmaking journey started in high school: writing short scripts and filming them with friends.
“I started in high school filming small scripts with friends just for fun,” he said.
“Directing my first proper short film last year taught me about planning, discipline, and what it takes to make a high-quality project. That experience led to Crossroads.”
With ‘Crossroads’, which took six months of planning and developing, the filmmaker blends gritty crime storytelling with emotional depth.
The crime thriller, inspired by the rise of youth crime in Australia, explores the human pressures behind crime: poverty, fractured homes, desperation to provide for family.
It tells the story of two teenage brothers from a struggling home taking a risky job for the local mafia to earn money for their mother. The job spirals into a dangerous test of loyalty, fear, and survival in a world of shifting power and betrayal.
“I wanted to go past the big picture and explore the human reasons behind these choices,” Tsitsiras said.
“My aim was to create a tense, stylish thriller that entertains while also asking audiences to reflect on the hidden struggles that can push youth into dangerous paths.”
His style? Inspired by the likes of greats like Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie and Wong Kar-Wai.
Now Tstsiras is looking to expand to longer, more ambitious storytelling and is currently working on writing a feature-length film.
He is also interested in inspiring and mentoring other young filmmakers, showing that small beginnings can lead to bigger opportunities.
“Some of the strongest stories come from people who start with nothing but an idea, a camera, and a few friends,” he said.
“I want to show young Australians that persistence, creativity, and curiosity can turn small beginnings into real opportunities.”
He is also planning further submissions to film festivals, now waiting on selection responses from Cannes Film Awards, Peninsula Film Festival, and other international competitions.
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
