From stop motion to 3D animation to live action thrillers, the Year 7-10 shortlist for the Student Film Festival showcases a range of genres and filmmaking techniques.
More than 20 student films were shortlisted for this year’s festival.
Here we are pleased to present the winners in the Year 7–10 category.
Winner (Judge's Award): Church Goers
William Longley, Blake Wilson, Max Phelps & Charlie Zelouf, Scotch College
What the judges had to say
‘We loved the way this film played with horror and thriller tropes to produce genuine laughs alongside some well-earned thrills. Confidently filmed and performed, viewers are intrigued as the suspense builds, before the film subverts expectations. The two leads play their parts perfectly, and the filmmakers clearly have a keen eye for folk-horror settings.’
– Christine Evely (Head of Education) & Garry Westmore (Senior Producer School Programs), ACMI
‘We loved the way this film played with horror and thriller tropes to produce genuine laughs alongside some well-earned thrills. Confidently filmed and performed, viewers are intrigued as the suspense builds, before the film subverts expectations. The two leads play their parts perfectly, and the filmmakers clearly have a keen eye for folk-horror settings.’
– Christine Evely (Head of Education) & Garry Westmore (Senior Producer School Programs), ACMI
Highly commended: The Spider
Soumil Aggarwal, Beaconhills College
What the judges had to say
‘Interesting and engaging camera work in the opening scenes. The judges liked the ‘everydayness’ of the opening scenes, created through an interesting soundtrack, and everyday household activity and clutter. We enjoyed the use of text messages to convey a shift in the mood of the storyline, and then another shift created through the soundtrack, handheld shots and fast-paced editing with the entrance of the spider. Although the film is a little long, the pathos, energy and humour keep the audience watching.’
– Christine Evely (Head of Education) & Garry Westmore (Senior Producer School Programs), ACMI
‘Interesting and engaging camera work in the opening scenes. The judges liked the ‘everydayness’ of the opening scenes, created through an interesting soundtrack, and everyday household activity and clutter. We enjoyed the use of text messages to convey a shift in the mood of the storyline, and then another shift created through the soundtrack, handheld shots and fast-paced editing with the entrance of the spider. Although the film is a little long, the pathos, energy and humour keep the audience watching.’
– Christine Evely (Head of Education) & Garry Westmore (Senior Producer School Programs), ACMI
People's Choice Award: Baking Choc Chip Cookies
Aerynn Khong, Shiven Rewal & Liana Spencer, Huntingtower School
Finalist: Connection
Sophie Redman, Genazzano FCJ College
Finalist: Portals
Lauren Rose, Billanook College
Finalist: World Split
Naomi Chin, Camberwell Girls Grammar School
Special mentions
- Parnika Alvar, Chloe Wang & Aditi Shah, Huntingtower School – The Chip Saving Seagull
- Serena Kozlovski, Sacred Heart Girls’ College – Mirror Image
- Christine Leung, Albert Bong & Zora Han, Huntingtower School – Escape for the Money
- Year 9 Media: Nicole Ng, Clairine Lim, Sofia Reed & Eva Orange, Sacred Heart Girls’ College – My Neverland Gone
