Golem horror film claims inaugural Jewish Australian Screen Fellowship

Queensland filmmaker Idan Kotzen has been named the first recipient of the Jewish Australian Screen Fellowship, a new $20,000 initiative designed to support Jewish Australian storytellers and increase authentic Jewish representation on screen.

The fellowship was announced by Jump Street Films, the production company founded by Australian producer and director Jamie Bialkower.

Kotzen, who spoke to JWire after the announcement, said he was both surprised and deeply moved to receive the inaugural fellowship.

“It was quite surreal,” he said. “It wasn’t something that I expected would be acknowledged as something worth a real investment, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

The 25-year-old grew up in Sydney, went to Masada College then studied Media Arts and Production at the University of Technology Sydney. He joined Panavision and then moved to Queensland, where he is now branch manager of the company’s Queensland office. Alongside his full-time role, he works as a director, cinematographer and stop-motion animator, producing short films and music videos in Australia and Europe.

He has supported camera departments on major international productions, including Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, The Mosquito Bowl and Honeymoon with Harry.

As the fellowship recipient, Kotzen will spend the next year developing and producing Golem, a short horror film inspired by one of the most enduring figures in Jewish folklore.

The golem, most famously associated with the Jewish community of Prague, is a mythical clay creature brought to life to protect Jews from persecution. Kotzen said his film uses the ancient legend to explore the fears and dilemmas facing Jewish Australians today.

“It’s a film about the questions that Jewish people in this country have been asking themselves over the last three years, but especially recently, about what they need to do in order to feel safe,” he told JWire.

“There’s an element of fear. It’s about those conversations, those responses and the compromises as well.”

Kotzen said the story centres on a Jewish family in Australia and examines uncertainty about the future.

“We’re all wondering what future do we have, if any. What does that look like? What do we need to do? Where do we need to go?” he said.

The film will run for around 10 minutes and combine live action with puppetry and stop-motion animation.

“There are going to be elements of puppetry and animation to bring life to the creature and to add to the horror as well,” Kotzen said.

He said he felt the significance of the opportunity.

“I felt the weight of it as well. I feel like this is an important conversation and an important moment for a story like this and for someone like myself and so many others who have experienced some of what this film is trying to express.”

Jamie Bialkower said Kotzen’s project stood out for its ambition and distinctly Jewish perspective.

“The opportunity to embark on a contemporary horror film underpinned by a personal, distinctly Jewish perspective is hugely exciting,” Bialkower said.

“Idan’s pitch, ambitious but focused, particularly resonated in the context of using genre to explore aspects of inherited trauma and survival under threat, speaking directly to the current climate.”

The fellowship was established to support the creative and professional development of Jewish Australian filmmakers, with a focus on authenticity and visibility and the broader goal of increasing the depiction of Jewish Australians on screen.

Melbourne filmmaker Carly Brand was named an Honorary Fellow and will receive support from Jump Street Films while she develops the screenplay for her feature film Nice Jewish Girls.

Brand is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts. Her short film Nice Jewish Girl had its world premiere at BFI Flare, the United Kingdom’s leading queer film festival.

Together, Kotzen and Brand represent two very different but complementary approaches to Jewish Australian storytelling: one drawing on folklore and horror, the other on coming-of-age drama. Both projects are rooted in specifically Jewish experiences and aim to bring those stories to wider audiences.