I Die
Obsessed with proving Rome’s gladiatorial games survived into the modern age, an investigative journalist uncovers a hidden world where ancient bloodsport thrives and death is the ultimate spectacle.
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Synopsis
Stuart Martin is an investigative journalist obsessed with a forbidden possibility, that gladiatorial combat, the ancient blood sport believed to have vanished with the fall of Rome, never truly disappeared. His investigation takes him from the darkest corners of the internet to remote corners of the world, following cryptic rumors, unexplained disappearances, and scattered accounts of a secret where human beings still fight to the death for sport.
His obsession finally brings him face to face with Typhon, a mysterious gladiator who holds the evidence Stuart has spent years trying to find. But Typhon does more than confirm his suspicions, he pulls Stuart into a hidden world where men and women are still forced to fight for their lives before bloodthirsty crowds. An ancient nightmare has not only survived, it has evolved, flourished, and remained concealed within the shadows of the modern world.
As Stuart ventures deeper into this deadly underworld, the journalist begins to realize that his discovery may not have been a coincidence, and that uncovering the truth may cost him far more than he ever imagined.
Director's Bio
Steven John Batky is a multidisciplinary artist whose career spans film, music, sound, and design. Long before stepping behind the camera, Batky established himself in the music industry as a singer, songwriter, pianist, engineer, and mixer.
He began his musical career as the drummer and songwriter for Ottawa-based metal band Witchkiller, whose EP was released by Metal Blade Records and remains a cult favorite within the metal underground. After relocating to Los Angeles, Batky was discovered by legendary A&R executive Vicky Hamilton, leading him to form I, Napoleon. As the band’s frontman and principal songwriter, he composed its music and lyrics before securing a record deal with Geffen Records and releasing the band’s self-titled debut album.
Batky is also the founder of SJB Design, an interior design firm where his instinct for space, texture, composition, and atmosphere became an integral part of his artistic vocabulary. That same visual sensibility carried naturally into I Die, where he contributed to the film’s production design, helping shape its environments, physical world, and overall atmosphere.
With I Die, Batky unites decades of experience across music, performance, sound, and design into a singular cinematic vision. Serving as writer, director, composer, and sound designer, he also portrays the dual roles of Typhon and Cerberus. His diverse creative experience informs every layer of the film, from its production design and visual composition to its score, soundscape, and performances, creating an immersive cinematic world that is distinctly his own.
Director's Statement
Gladiators have always fascinated me, not simply as figures from history, but as a window into how humanity has fought, survived, and entertained itself throughout the ages. That fascination became the foundation for I Die. I have spent years training in Muay Thai, boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, stick and knife fighting. The deeper I immersed myself in the realities of combat, the more I began to wonder: what if gladiatorial combat had never truly disappeared?
What if it had simply evolved, gone underground, and learned how to hide in plain sight?
That question became the driving force behind the film.
Music has always been inseparable from my creative life. Rather than bring in a composer after the film was finished, I wrote and produced the original score myself, allowing the music to develop alongside the story and emerge organically from its characters, atmosphere, and emotional landscape. For me, the score isn't something placed over the film.
It is part of the film's DNA.
The same hands on philosophy shaped the film's costuming and physical world. Long before making films, I designed and crafted leather goods and clothing worn by some of the biggest names in the industry. I brought that experience directly into I Die, building the gladiators' world piece by piece, designing and handcrafting the leather belts, arm guards, leg armor, and other elements of the costumes seen throughout the film.
I Die brings together the disciplines that have shaped my life: combat, mythology, music, craftsmanship, and design, into one uncompromising cinematic vision. Every element has been created with the intention of making this world feel lived in, physical, and authentic. At its core, the film is the culmination of everything I have spent years
learning, creating, and obsessing over.
The Cast
Daniel Schepisi is an Australian actor known for his work in independent film, including According to Ben Adams, I, Timon, Frank & Jerry, and Something to Do with Death. Born in country Victoria and currently based in Melbourne, Schepisi has been recognized at international festivals, earning Best Actor nominations in New York and Berlin. In I Die, he stars as Stuart Martin, an investigative journalist whose search for the truth pulls him into a world far darker than he imagined.
Steven John Batky is the writer and director of I Die, for whom the film represents a multifaceted creative undertaking, also serving as its composer and sound designer. Known for According to Ben Adams (2016) and Cheng En's Gift (2018), Batky steps in front of the camera in I Die to portray both Typhon and Cerberus, two of the film's most formidable gladiators.
Tamzin Brown is a British actress, artist, producer, and published author based in Los Angeles, known for her work across experimental and commercial film. She has collaborated with filmmakers including Harmony Korine and James Franco, starring as Natalie Wood in Franco's Bungalow 2, and earned a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Door International Film Festival for her role in Tabloid Vivant. Her screen credits include work alongside Milla Jovovich, Pamela Anderson, and Courtney Love, among others. In I Die, she plays Adrian, Stuart's girlfriend, whose troubled and unpredictable nature quietly shadows the film from its earliest scenes.
Benjamin Busch is an actor, writer, and filmmaker best known for his role as Officer Anthony Colicchio for three seasons on the HBO series The Wire, and for his work as an actor and military consultant on the HBO mini series Generation Kill. He has also directed the award winning films Sympathetic Details and BRIGHT. In I Die, he brings his commanding presence to the role of Ferrox, one of the film's most unhinged and unpredictable gladiators.
The Crew
In addition to writing, directing, and starring in I Die, Steven John Batky composed the film's original score and designed its sound. His layered approach to music and sound, from the reverberated piano themes woven through the film's opening to the visceral sound design of its combat sequences, plays a defining role in shaping the film's atmosphere and tone.
Manila born and creatively restless, Nin Buenaseda works across digital painting, 3D modeling, animation, and editing, rarely sticking to just one. That versatility became essential on I Die, where she wore two hats at once, cutting the film together while also building its visual effects, shaping both the rhythm of the story and the blood on screen.
Chris Rish is a writer, director, cinematographer, and producer who has shot award winning work for major networks, businesses, universities, and the festival circuit, with clients spanning ad agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and international news organizations. He also lectures on film production and journalism practices at the university level, and is a licensed drone pilot and experienced underwater photographer. On I Die, Rish brought his versatile eye to the film's cinematography, shaping its moody, atmospheric visual style.
Aaron Tackett is a multimedia artist whose work spans music composition, sound design, prosthetic makeup effects, photographic pre-visualization, and graphic design. Combining technical craftsmanship with a hands on, problem solving approach, he moves fluidly between disciplines, developing soundscapes, building practical effects, and shaping visual concepts with equal skill. On I Die, that versatility translates into work across film, sound, and visual media that feels cohesive and distinct.
