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Two-time Pacific Northwest Emmy® Award Winner, A.J. started his journey in the film industry at the age of just 16 as Assistant Producer for the Channel 7 children's TV show A*mazing hosted by James Sherry, forging his pathway as the youngest person in Australia ever to fill such a position and achieving 195 TV episodes to his name before graduating high school.
The next two years would see A.J. working at every major television station in his hometown, Perth, shooting news, current affairs, sports & lifestyle programs, and at Australian TV giant Global Television (Big Brother, Australian Idol).
His narrative writing and directorial debut was seen with the release of the Australian production "Ronan's Escape", a highly controversial 16-minute film. The unique hard-hitting screenplay attracted the likes of Academy Award nominee Martin Mhando, who produced the film. "Ronan's Escape" instantly achieved critical acclaim, screening at 17 international film festivals around the world, and has since earned the film and A.J. a total of 13 international film award nominations and 10 wins, including the 'World Cinema Directing Award' for Best Director at the Amsterdam Film Festival; 'Best Short Film' at the prestigious 16th Annual Sedona International Film Festival Director's Choice Awards, judged and presented by Michael Moore; and 'Best International Film' at the Oscar Qualifying 6th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival in Hollywood. The continued success of "Ronan's Escape" has seen it shared more than 57 million times over Facebook, Instagram & YouTube and solidified its own presence in pop culture among teens associated with its primary theme, as well as footage from the film being used in the music video for American pop star Demi Lovato's smash hit 'Believe in Me'.
Traveling to and from the USA, he garnered much invaluable directing experience through many Hollywood-based productions such as multiple TV series and producing/writing/directing more than 850 US television commercials for clients such as McDonalds, Uber, and Chevron. Notably, he was commissioned to produce & direct "23" for James Cameron. The commercial starred "Avatar", "Titanic" and "Terminator" creator James Cameron himself, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 60-second spot became the most successful commercial campaign ever run by the marketing company giant responsible.
A.J returns frequently to his beloved home town of Perth, Western Australia for filming. Most recently as 2nd Unit Director on John V. Soto's crime thriller 'The Reckoning', starring Jonathan LaPaglia and Luke Hemsworth, Sci-Fi thriller 'The Gateway' starring Jacqueline Mckenzie, and "Avarice" starring Gillian Alexy & Alexandra Nell.
A.J's focus is now firmly in the feature world, developing a multitude Documentary and Motion-picture feature projects in the Thriller and Action/Sci-Fi genres. The style of his work trends to more of a cerebral nature, and his screenplays typically unwind multiple layers of character personalities and storytelling strands within the film.
2025 saw A.J. win 2 Emmys® as the 62nd Pacific Northwest Regional Emmy Awards for his documentary film Owyhee Canyonlands.
