Filmmaker Stavros Kazantzidis Teams Up with Singer Viktoria Seléne

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Greek Australian film director, screenwriter and producer Stavros Kazantzidis is bringing his creative vision to music, joining forces with Sydney-based singer and songwriter Viktoria Seléne as she develops a new body of original work and prepares her debut album, Celestial.

For Kazantzidis, whose career spans more than 25 years in Australian film, the collaboration represents a natural extension of a career focused on discovering and developing distinctive Australian creative talent.

The multi-award-winning filmmaker is best known for films including Love and Other Catastrophes and Russian Doll, which won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Screenplay. His writing credits also include Jane Campion’s In the Cut.

More recently, Kazantzidis played a key role in bringing together and helping finance the Australian box-office success Ladies in Black.

Now, through his collaboration with Seléne, Kazantzidis is applying the same emphasis on character, storytelling and emotional authenticity to music.

From Opera to Indie Folk, Pop and Rock

Viktoria Seléne is a Sydney-based classical mezzo-soprano and contemporary singer whose career has moved between opera and popular music.

She studied Opera Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has performed professionally across Australia and internationally. She also appeared on The Voice Australia, performing the chart-topping song “Bang Bang”.

Seléne is now developing a more personal sound that combines her classical vocal training with indie folk, pop, rock and jazz.

Her live performances blend reimagined works with original songs exploring love, loss, longing and spirituality.

Her first Sydney performance as a solo artist took place at Django Bar at Camelot Lounge in July, where she performed alongside indie-folk artists Saije.

Her next Sydney performance will take place at Church St Studios in Camperdown on Friday, September 18, at 8pm, where she will showcase her original indie-folk material.

The intimate venue suits the close and emotionally charged performance style that has become central to Seléne’s artistic vision.

Public gig listings describe her sound as a meeting point between classical technique and contemporary influences such as Katie Melua, LP and Stevie Nicks.

A Creative Connection

For Kazantzidis, the project also marks a broader evolution in his creative work.

Born in Cyprus to a Greek-Egyptian family, Kazantzidis has established himself as a prominent figure in Australian independent cinema, working across writing, directing and producing for more than two decades.

His films have featured performers including Hugo Weaving, Naomi Watts, Noah Taylor, Ben Mendelsohn and Abbie Cornish, while his work has taken him from Australian independent cinema to international film festivals.

His contribution to Australian screen culture extends beyond his own productions.

In 2007, he founded the Dungog Film Festival in the NSW Lower Hunter region and served as its Managing Director for seven years.

Kazantzidis also trained as an architect and works as a visual artist and teacher. His diverse creative background continues to shape his collaborative and character-driven approach across different artistic disciplines.

He is currently developing a new screen project set in the Northern Rivers that flips the cult genre. He is writing the project with Viktoria Seléne and Dr Zorica Malic.

His collaboration with Seléne brings that cinematic sensibility into music: a distinctive voice, an emotionally driven story and an artist with something genuine to say.

“Music and film are ultimately about the same thing: connecting with an audience through emotion and story,” says Kazantzidis. “Viktoria has an extraordinary voice, but what really interests me is the person and the stories behind that voice. Celestial is about creating something that feels completely authentic to her.”

Celestial Takes Shape

For Seléne, the next stage involves recording and developing Celestial, with the debut album scheduled for release in 2027.

Until then, audiences can experience the evolution of the project live, as Seléne brings her developing sound to intimate venues across NSW.

Event Details:

VIKTORIA SELÉNE – LIVE
Church St Studios
62–68 Church Street, Camperdown, Sydney
Friday 18 September 2026
7.30pm

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