A question that first entered his mind as a Year 9 student has become the foundation of Greek Australian filmmaker Kosta Pantazis’ first major post-university project.

Waiting Room, which he has written himself and co-directed with friend Terance Hore, is a short film that explores what happens after death, placing a group of strangers together in an afterlife waiting room as they await their ultimate destination.

“A group of strangers wake up in the afterlife waiting room, waiting to see where they go next,” is how Pantazis described the film’s premise to Neos Kosmos.

The idea has been with him for almost eight years.

“I can’t actually remember how it initially came to me,” he said.

“I think I was watching something or seeing someone who passed away, and I thought what’s going to happen to them when they go to the next place? Because wherever they go, they’re not going to be able to hide from anything they’ve done, good or bad.”

The concept led him to begin writing, producing an initial draft while still in high school. But the project would remain untouched for years.

It wasn’t until university that the story resurfaced. Pantazis had to think of some ideas for a project and it randomly resurfaced on his Google Docs.

“I took that premise and that initial draft I wrote in Year 9 and expanded on it and did it again as a uni project and loved it even more. I’ve been working on it since for my own sake to finally make it myself,” he said.

Pantazis studied at RMIT University, completing an Associate Degree in Screen and Media before progressing into the Bachelor of Media and Communication program. He graduated last year and describes Waiting Room as his first major project since finishing his studies.

While the film itself is not centred on Greek culture, Pantazis does say his heritage continues to shape his creative ambitions.

With family roots in Lemnos on his mother’s side and Agrinio on his father’s, Greek culture remains a daily part of his life.

“I live with my yiayia and mum at home, so I’m talking Greek every single day and hearing it every day,” he said.

“Dad basically only speaks to me in Greek, even though he speaks perfect English.”

Those experiences have inspired a growing catalogue of future projects.

“I’ve got 10 projects that are all to do with Greek heritage lined up,” he said.

Among them are stories drawn from Melbourne’s Greek Australian community, including memories of tavern culture, conversations in traditional kafeneia and tales passed down through generations.

“The best stories are something that’s actually happened in reality and then you can put a spin on it,” he said.

He says nearly every Greek-inspired project he has planned originates from stories shared by relatives, friends and members of the community.

“Whether I exaggerated it or altered the course of the history of it, maybe, but at root, it’s all from people reminiscing these Greek stories to me.”

For now, however, the focus remains on Waiting Room.

Like many independent filmmakers, Pantazis has faced financial challenges in bringing the project to life. To help fund production, he launched a crowdfunding campaign.

Looking ahead, he hopes to complete editing by the end of June and hopes to submit the finished film to festivals.

Which would be a culmination of an idea that has grown with him since adolescence and maybe a stepping stone toward a future career in filmmaking.