Causeway Films (The Fox, The Babadook) co-founders Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings have partnered with Talk to Me and Bring Her Back directors Danny and Michael Philippou to form a new Australia-based screen distribution company, Baby Jane.
Causeway Films to launch Baby Jane distribution spin-off – quick links
What to know about new Australian screen distribution company, Baby Jane
Baby Jane will reportedly operate as its own entity, with a focus on new genre films for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, leaning into their particular tastes and interests.
Per details revealed by IF, the company will be ‘audience-first’ and work to distribute both local and international titles that are ‘distinctly relevant and fearless’ while also meeting young cinema-goers ‘where they are.’
Causeway Films titles will not be exclusive to Baby Jane, and the company will look to distribute an array of titles, with that focus on a young and daring audience, many of whom are distinctly inspired by genre films.
‘We’re known for producing bold titles and now we want to distribute bold titles,’ Samantha Jennings says. ‘Theatrical must-see films from a new wave of singular creatives for a new generation of film lovers.’
Baby Jane has already recruited its first hires, including Felix Hubble, who will be Head of Exhibition and Acquisition and Michelle Melky, Head of Marketing. Hubble joins from screening collective Static Vision, and he previously managed the screen program at SXSW Sydney, as well as serving as a Program Advisor at the Sydney Film Festival.
Melky joins from Screen Australia, where she worked in the Market and Audience team. She was previously the Global Creative Director of creator economy agency, Amplify.
‘We feel incredibly lucky to have such a great team on board. They have non-traditional backgrounds,’ Kristina Ceyton says. ‘But we’re not looking to be a traditional distribution company.’
Baby Jane is well-positioned to deliver new films to young Australian audiences
Baby Jane’s mission to distribute genre films for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences is a notable one. While tastes change rapidly, the success of films like Obsession and the work of Danny and Michael Philippou – Talk to Me, Bring Her Back – indicates the strong appeal of genre films to younger audiences, and particularly horror films.
Whether that’s down to the anxieties of the times, trends on social media or just the appeal of a strong story and a well-realised vision, there are clear trends emerging. Baby Jane looks to lean into those trends, serving young people directly, in a way that many traditional studios aren’t yet.
Partnering with the Philippou brothers is also a clever choice. Not only do the directors have significant recent successes on the big screen, they began their work on YouTube. They understand the power and impact of social media, where plenty of young people now develop their tastes and interests.
In the modern era, a distribution company like Baby Jane, backed by this expertise, has the potential to make a significant impact. The work of the company will certainly be worth watching as it takes its first strides.
Also on ScreenHub: Australia is ready to take advantage of cinema’s low-budget genre boom
Curry Barker’s box office-busting horror film Obsession has certainly lived up to its name. Over the last few months, it’s been tough to avoid it. The film has a buzz that feels unique, and one that’s been sustained by word of mouth, critical reviews and an extended cinema run that has led to a reported box office taking of US$475 million (AU$676 million) – eclipsing its meagre US$750,000 budget.
There are lessons to be learned from Obsession here in Australia, and particularly important ones in light of recent reports about the state of Australian cinema and a perceived ‘misalignment’ between released projects and what audiences actually desire.
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