In his early career, he made many music videos for well-known Australian rock musicians and bands, including The Go-Betweens, later the subject of a feature-length documentary.

[2] He subsequently lived on the Gold Coast, then in the Brisbane suburbs of Kenmore, Toowong, and later Annerley.

[2] Between 1987 and 1994,[2] Stenders began by directing music videos for many famous Australian bands and musicians, including Angry Anderson, Mental As Anything, Ian Moss,[3] The Go-Betweens,[1] Choirboys,[4] Noiseworks.

[2] In 1994, he made the documentary short-feature Motherland, exploring the Latvian and Australian heritage of his two grandmothers.

[9] As of 2024[update] Stenders is an ambassador for SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3), a film festival held annually in Sydney.