Photographer: Mark Rogers

Joseph Nizeti is an AACTA award-winning and ADG-nominated director, writer, producer and composer. Combining a background in music with a life-long love of film, Joseph has brought a unique creative perspective to a range of acclaimed projects across the Australian film & music industries.

Joseph is the co-director/co-writer of award-winning feature documentary River (2021), writer/director of the Björk-narrated IMAX documentary Fungi: The Web of Life (2023), co-writer of Netflix’s ONEFOUR: Against All Odds (2023), writer/director/composer of TV documentary Anatomy of a String Quartet (2022) and co-producer of science documentary series Phenomena (2021). Beginning in late-2022, Joseph founded new production company Cosmic Breakfast to service a growing slate of unique documentary and scripted projects. Cosmic Breakfast’s first production, Chasing the Last Giants, is a feature documentary following the campaign to protect lutriwita/Tasmania’s native giant trees from deforestation.

Joseph’s experience in writing and post-production have made him an insightful collaborator across the storytelling process, with lecturing engagements at AIDC and AFTRS Sydney, and script editing / story consultancy engagements with Jungle Entertainment, Wildbear Entertainment, Stranger Than Fiction Films and other independent productions around Australia.

As a composer, recording producer and musicologist, Joseph has an accomplished background across classical and film music, as well as music for installations and immersive experiences. Since 2013, Joseph has collaborated frequently as composer and producer with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and violinist Richard Tognetti AO, in addition to international touring engagements with the ACO as a keyboardist, percussionist and guitarist.

Joseph was the recipient of a 2021-2022 Screen Australia ‘Enterprise People’ Industry development grant recognising emerging creatives, in support of his career as a writer/director.

Writer/Director/Producer

Joseph is co-writer of Netflix feature documentary Onefour: Against All Odds (2023), writer/director of the ABC Arts documentary Anatomy of a String Quartet (2022), co-writer/co-director of ADG-nominated feature documentary River (2021). He is also the co-producer of science documentary series Phenomena (2021) and is the writer/director of forthcoming IMAX documentary films Fungi: Web of Life and Sunchasers: Secret Life of Butterflies.

Joseph is currently developing the feature documentary Chasing the Last Giants, supported by Shark Island Foundation Feature Docs Pitch.

Credits:

Chasing Giants – Writer/Director/Producer (Feature Documentary, In Development)

Floodland - Co-Writer (Feature Documentary, In Development)

ONEFOUR: Against All Odds – Co-Writer (Feature Documentary, 2023)

Fungi: Web of Life – Writer/Director (IMAX Documentary, 2022)

Anatomy of a String Quartet – Writer/Director, Composer (1-hour Documentary, 2021)

River – Co-Director, Co-Writer (Feature Documentary, 2021, dir. Jen Peedom, co-dir. Joseph Nizeti)

Phenomena – Co-Producer (TV/Online Documentary, 2021, dir. Josef Gatti)

Composer &
Music Producer

As a recording producer and composer, Joseph has an accomplished background across classical, electronic and film music. Following an early career in theatrical scoring and electronic music production, Joseph progressed to work as Artistic Assistant to violinist and composer Richard Tognetti AO and later Multimedia Producer for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. During this seven-year period, Joseph collaborated as co-writer, producer and arranger with Richard Tognetti on original music for live touring and release in ACO productions and Australian feature film productions, in addition to performing with the ACO as a guest keyboard player, percussionist and guitarist.

As musicologist by training (Sydney Conservatorium of Music), Joseph has published orchestral programme notes, conducted pre-concert speaking engagements and produced podcasts and broadcast interview. Recent engagements include international touring with the Australian Chamber Orchestra as Multimedia Producer of Luminous (a collaboration with photographer Bill Henson).   

Credits:

Wolf Like Me – Orchestral Score Producer (2022, dir. Abe Forsythe)

Anatomy of a String Quartet – Writer/Director, Composer (1-hour Documentary, 2021)

River – Co-Writer/Co-Director, Additional Music (Feature Documentary, 2021, dir. Jen Peedom, co-dir. Joseph Nizeti)

Something About Sam — Composer (Short Documentary, 2019, dir. Aprille Asfoura) 

Little Monsters — Additional Music, Score Producer, Lead Orchestrator (Feature Drama, 2019, dir. Abe Forsythe) 

The Lullaby Suite — Composer, Electronics Producer (Visual Art Installation, 2017, dir. Heather Swann) 

Mountain — Additional Music, Score Producer, Music Supervisor (Feature Documentary, dir. Jennifer Peedom) 

Breath — Additional Music Score Producer (Feature Film, 2017, dir. Simon Baker) 

The Water Diviner — Arranger, Composer’s Assistant (Feature Drama, 2014, dir. Russell Crowe) 

Lucky — Composer (Theatre, 2011, dir. Sama Balson) 

Bill W. and Dr. Bob — Composer (Theatre, 2011, dir. Paige Rattray) 

Dirtyland — Composer (Theatre, 2011, dir. Paige Rattray)