Meet the Emerging Filmmakers
One of the key elements of the festival is the Emerging Filmmakers Award. The award was established in 2019 to encourage and promote the work of young Victorian filmmakers.
Winners receive a trophy and cash award and all finalists get to see their films in a theatre in front of a live audience.
Check out what some of the young filmmakers thought about last's year's experience
Winner 2022 - Unsaid
Alex Nesic
Alex is an emerging filmmaker based in Melbourne, Australia. Since finding out his mother was an actor in China, Alex knew he wanted to work in the creative arts.
His film ‘Unsaid’, was awarded Best Short Fiction by the 2022 Multicultural Film Festival. His film before that, ‘The Shanking Gang’ was screened at a number of festivals, including Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival, Global Indie Film Fest and Byron Bay Underground Film Festival.
Listen to his interview with Jessie Aiton & Rob Cameron on Pulse FM.
Alex is currently completing his master’s degree of Film and Television at the Victorian College of the Arts.
Winner 2021 - Fixity
Jack Sillitoe
Jack is an aspiring filmmaker and 'Fixity' was his first short film.
"'Fixity' was such a great experience for me, this is purely from the excitement of bringing a story written down on my own and gradually over time seeing it played out on screen. This is my first proper attempt at making a short film so there was a lot for me to learn.
Creating a cohesive narrative was one of the primary goals in this short film, without that the whole thing would be for nothing. So that was always in the back of my mind while filming and I hope it showed on screen".
Winner 2020 - Fallen
Grace Griffith
Grace is a Swinburne film and television graduate and she produced, directed and co-wrote this film.
'Fallen' is a period drama set in Mont St Quentin, France during WW1. When a Captain tumbles into a trench with a serious bullet wound, a Private tends to the wound and distracts the Captain with conversation.
As the two men reveal intimate details of their life back home in Australia they make a chance revelation that will change the course of their war.
Winner 2019 - When We Were One
Tadji Ulrich
Tadji Ulrich is an emerging writer/director based in Melbourne, Australia. His short films have been screened in over 10 film festivals both in Australia and the US, including major festivals such as Tropfest, Flickerfest and St Kilda Film Festival.
In 2018, he won the prestigious Trop JR top prize, the junior category of the largest short film festival in the world.
In 2019, he won the Emerging Victorian Filmmaker Award. His other film-related works includes teaching filmmaking at ACMI and interning on feature films such as The Dry.
Finalist 2022 - Suitcase
Emily Reeve
Emily is a dedicated filmmaker who loves exploring and giving voice to under-represented perspectives, particularly those of children. Having worked with young actors previously, Emily loves collaborating with their creative, energetic minds.
Although she is a passionate director, Emily is hoping to pursue a pathway in editing post-university. After undertaking an exchange semester at a specialist film school in Stuttgart, Germany, Emily has also developed skills in VFX compositing and simulation.
Jessie Aiton caught up with Emily whilst she is in Stuttgart and this interview provides details of the creative processes and behind the scenes work in making her film Suitcase which is one of the finalists in this year's Emerging Filmmakers Award.
It is well worth the listen.
Finalist 2022 - Tea?
Joel Harris
Joel Harris is a developing writer and director making short films in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia. When he is not making his own films, he is working on other sets in various crew roles to gain constant exposure to the local scene.
In his film Tea? leading character Rhiannon has her world turned upside down when her housemates keep disappearing under mysterious circumstances.
Finalist 2022 - No Thoughts, Head Empty
Quinn Franks
Quinn Franks is a multimedia animator and recent graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation).
Quinn’s practice encompasses a diverse array of media and often shifts into a unique visual style for each project.
The film ‘No Thoughts Head Empty’ is a 3D experimental film exploring themes of identity, isolation, unreality, chaos and mania.
Approaching these subjects through a combination of bizarre experimental imagery and narrative storytelling.
In the film a young woman walks through a void plagued with strange objects that cause her body to physically distort. Wiping her mind in an effort to free herself, she becomes unhinged from what little reality she has.
Finalist 2022 - Goodbye
Joe Doedel
Joe Doedel is a Geelong filmmaker who studied at Geelong High School.
This film was his major VCE Media short film project produced during the height of the pandemic in Geelong.
The film depicts a young adult prepares to leave his youth, memories and friends behind before venturing out into the world...
GOODBYE was produced at the height of the COVID pandemic in Geelong during Spring 2021. Limited to working from home Doedel wrote, filmed, edited, directed and produced this short film by myself.
Finalist 2022 - Dance Class
Marcus Galic
This comedic film follows a student, bored in class, who wishes they could do something more exciting, until the music takes control of their body.
Marcus is a creative and multi-talented individual. Graduated with a Bachelor of Film, Television and Animation with Distinction, at Deakin University, with the intention of developing a career in the film and media industry, specifically as a composer.
Experience in this area includes composing original music for multiple student films, one of which was selected for the Oniros Film Awards in August 2018, a multitude of other independent film productions, various commissioned projects, and a library of stock music.
Hear his interview with Jessie Aiton.
Finalist 2022 - Fear Animus
Cole Smith
At the age of 19, Cole moved from his home town in Tasmania to Melbourne to pursue his dream of making films.
In 2021, after 4 years at film school, Cole completed his debut short film Vittima.
Cole's second short film, titled Fear Animus follows a boy who becomes increasingly disturbed after waking up with viscous scratches on his body. Locked in his room over a weekend, he investigates the unusual activity with his video camera.
Listen to Cole's interview with Stone Tigue-Marshall.
Finalist 2022 - La Tansouna (Don't Forget Us)
Sarah Ghassali
Sarah Ghassali is a 19-year-old Syrian-Australian filmmaker and is studying at Swinburne University.
As a person with lived experience, she wants to tell Nour's story with integrity, authenticity and justice. Her film, La Tansouna is inspired by the bravery of her family, and the many men, women, and children, who seek asylum, every day.
Hear Sarah's interview with Jessie Aiton.
Finalist 2022 - Vacant World
Phoenix Petterwood
Phoenix is a student at Geelong High School and is planning a career in filmmaking.
Her film, Vacant World follows the life of a teenage girl who fights with her mum and wishes to be alone. She got more than she bargained for and not long after regret it.
Finalist 2022 - Knock, Knock?
Matilda Rose Berger
Matilda has created an animated short film based on two Auslan speaking clowns who are on the run from the police. They end up in a desert motel looking from a room.
Finalist 2022 - Memoirs & Lies
Jeremy Heddle
Jeremy Heddle is a multidisciplinary filmmaker from Australia. He is drawn to formalistic works that use innovative craft choices to convey complex character relationships.
He is a graduate of the Masters of Film & Television from the Victorian College of the Arts and works as a video editor outside of his narrative practice.
Past work has screened competitively in Germany, Australia, Romania, Italy, the USA and UK