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Award Winner

Festival Season:

June 2025

PUSH PULL DYSMORPHIA

PUSH PULL DYSMORPHIA

Directors:

Writers:

Jay Sattell
Jay Sattell

Producers:

Ruby Tiller

Run Time:

0:08:58

Awarded for the following Category(s):

Awarded Category(s)

This short documentary explores the often-overlooked impact of body dysmorphia on young men in the world of bodybuilding. Through intimate interviews and personal stories, the documentary delves into the psychological struggles of those who feel compelled to push their bodies to the extreme.


Submitter Statement

I wanted to make this film because I have a deep connection to the message. I have suffered from body dysmorphia for upwards of a decade. From being chubby in high school and feeling ashamed of my body, to even now, I am much healthier, yet I gain weight and see myself just how I used to be. It has taken a toll on my mental stability and makes me ashamed to even go to the gym. I want people, especially young males, to know that they aren't alone and that body dysmorphia is a real problem. Around 2020, there was a big influx in gym culture from people being stuck inside and losing their weight goals. They wanted to change that, so they started going to the gym. This, in turn, has led to a big boom of ‘fitness’ influencers profiting millions of views, with many spreading misinformation to gain attention and get people to buy into their products/ services. This had led to young males injuring themselves or not seeing results, and feeling dismayed with their bodies. I want this film to be an outreach to people, old and new to the gym, to open the discussion of the harms that body dysmorphia can have on people, not just mentally, but physically as well.

Jay was born in Broome, Western Australia after moving down and living in Baldivis for most of his life. Coming out of high school Jay didn’t have much idea of where to go, after a few years of working a friend of his reached out and asked if he wanted to help review a script he was working on , this later developed into co-directing a short film (2021) Get the Girl. Which is where Jay found his love for filmmaking, a year later he started his studies at SAE and has never looked back. learning and creating films such as (2024) Dependence Jay has already found his niche for dark and psychological films and will continue to further his skill set through his studies and on feature film sets he is currently working on.

Key Cast

Other Credits

cinematographer: Kaden Prowse

Editor: Kai Thompson

Sound Recordist : Josh Black

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