EFF: Sebastian

Sebastian

Australian Premiere

"...a wholly riveting viewing experience. Sebastian grabs a hold of your attention and pulls it down to the floor.” - Film Threat

Max, a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist, seems to be well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his debut novel, but struggles to retain control of a delicately balanced double-life. Cycling through ecstasy, shame, and liberation, he must reckon with the question of whether Sebastian is merely a tool in his writer’s quest for the ultimate in first-hand authenticity, or whether something more is at stake.

Director Mikko Mäkelä delivers on the promise of his debut feature A Moment in the Reeds (2017) with an intimate and sexually explicit drama that explores the transgressive power of queer sexuality and the transformative impact of embracing a new identity, whilst never sensationalising Max’s quest for authenticity. Led by a committed and charismatic performance from Ruaridh Mollica, Sebastian gets under the skin of this complicated protagonist as life and art blurs.

Festivals & Awards

Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival 2024
Official Selection at the BFI London Film Festival 2024
Official Selection at the Seattle International Film Festival 2024

Rating

Unclassified 18+

Duration

111 min

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Cast

Ruaridh Mollica, Hiftu Quasem, Jonathan Hyde, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Stella Gonet, Leanne Best

Director

Mikko Mäkelä