Causeway Films co-founders Sam Jennings and Kristina Ceyton are joining forces with filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou to target younger audiences with bold, genre-driven cinema.

The producers behind Australian horror hits Talk to Me and Leviticus are moving into film distribution, launching a new company designed to bring daring, filmmaker-driven cinema to younger audiences.

Causeway Films co-founders Sam Jennings and Kristina Ceyton have established Baby Jane, a distribution venture that will focus on auteur-driven genre films aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

The pair are partnering with longtime collaborators Danny and Michael Philippou, the filmmaking brothers behind the breakout horror sensation Talk to Me.

The new venture marks a significant expansion for Jennings and Ceyton, who have established Causeway Films as one of Australia’s leading independent production companies, building a reputation for championing distinctive filmmakers and commercially successful genre cinema.

“We’re known for producing bold titles and now we want to distribute bold titles,” Jennings said.

“Theatrical must-see films from a new wave of singular creatives for a new generation of film lovers.”

Baby Jane will adopt an audience-first approach to distribution, with an emphasis on digital campaigns, social media engagement and unconventional marketing strategies designed to connect films with younger cinemagoers.

Rather than relying solely on traditional theatrical marketing, the company intends to build campaigns that participate in contemporary culture and engage audiences both online and in person.

The strategy builds on Causeway Films’ experience working with emerging and non-traditional filmmakers to reach audiences underserved by conventional distribution models.

Among the company’s recent successes is Leviticus, which grossed $1.5 million at the Australian and New Zealand box office across a 14-week theatrical run. According to the producers, the film’s local performance represented twice the usual proportion of US box office returns achieved by Australian productions.

The launch also follows the international success of Talk to Me, the Philippou brothers’ feature directorial debut, which became a breakout hit and helped establish the filmmakers as major new voices in contemporary horror.

Baby Jane has announced two senior appointments as it prepares to enter the Australian distribution market.

Felix Hubble has been appointed Head of Exhibition and Acquisitions, bringing experience in film programming, festivals and independent theatrical distribution.

Hubble co-founded the screening collective Static Vision, where he curated festivals and oversaw the Australian theatrical release of Kristoffer Borgli’s Sick of Myself.

He also managed the screen program at SXSW Sydney and served as a program adviser to the Sydney Film Festival from 2019 to 2026.

Michelle Melky joins as Head of Marketing, following a year with Screen Australia’s Market and Audience team, where she provided strategic marketing support across a range of productions.

Melky previously served as global creative director at creator-economy agency Amplify, leading campaigns for major clients including Warner Bros., Universal and Google.

Ceyton said the appointments reflected Baby Jane’s ambition to challenge conventional approaches to film distribution.

“We feel incredibly lucky to have such a great team on board. They have non-traditional backgrounds,” she said.

“But we’re not looking to be a traditional distribution company.”

With established producers, internationally recognised filmmakers and a leadership team drawn from festival programming and digital marketing, Baby Jane is positioning itself as a new player in Australia’s independent distribution sector.

The company has yet to announce its inaugural slate, but its focus on original genre cinema and younger audiences signals an intention to capitalise on the growing appetite for distinctive theatrical experiences outside the traditional studio system.