Long before Steph Jowett found her footing as a director in Australia, she was shaped by two homelands – the Philippines and Aotearoa New Zealand, where the loudness of one and the gentleness of the other continue to guide her perspective.

Now living and working on Gadigal Country, Sydney, Steph is a queer director and writer whose work spans documentary, narrative and music video. Raised by a Filipino artist mother, her practice blends bold visual language with offbeat storytelling, often drawn to projects that feel personal, instinctive and deeply felt.

Working as one half of the directing duo Studio Antics alongside Tilly Robba, Steph has built a considered body of work. Her projects have screened at Palm Springs ShortFest and Seattle International Film Festival, with Lesbians on the Loose earning an International Emmy nomination and the Audience Award at Mardi Gras Film Festival. Across music videos and commercial work, her direction continues to centre emotion, identity and a sense of place.

When asked which work she is most proud of, Steph points to the music video she directed for BVT, Lalaki – an ode to the Philippines that honours pre-colonial ancestors while celebrating the future. A thread that runs through her work, where past and present sit side by side.