WA Made Film Festival managing director Jasmine Leivers, Entangled filmmaker, Ryan Silvey, and festival director, Matthew Eeles. Photo by Ammon Creative.

Ryan Silvey’s impressive debut short, Entangled, has won the inaugural Best of the Fest award at the 2023 WA Made Film Festival.

The new dramedy, written and directed by Silvey, follows two friends, a young couple, and a family, all of who have deep secrets that slowly unravel over one dramatic night in a Perth bar.

Best of the Fest was a new addition to this year’s WA Made Film Festival, now in its fourth year, and was awarded by festival director Matthew Eeles and managing director, Jasmine Leivers, for the favourite film screening at the festival.

“We viewed over 150 short films and feature films throughout the selection process for this year’s festival, and the one film that really stayed with us was Entangled,” said Eeles, who is also the founder and editor of Cinema Australia.

“I describe Entangled as being the complete package when it comes to a short film. It could be viewed as a blueprint for other aspiring filmmakers who are setting out to make movies, especially in terms of the film’s narrative structure. Entangled is embedded with deep drama, laugh-out-loud comedy and everything in between. Silvey’s razor sharp direction and strong wit are enhanced by standout performances and Elliott Nieves’ stunning cinematography,” Eeles continued.

Silvey was born in Bunbury, Western Australia. With a strong passion for film and the arts from a young age, Ryan was able to amass a large social media following for his short online comedy videos. Since graduating high school, Ryan has shifted his focus to the live action narrative form.

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Entangled was made with an entire crew of university students, graduates, and aspiring filmmakers which makes the win even more special.

“We are super stoked to have been awarded Best of the Fest. WA Made Film Festival was such an awesome experience and I’m so grateful that we were given the opportunity to premiere at the event, let alone pick up an award. It was so unexpected. I was a bit lost for words, but I couldn’t be any more thankful,” says Silvey.

“From a director’s point of view, the main motivation in the project was to bring as many emerging creators together as possible and create a strong film that is cohesive and cinematic. This film was a learning piece for all involved and was an awesome experience for enhancing our skillset.”

Another big winner at the festival was Kayleigh Lux who won the Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best $1000 cash prize for her smartphone film, Aflame. The award was presented by the competition’s Smart Jury made up of internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Ben Young (Hounds of Love), actor Mikayla Levy (Sweet As, Rampage Electra) and filmmaker Aaron Kamp (Thorns & Thistles at the End of the World).

Audience Choice Award winners throughout the festival included Nicolas Hooker’s And Nothing Hurt (Sunday Night Shorts), Alan Chambers’ Dare to Dream (Documentary Showcase), Jack James Ruefli’s Sorrowing Man (Long Shorts & Short Longs), Alexandra Eftos’ Good Fortune (Saturday Night Shorts), and Wade Ranson’s Peddler (LOL: Comedy Showcase).

The WA Made Film Festival wrapped on Sunday night following a ten day run from February 17 – 26. The festival will return in 2024.

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