The feature film that defined the creative direction of SEE Motion Pictures. Originally conceived as an exploitation crime horror, it evolved into a grounded Australian psychological crime thriller exploring identity, bullying, belonging and the lasting impact of emotional abuse. More than a film, The Dealer became the foundation of a storytelling philosophy that continues through the films still to come.
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When a drug pusher is recruited to infiltrate a netherworld of addiction; one cop's desperate attempt at redemption will force an enemy's hand, setting off a chain of events with no easy exits.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Six years in the making, SEE Motion Pictures debut film “The Dealer” is a passion piece by the Seguin Family of filmmakers Francisco Antonio Seguin, Kyri Seguin and Mateos Seguin.
After several attempts to launch in the early ‘00s, it wouldn’t be until 2017; when the eldest of four boys, Mateos, showed his father a media class music video shot and produced by himself and his classmate Edward Collins; that the small but effective piece presented new and unexplored opportunities in digital cinema. With hardware and software having become both cost-effective and more user friendly, Seguin Entertainment Enterprise knew the avenues to produce their first feature film were more readily accessible .
Inspired by an un-produced original screenplay of the same name, written by Francisco 6 years earlier, the setting of “The Dealer” was moved from a country estate to a region of undisclosed foothills and adapted to encapsulate a youth-focus, set against a backdrop of bullying, drug use and crime. Francisco and Mateos worked diligently developing the story over 3 months, sharing stories and life’s experiences as personal points of reference to ensure a currency, legitimacy and truth to both the adult and youth characters alike. Designing each nameless character around societal titles to stimulate a personal connection for world audiences; resulting in a crime saga set against the underbelly of youth suicide, underscored by the spiritual struggle for personal identity, acceptance and purpose.
Cast and crewed, shooting was scheduled over 25 days commencing on Saturday 21, October 2017. To promote raw performances, most of the actors only received scene pages, with only the principle leads aware of the entirety of the story, and features untrained local youth in some of the most confronting scenes of self-harm. Due to the bulk of the cast and crew still working day jobs, the production was shot only on weekends, with principle photography wrapped on Saturday 24, October 2018. Editing commenced on January 02, 2019 and concluded March 01, 2020. With Covid lockdown in effect, the production would spend the longest Covid lockdown on the planet re-recording dialogue and recording foley, as well as completing Visual Effects and Colouring. Over the course of 2021, composer and producer Benito Seguin would write, perform and record the film’s soundtrack; including18 tracks totaling over 90 minutes of music, before moving into final sound post-production in 2022. With the film completed and delivered by June 30, 2023.
A SEE Motion Pictures production, A Francisco Antonio Seguin film, “The Dealer” stars Dellacoma Rio (“General Hospital”), Anne McCaffery (“Lunatics”), Tamara Lee Bailey (“Dreams of Paper & Ink”), Romaine McSweeney (“Emo the Musical”), Izabella Yena (“Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears”), and introduces Mateos Seguin in his feature film debut. Produced by Francisco Antonio Seguin, Kyri Seguin and Mateos Seguin. “The Dealer” is distributed worldwide by Liminal Films.
RELEASED
08 May, 2024
GENRE
Crime, Drama, Thriller
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History
Conceived as a contained horror, “The Dealer” was originally set in a mansion in rural Victoria over a weekend, with five cast members. A spec script penned for two local film producers who had sought Francisco out after reading his spec script “Hood”, six drafts were written between 2010 - 2014 before the project was eventually shelved.
In 2016, inspired by a documentary on Japan’s Aokigahara Forest (aka the suicide forest), his own history with bullying, and his growing concern over the damaging effects of social media, Francisco resurrected the script. Keeping only the title and the game of Russian roulette, he re-built the core storyline around youth, crime and a detective thriller. He then pitched it to his then 16-year old son Mateos bringing him on as co-writer and producer.
Overview
The story centers on a young woman known as "The Dealer," a teenager who infiltrates a community of troubled youth to investigate a series of disappearances and deaths linked to a mysterious distributor. Under the guidance of a detective, she assumes a new identity to blend in with local teens, eventually gaining access to "Disco Net," an exclusive and dangerous game of Russian roulette played by the youth and filmed for social media.
Key Characters
The Dealer: A teenager navigating a dangerous world outside her own comfortable lifestyle, forced to face her truth and growing internal conflict.
The Detective: A woman burdened by a personal tragedy from her own youth, seeking penance by investigating the deaths of local teenagers.
The Distributor: A cold, calculated figure operating in the shadows who views his illicit distribution as a necessary service for a flawed society.
Girlfriend (Re-named The Transient in the film): A teenager undergoing a gender transition who struggles with isolation, drawn to the allure of the game for validation.
The Artist: A young man driving a complex game of manipulation for the Distributor.
Themes and Conclusion
The script explores themes of generational disconnection, the superficiality of social media, and the desperate search for meaning among alienated youth. The story culminates in an abandoned basement (the death club) where The Dealer confronts the game's participants and observers. After forcing the attendees to turn off their devices, she attempts to break the cycle of voyeurism and violence, ultimately leaving her fate—and that of her final competitor—uncertain.
Director’s Statement
We shot 99% of what we wrote, predominantly because we wrote the film to be shot as interiors. Though we did have to take several licenses to accomplish the film given its micro-budget and sacrificed a lot of the design aesthetic we were going for due to lack of locations and resources, no budget for custom sets and production equipment, and limitations with extras.
What we lacked in money we made up for by working with what we had or could build with basic materials. Casting ran consecutively with the shoot; other than the principals, a lot of characters were cast the week of the upcoming weekend shoot. Some locations were used for up to three different characters through creative cinematography by our DOP. Maximising the time we had, we shot day and night scenes within a 24 hour clock through split shifts for cast and crew. Their dedication was second to none; most weekends we had up to four cameras we could work with and two lighting kits, with several pieces of such equipment supplied by the crew at no cost to the production. Cast slept at the Producers home during extensive night shoots and were taxied to and from locations at different hours of the night. This allowed us to spend more of our budget on armoury, gimbles, special make-up effects, visual effects, grading and sound post.
This film is a testament to the dedication of a unique group of young people and established professionals. Filmmakers and film enthusiasts all, this film is proof of their passion, hard-working ethic and unmatched professional commitment to shoot a motion picture and bring an important story to life. What we achieved, we only achieved because of their dedication, and I will always be forever grateful.
Every journey has a beginning.
For SEE Motion Pictures, that journey began with The Dealer. The questions first explored in this film; identity, truth and the choices we make in order to survive, continue to shape the projects that follow. It is the first chapter in an ongoing body of work exploring what happens when ordinary people are forced to confront the lines they never believed they would cross.
“Searching for the voice above the abuse.”
Read how The Dealer became the beginning of a much larger journey.
THE DEALER | Official trailer
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