It's an independent television comedy about a Sydney man navigating his anxieties, but its creators had no cause for nerves following its recent premiere in the United States.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Produced by Blue Mountains local Lukas Radovich, The Boy Who Was Afraid of Everything won three major awards at the 10th annual SeriesFest in Denver.
The comedy was one of 45 television pilots from around the world in competition at the festival dubbed the "Sundance of television", held from May 1-5.
"We weren't sure how it would be received by an American audience so it was pretty incredible to see that it resonated with them," said Radovich.
The Boy Who Was Afraid of Everything was written by Haris Mirza and Nick Bartlett, with Bartlett also directing and acting in the pilot and Mirza playing the lead role.
The SeriesFest jury clearly thought they did a great job with Bartlett taking home the award for best comedy director and Mirza the award for best comedy performance.
Topping it off, The Boy Who Was Afraid of Everything won the coveted audience award for independent comedy pilot.
It was an exciting outcome for producer Radovich, who grew up in Faulconbridge and went to Blue Mountains Grammar School. The 29-year-old is best-known for playing the role of Alf Stewart's grandson, Ryder, in Home and Away from 2017-2022.
But it was wearing his producer's hat that he joined TBWWAOE's creative team in a series of industry meetings in Los Angeles following their SeriesFest triumph.
"Hopefully we have landed on some creatives we want to collaborate with and take this series to the next level," he said.
Starting life as a 2023 web series, The Boy Who Was Afraid of Everything follows 20-year-old Ali as he navigates his biggest fear: Other people. The show uses humour to throw the spotlight on the universality of anxiety.
"One of the major story points of this series is how everybody has some form of anxiety," said Radovich, who acts in the pilot as well. "It starts off with the main character navigating his way through the world, thinking he's alone in his anxieties but then realising everyone has these thoughts and issues, and different ways of dealing with them."
While the 27-minute pilot was filmed in Sydney's inner west at locations including Erskineville Bowling Club, Radovich said they hope to set and film the show in Greater Western Sydney if it is picked up for a full series.
This tracks with his own commitment to his local roots. Although now living in Sydney, Radovich still has strong ties with the Blue Mountains and shared his industry experience with high school students at the State Drama Camp in Katoomba this April.
"It was a way to give back to the Mountains because as a kid growing up there it was something I would have loved - being able to have those experiences," he said.
He has also lent his support to the Blue Mountains film mentorship program, Mountain of Youth, helping offer advice in the casting process of its most recent short film, DreamLink.
Home and Away
While it's been two years since he appeared regularly on our television screens in the stalwart soap, Home and Away, Radovich said he still gets recognised for the role today.
"I was at the airport the other day when a grandma came up to me and said she watches the show with her grandkids and how it brings her closer to them," he said. "I just love those type of stories. It makes me feel the show has a purpose and a place. It still connects with people. It's great to be a part of something like that."
Radovich owes his connections to the people behind The Boy Who Was Afraid of Everything to the soap as well - he met Nick Bartlett through a co-star and shared one of his early scenes in Home and Away with Haris Mirza, where they forged a friendship.
"It was incredibly life-changing," he said of his time on the show. "I wouldn't have had the connections or the experience to do what I do now without it... It was fantastic to have that springboard, and to hone my craft..."
