Sia is making a film starring Maddie Ziegler

The script is based on a short story the singer wrote eight years ago

Singer Sia has agreed to donate the fee she received from a recent Eminem collaboration to an LGBT charity (Getty Images)

Sia is to write and direct her own film starring Maddie Ziegler, the child dancer from her“Chandelier”, “Elastic Heart” and “Big Girls Cry” videos.

The film, titled Sister, is based on a short story Sia wrote eight years ago, and has been developed with the help of children’s author Dalles Clayton.

The elusive singer revealed the news at the Venice Film Festival while speaking through her trademark blonde wig.

She said she was initially embarrassed to tell anyone she wanted to make a film for fear it would be seen as a vanity project, but began to have more confidence in the project after directing “Chandelier”.

Maddie Ziegler channels Sia in 'Big Girls Cry'

The Australian singer said the screen writing process was similar to song writing.

“For me, the process was basically, I work out the movie. I’ll act it out, I’ll have the dialogue in my head…i can’t be bothered to learn Final Draft. I’m not a technical person. Like, when I sing, I just want to sing the melody and write the lyrics. I don’t want to have to do production, which is very technical, I don’t enjoy that,” The Hollywood Reporter quotes her as saying.

Sia made her directional debut with last year’s “Chandelier” alongside Australian filmmaker Daniel Askill. She has also co-directed the “Big Girls Cry” and “Elastic Heart” videos.

Dancer Maddie Ziegler and Sia attend Grammys

The singer’s decision to use Maddie Ziegler in her work has been criticised by some, claiming the 12-year-old dancer is portrayed in a sexualised way in Sia’s videos.

In January, Sia was forced to apologise for her “Elastic Heart” video featuring Ziegler and Shia LaBeouf after some viewers complained the video brought back unwanted memories of abuse.

“I anticipated some ‘pedophilia!!!' cries for this video. All I can say is Maddie and Shia are two of the only actors I felt could play these two warring ‘Sia’ self states,” she wrote on Twitter.

“I apologize to those who feel triggered by ‘Elastic Heart’. My intention was to create some emotional content, not to upset anybody.”