Goran Stolevski: A Fine Fellow for My Boy Oleg

By Travis Johnson

Having been one of the talented emerging filmmakers who was awarded the 2017 Lexus Short Film Fellowship, Goran Stolevski’s resultant film, My Boy Oleg, had its world premiere on Tuesday night at Dendy Opera Quays.

Starring Alex Dimitriades and Olena Fedorova,  the film follows a Ukrainian actress who travels to Melbourne with her toddler for a festival. However, her off-stage antics reveal the true nature of her visit: to find her child’s father. It will screen tonight at the State Theatre ahead of the feature, 3 Faces, before being hosted on the Lexus Short Films Vimeo channel.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I’ve always been pretty creative – since I was something like 5 years old I was writing short stories and tacky little poems. Around age 12 I became obsessed with cinema. Then I had to make a couple of short films for high school assignments. And, well, there was no turning back.

What was the inspiration for My Boy Oleg?

An event I heard about inspired the story idea and then I developed it for the actress Olena Federova, who is an incredible artist I’d had the pleasure to work with on a previous film. I hope to work with her many times in the future too.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced when making the film?

To be honest, the entire process was reasonably smooth and thrilling and creatively satisfying. It’s hard to think of any aspect as particularly challenging. One of the lead roles was played by a 14-month-old with inevitably restricted hours. Theoretically, that was a logistical challenge but he was such an inspiring and beguiling screen presence that effortlessly elevated our film.

How did receiving the Lexus grant impact your approach to the production?

I was able to work with a professional cast and crew at my disposal. For the first time ever (at least in Australia) I could focus purely on the directing and delegate all other tasks to wonderfully capable people.

What are you hoping people take away from the film?

Hopefully an intense emotional experience that makes them think about how they might behave if trapped in the protagonist’s incredibly difficult situation.

What’s up next for you? What projects are you developing?

I’ve just directed three episodes from the upcoming fourth season of the children’s series Nowhere Boys. I am developing a feature, titled You Won’t Be Alone, with Causeway Films (who made the wonderful Babadook and Cargo). I also just finished writing You’ll Love Me, another feature that received Screen Australia support, with Jessica Carrera from Dollhouse Pictures as producer. I also have another feature at a financing stage in my native Macedonia.