Curious has had another win. This time it’s writer/director, Julius Avery. Ad awards may well follow.

“Son of a Gun is muscular, entertaining and not an indulgently literal representation of the director’s issues with a parent. And it has made Avery a hot property in Hollywood, albeit six years after he was initially a hot young thing after his short film Jerrycan won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival.’ [The Australian]

“Perth director’s bold new feature sports clever plot twists and a hero who’s determined to live beyond his 20th birthday.” [SMH]

“Julius is not only an accomplished filmmaker but a talented commercial director, so we are proud to have him join the Curious roster,” Peter Grasse, executive producer at Curious, commented.

Over the past 12 months, Avery has been directing Son of a Gun, which he also wrote with script editor, John Collee. It opens nationally on October 16 and stars Ewan McGregor.

Avery began being called one of Australia’s most original filmmakers when his short film, Jerrycan, won the Cannes Jury Prize in 2008. In the same year, he won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Short Film, with Honorable Mentions at Sundance and the Berlin International Film Festival.

Avery’s first film, End of Town, won the Melbourne International Film Festival’s emerging filmmaker of the year award. Avery had made it while graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts. He also won an Australian Directors Guild Award for best direction in 2007.

Avery’s original filmmaking is also being channeled into eye-catching ads for big brands. He has directed campaigns for Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Sony, Rabo Direct, and the Royal Australian Navy.

“We wanted to do something that regular folk could go and watch and enjoy. We made it for entertainment and if you kind of come out of it learning a bit about yourself or whatever, great, but for me it was important to make a thrilling ride,” Avery said about Son of a Gun. No doubt, Grasse saw it as a winning approach to directing adverts also.

Sony – The Entertained from Lucas Jatoba on Vimeo.

At Curious, he teams up with producer, Matt Reeder, who has his own awards showcase. Reeder’s feature film, The Little Death, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014.