Nicholas Verso is an Australian screenwriter, director and producer. He made his feature film debut with the 2016 film, Boys In The Trees,[1] which premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival.[2]

Nicholas Verso
Born
Australia
OccupationsScreenwriter, director, producer
Notable work

He is best known for his TV directing work, particularly creating the series Crazy Fun Park, and the adaptation of the 2019 novel Invisible Boys for Stan, which was nominated for a Peabody Award.[3][4]

Career

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Verso's short film work includes Flight (a 2011 Tropfest short-film festival finalist)[5] and The Last Time I Saw Richard,[6] starring Toby Wallace and Cody Fern,[7] which won Best Short Film at the AACTA Awards in 2014 [8] and was honoured by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma as part of their Golden Nights Panorama.[9]

He made his feature film debut in 2016 with the Halloween fantasy drama, Boys In The Trees, starring Toby Wallace. The film made its North American debut at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and won Best Narrative Feature at the Austin Film Festival. The film holds a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.[10]

In 2023, he created the series, Crazy Fun Park, for ABC-Me, a horror-comedy inspired by the death of several friends when he was younger.[11] It caused a minor controversy when it won the 2023 TV Week Logie Award for the Most Outstanding Children's Program, beating Bluey.[12]

In 2025, he created his next series, Invisible Boys, for Stan. Based on the Holden Sheppard novel of the same name, the series follows the challenges of four gay teens in the coastal city of Geraldton in Western Australia following the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite. The series has received a positive reception, debuting at #1 on the platform and multiple AACTA nominations.[13] In September 2025, Verso announced on Twitter that Invisible Boys had not been renewed for a second season. [14]

Verso's other television directing work includes Nowhere Boys, The Unlisted, Itch, In Our Blood and Swift Street.

Awards

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Year Title Award Result Ref.
2026 A Little Help Reg Grundy Award - AACTA Awards Nominated [15]
2026 Invisible Boys Mini Series Production of the Year - Screen Producers Awards Nominated [16]
2026 Invisible Boys Best Miniseries - AACTA Awards Nominated [17]
2025 Invisible Boys Best Streaming Series - IFFA Awards Won [18]
2024 Crazy Fun Park Jury Prize - Prix Jeunesse Won [19]
2024 Crazy Fun Park Childrens Series Production of the Year - Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Awards Won [20]
2023 Crazy Fun Park Best Direction of a Children's Series - Australian Directors Guild Awards Won [21]
2023 Crazy Fun Park Best Children's Television (Episode One) - Australian Writers Guild Awards Nominated [22]
2023 Crazy Fun Park Best Childrens Show - Logie Awards Won [23]
2019 Grace Beside Me Best Direction of a Children's Series - Australian Directors Guild Awards Won [24]
2016 Boys In The Trees Best Narrative Feature - Austin Film Festival Won [25]
2016 Boys In The Trees Venice Horizons Award - Venice Film Festival Nominated [26]
2014 The Last Time I Saw Richard Best Short Film - AACTA Awards Won [8]
2012 Boys In The Trees Monte Miller Award - AWGIE Awards Nominated [27]


References

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  1. Roach, Vicky (15 October 2016). "Movie review: Boys in the Trees explores the horrors of adolescence". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  2. Johnson, Travis (29 July 2016). "Boys in the Trees to Premiere at Venice Film Festival". FilmInk.
  3. Nguyen, Giselle Au-Nhien (13 February 2025). "Invisible Boys review – heartfelt queer drama tilts towards trauma porn". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  4. Ellwood, Gregory (9 April 2026). "'Heated Rivalry,' 'Andor,' 'The Pitt,' & 'Invisible Boys' Among 2026 Peabody Awards Nominees". The Playlist. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  5. Flight | Finalist of Tropfest Australia 2011. TROPFEST. 18 February 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025 via YouTube.
  6. March, Polly (16 October 2013). "Cardiff documentary-maker scoops award at film festival".
  7. "The Last Time I Saw Richard by @nickverso | Horror Short Film". Short of the Week. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  8. 1 2 Groves, Don (28 January 2014). "Baz's creative team cleans up at AACTA Awards". IF Magazine. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  9. "Les Nuits en Or 2014 – Panorama". Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  10. "Boys in the Trees". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 1 April 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  11. McManus, Bridget (27 December 2022). "How the death of young friends inspired the ABC's new teen series". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 April 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  12. French, Megan (31 July 2023). "Surprise Logies twist sees underdog take out Bluey". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 1 April 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  13. Potts, Andrew M. (19 February 2025). "Aussie viewers just can't get enough of Invisible Boys". QNews. Archived from the original on 28 February 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  14. Verso, Nicholas [@NickVerso] (20 September 2025). "Sad to confirm but Invisible Boys won't be coming back for a second season. We had such a great story planned as the boys take on life in the city but unfortunately we weren't able to get it across the line. Thank you for all your support - It's been truly heart opening! ❤️🏳️‍🌈🤘" (Tweet) via X (formerly Twitter).
  15. "Top 5 finalists announced for the AACTA Reg Grundy Award". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Press release). Archived from the original on 17 December 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  16. "Meet the Production Finalists for 24th Annual SPA Awards". FilmInk.
  17. "2026 AACTA Awards – Awards history". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  18. IFFA Awards [@iffaawards]; (17 December 2025). "Invisible Boys wins Best Streaming Series at IFFA Awards" via Instagram.
  19. "Winners of the Prix Jeunesse International 2024 announced". Prix Jeunesse International (Press release). 29 May 2024. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  20. Slatter, Sean (21 March 2024). "Multiple wins for Werner Film Productions, Wooden Horse at SPA Awards as 'Shayda' and 'The Royal Hotel' share film honours". IF Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  21. Shaw, Kim (18 September 2023). "Winners revealed for the 2023 Australian Directors Guild Awards". Campaign Brief. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  22. "Writers of The Great, The New Boy, Colin From Accounts, Whitefella Yella Tree, Blueback, and Crazy Fun Park among nominees for the 56th Annual AWGIE Awards". Australian Writers Guild (Press release). Archived from the original on 22 January 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  23. Mitchell, Thomas (3 August 2023). "The gateway horror ABC kids show that toppled Bluey at the Logies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  24. "Achievements of Victorian directors recognised in 2019 ADG Award nominations". VicScreen. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  25. "Boys in the Trees takes out Best Narrative Feature at Austin Film Festival". Inside Film. 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  26. "Boys in the Trees". Screen Australia. Archived from the original on 17 November 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  27. "AWG unveils 2012 AWGIE Award nominees". Inside Film. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
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