BIOGRAPHY
Sean is a Screenwriter, Director, Editor and Producer from Sydney, Australia. He has worked in film & television production in Australia and the US since 1994.
Sean began making films while growing up in Sydney, and later Hong Kong. In 1991, a 25-minute film Sean wrote and directed helped earn him a place in the VCA School of Film and Television, in Melbourne, Australia (formerly Swinburne). As a student, Sean made several 16mm short films, while training in Screenwriting, Direction, Editing and Cinematography, graduating with a Bachelor of Film and Television Production, in 1993.
Since 1998, Sean has written feature screenplays in a variety of genres, including Action-Adventure, Thriller, Science-Fiction and Horror, inspired by filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, George Lucas, John Badham, Lawrence Kasdan, John McTiernan, Ridley Scott and Richard Donner.
After visiting Los Angeles in 1996 to observe on several film productions, Sean relocated to LA in 2006, where he interned with production companies and worked as an Assistant at Larger Than Life Productions (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) on the Universal Studios lot. Sean also attended film festivals and markets, including Sundance, AFI & AFM, pitching to production companies and learning the business of film development.
In 2010, Sean's screenplay, Claws, was a finalist in the Beverly Hills Film Festival Screenwriting Competition. Also that year, Sean wrote, directed and produced a short film based on the feature screenplay. The short film premiered at Renovation 2011 - the 69th World Science Fiction Convention, in Reno, Nevada.
Since returning to Australia in 2011, Sean has developed several feature screenplays, and in 2014, The Legend of Yakatutch was awarded Best Project & Pitch by a panel of international judges, during the 3-D Stereo Media Summit in Liege, Belgium. In 2015, the project was selected as a Producer Spotlight Project for the International Financing Forum (Toronto) and Trans-Atlantic Partners. A graphic novel based on the screenplay is being developed.
In 2016, Sean established CineBrand, to produce short videos for small businesses and individuals, which tell the story of their brand, and promote their services on social media and websites. In 2017, Sean produced, directed and edited a 5-part documentary about the international school he attended in Hong Kong, to celebrate its 50th anniversary. View the trailer.
In 2023, Sean began teaching Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy Australia, on the Gold Coast. NYFA Australia
Sean's recent projects include the screenplay Shadow Men, a Sci-Fi/Thriller (co-written with Kent Hill), and a Crime/Thriller based in New York City. The Legend of Yakatutch is being developed independently for production in Canada, where the story is set. The Legend of Yakatutch - IMDb
Go to PROJECTS for more information. IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/nm1753093/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/seanfrancisellis
Blacklist Profile: Sean Francis Ellis | The Black List (blcklst.com)