POSTER BOY: BECOMING ZYZZ PREMIERES ON AUGUST 5
Wednesday, 8 July
Screen Canberra is proud to be one of the first to get behind this amazing project, spearheaded by local professional Tom Blackwell.
Before influencers became an industry and self-branding became currency, a young Australian named Aziz Shavershian, known online as Zyzz, began posting videos of himself on YouTube in 2007, documenting his transformation from awkward teenager to sculpted, hyper-confident internet sensation. What followed was viral fame and the creation of a cultural movement still massive to this day.
Premiering on the 15th anniversary of his death, the powerful documentary details how Zyzz became one of the first people to construct a viral persona that dominated the internet, and exposes what led to his tragic death in 2011 at 22 years old.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Selina Miles and produced by Tom Blackwell for Olympia Pictures and Gal Greenspan, Anu Hasbold and Claire Perkins of MOFA, Revealed – Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz is a cautionary reflection on the influencer era. The documentary features never-before-seen archival material, private footage and testimony from those who were closest to him at the time, including Zyzz’s brother Said ‘Chestbrah’ Shavershian, who provides an intimate perspective on his younger brother and who now carries his legacy into a new era.
Said ‘Chestbrah’ Shavershian said:
“This documentary is incredibly personal. It tells the story of two brothers whose lives were changed by the internet and a movement we created that grew far beyond anything we ever imagined. I’m proud that people will finally get to see the human side of our journey. The highs, the lows, and the legacy that continues to inspire people around the world to this day.”
The documentary also includes interviews with Zyzz’s close friends, who witnessed the emergence of the aesthetics movement from the inside and who offer a lived perspective on the world that created Zyzz. Through personal reflection and cultural insight, they reflect on how early internet culture shaped young men’s identities, and why the aesthetics movement’s message of self-invention may still be resonating with young men today.
Executive produced by Nic Butler, Dane Butler, Llew Griffiths, Nick Kelly, Malinda Wink and Roi Kurlsand, and co-produced by Laura Apelt. Stan executive producers are Adrian Swift and Tina Diaz. Revealed – Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz is a MOFA and Olympia Pictures production for Stan. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Stan and Minderoo Pictures. Financed with support from Screen NSW, VicScreen, Screen Canberra and Blue Post Production.
The Stan Original Revealed – Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz premieres August 5, only on Stan.
