Dean Podkrajac was born in 1968 in North Croatia (Cakovec), grew up in Croatian region of Medimurje. Dean lived in France, where he was reseaching French Art and Film. He emigrated in Australia in his 40’s. Dean is an Australian Award-Winning Avant-Garde filmmaker, writer, educator and art philosopher living in Sydney. Dean has over 35 years of experience in art, primarily in music and film. Dean has graduated with Bachelor’s degree in Film and Music, Advanced Diploma in Music for Screen, Diploma in Music and completed many Certificates in Music, Cinematography and Filmmaking. In addition, he also studied Bachelor of Social Work and Youth-Work. Since early ages, he showed very strong interest in creative writing, music and film research; by experimenting with analogue sounds and 35mm film photography, composing music, playing music instruments, performing in the music band, experimenting with film techniques and watching and learning about diverse film genres from his parents. He is big admirer of philosophy since year 8, when he learned about 200 philosophers and wrote the philosopher’s names on his father’s garage wall.
Dean Podkrajac artistic creativity are strongly influenced by his rich education, life experiences and continuing learning and engagement in art. His experimental pyramid is formed on art, philosophy, theology and sciences. Some of his artistic motifs are question of time, perception, sensation, memory, meta-cognition, future and GOD. Dean experimentally works with margins that include and exclude parts of cinema by scratching, soaking, destroying, painting, bleaching, and making abstract collages with influences on dadaism, constructivism, surrealism, sound, music, painting, and sculpture to name some. His film material, bio-chemical experimenting and “phytography” experiments that combine plants and photochemicals evoke attention in form of colour and rhythm.
His work has been presented and selected on numerous international film festivals including: Flicker Film Festival, LA, US; Golden Globe, Rome, Italy; Swedish Film Festival, Sweden. His film “Mystery at Haunted Cliff” won the best experimental film on Flicker festival in LA, US and semi-finalist award at the Swedish Film Festival. Dean’s latest movies “Dreamless” and “Mystery at Haunted Cliff” produced in 2020, have a strong experimental focus and employ diverse experimental film techniques. “Mystery At Haunted Cliff”, 2020 is his psychological mystery experimental horror film that explores fundamental concepts of the cinematic spectacle. Dean has collaborated with numerous film and music artists as well as presenting individually at festivals in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. Dean’s private collection consists of over 5,000 film masterpieces, collection of diverse music instruments, and books (film and music).
Dean Podkrajac’s the most important moto to survive is to have an impulse for art creation.
Dean graduated at the University of Sydney, MMI Sydney College of Arts (SCA). Dean is happily married with a medical specialist in brain and mind/neuropsychologist, Vesna Podkrajac.