Lauren Batschowanow

Lauren Batschowanow is an award winning writer/director/producer & performance artist. Founder and owner of Russian Doll Productions, her dramatic feature film Dangerous Desires, (formerly known as True Face) won Best International Feature Film at the Illinois International Film Festival in Westmont, IL, USA, received three nominations at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, ON, Canada and Official Selection at the Blackbird Film Festival in Cortland, NY, USA. Lauren Batschowanow was born in Sydney, Australia in Paddington Women's Hospital. Her mother, Olivia-Mai is of Irish, Scottish, French and Welsh descent and her father, Alex Batschowanow is of Russian descent. Her mother studied with Lionel Long (OAM) at The Conservatory Actors Studio in Sydney under the Stanislavsky method of acting. Her father was a professional drummer for many rock bands throughout the 1980's including The Expression and Passion. He is also an actor, film maker, chef, builder and Arabian horse breeder. Lauren attended the Rainbow Ridge Steiner School in Northern NSW, as well as Girraween Public School during her primary school years. She devised and directed her first play when she was 12 with her fellow peers using mossy rocks as her set. She then attended Pendle Hill High School in Western Sydney. At age 16, she was selected to co-direct the school production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, she also played the title role of Titania. In 2005, Lauren attended the Contemporary Music Centre (TAFE NSW) to study musical theatre. One of her tutors was musical theatre director, Stephen Helper. Stephen conceived the Grammy award winning and Tony award nominated musical, Smokey Joe's Cafe. In 2006-2009, Lauren completed her Bachelor of Performance at the University of Western Sydney (former Theatre Nepean). In 2010, Lauren experienced a very painful heartbreak which sent her into a deep depression. This instigated her production company Russian Doll Productions and her first film Click Your Heels (2010) (2010), a Tropfest entry short film that explores a young woman's inner urges for creativity. The film was conceived, funded, shot, edited and performed by Lauren. She was also very fortunate to have the assistance of very talented musicians, dancers, actors, MUA and co-editor. In 2011, Lauren began writing her first feature film, Dangerous Desires (2015) (2015), a narrative drama about two young people who are in love but can't be together. The tagline: Sex, Drugs and Cabaret. Lauren directed and co-produced the film, as well as played one of the lead roles. She has now completed her second feature film, Stripping from the Inside Out, a documentary revealing the art of burlesque in Sydney and is in the development stages of her first television series, Resplendent Fatales.