Short Film AFIN 319
THE MEDIATOR
Directed by 
Roman Anastasios
AFIN 2025 Nominee · 2 nominations
- 2025
- 12m
-
Australia - English
- PG
- Drama
Stills
1 frame
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Credits
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Synopsis
It’s 2009, Mick Gatto is at the height of his powers. If you take his business card at face value, he’s arguably one of the world’s best negotiators. He’s also the last-man-standing after Melbourne’s brutal gangland wars. What did he have to do to survive the carnage? And what has he had to do to stay alive?
Two men cower in a five-star London hotel. Mick’s on his way. And we’ve got just one question. Why didn’t they run when they had the chance?
Director's Statement
The Mediator is a story I could have only dreamt of having the opportunity of sharing. To get the blessing of the Mick Gatto to share even a small snippet of his ridiculously eventful life is something the crew and myself certainly did not take for granted. Steve Bastoni excels as a Mick at the height of his stardom, and Sean Keenan alongside Steve Mouzakis as his adversaries, in what is an exciting prospect for Melbourne and the broader gangland war enthusiasts. A special thanks... goes to Mick for allowing us to put this story on the big screen, to the talented cast and crew who dedicated countless hours to bringing the story to life in such an extraordinarily fresh way, to the National Trust for allowing us to film on location at the heavenly Labassa mansion, and to ARRI Australia for providing such generous gear to the production.
What makes this one special
- Nominated in 2 AFIN categoriesBest Australian Performance · Best Student Short Film
- A first-time filmmaker
- A student film
From the Judges
From the Judges
A tense, tightly wound piece that holds you inside a single charged encounter and keeps the pressure building. Intense, creative writing anchors it, brought to life by smooth camera movements and blocking and framing that quietly map the shifting power between the characters. The panel found the craft assured throughout, from the production design to the score and sound design, with performances that felt professional and believable.
Director's Biography
Roman Anastasios Director
Roman Anastasios is a graduating director from the Victorian College of Arts, having just completed a Bachelor in Film and Television.
With a background in cinematography, Roman boasts a keen visual literacy that champions itself on connecting with that which makes us most human. These elements are vivid through his work as a director of photography and have carried over into his career as a director.
With his work in the short-form space garnering millions of views online worldwide, which has led to successful music video work, award-winning collaborations, and working alongside a talented new generation of cinematographers and actors.
Drawn to big stories deserving of an even bigger stage, his recent brooding work feels to homage greats such as Villeneuve and Cary Joji Fukunaga.
Fuller cast & crew
Music
- Thomas Fernando
Writer
- Andrew Anastasios
Executive Producer
- Georgie Lockhead
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THE MEDIATOR was an official Nominee for Best Australian Performance and Best Student Short Film at the AFIN International Film Festival 2025, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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