The WA Made Film Festival is pleased to announce the full list of nominees for its inaugural Student Awards, the festival’s newest initiative designed to recognise and celebrate emerging talent in the Western Australian film industry.

The 2025 WA Made Film Festival Student Awards will provide a unique opportunity for student filmmakers to gain recognition, with categories such as Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and more.

This dedicated awards event will not only highlight the creativity and dedication of local students but also contribute to strengthening the next generation of WA’s film industry.

“Not only will these awards acknowledge exceptional emerging filmmaking talent in WA, but they’re also an opportunity to bring that community together to meet potential future collaborators,” says festival director, Matthew Eeles.

“The level of filmmaking talent on display in this selection of short films is quite unbelievable. We couldn’t be any more excited for the future of filmmaking in Western Australia.”

The inaugural WA Made Film Festival Student Awards will be held at the vibrant Planet Royale Theatre—a retro, pop-culture-inspired bar, arcade, and theatre.

Guests and nominees will enjoy drinks from the bar at happy hour prices, complimentary nibbles, and the festival’s professional photographer and videographer, who will be on hand to capture every moment.

The awards ceremony itself will be hosted by celebrated Australian actor Myles Pollard, best known for his roles in iconic Australian TV series such as McLeod’s Daughters, Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters, All Saints, and the upcoming Stan series Invisible Boys. Myles’ feature film credits include Wolverine, Drift, The Turning, How to Please a Woman, and Before Dawn.

The 2025 WA Made Film Festival Student Awards are made possible thanks to the support of the event’s sponsors. Murdoch University will present the Best High School Film award and the Best Sound award, while Ali Roberts Studios will present the two Best Performance award categories.

All of the short films nominated for the WA Made Film Festival Student Awards will be screened throughout the general festival, which runs from February 21 to March 2 at Palace Cinemas Raine Square.

The 2025 WA Made Film Festival Student Awards will be held at Planet Royale Theatre at 2.15pm on Sunday, 2 March 2025. You can find more details and see the full program at wamadefilmfestival.com.au.

BEST FILM

Skin Deep
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Kenopsia
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Lily
Screens at Left of Centre
Thursday, 27 February

Mind Meddling
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Debts of the Dead
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Chookas
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

BEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM

DURG
Screens at Left of Centre
Thursday, 27 February

Proof of Kill
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Guess Who
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 2
Sunday, 2 March

Cubby House
Screens at Family Flicks
Saturday, 1 March

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Digital Realism
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Lights, Camera, Perth! A Growing Film Industry
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 2
Sunday, 2 March

BEST DIRECTOR

Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof
Christopher Paik-Swan
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Santa Duties
Alana Spencer
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Skin Deep
Jasmine Formato
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Chookas
Nicholas Hooker
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Lily
Joshua Webb
Screens at Left of Centre
Thursday, 27 February

Refrain
Benjamin Slusarczyk
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Lights, Camera, Perth! A Growing Industry
Aren Herbert Hoogerdijk
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 2
Sunday, 2 March

BEST SCREENPLAY

Fray
Eloise Primrose
Screens with Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Santa Duties
Antonio Ivic
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Chookas
Gabrielle O’Keeffe
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Kenopsia
Molly Magee
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Debts of the Dead
Connor Hamilton
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Eat the Meat
Jacob Kemp
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 2
Sunday, 2 March

BEST PERFORMANCE Presented by Ali Roberts Studio

Eloise Primrose
Fray
Screens with Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Angus Price
Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Domenico Ventura
Refrain
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Dinasha Perera
Chookas
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Bridget Bourke
Santa Duties
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Sedriece Kickett
Go Along
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Chloe Brink
JOY!
Screens at Long Shorts & Short Longs Part 2
Saturday, 1 March

Oliver English
Hard Drive
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

BEST PERFORMANCE (Under 18) Presented by Ali Roberts Studio

Fernando Pineda Meneses
Cubby House
Screens at Family Flicks
Saturday, 1 March

Bexley Spencer
Santa Duties
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Jasmine De Filippis
Mind Meddling
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Skin Deep
Mikaela Zuiderduyn
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Kenopsia
Jj Dillon
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Lily
Mya Wilkin
Screens at Left of Centre
Thursday, 27 February

Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof
James Hoare
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Proof of Kill
Dylan Ng
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

BEST EDITING

Eat the Meat
Rodrigo Torres Badoino
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 2
Sunday, 2 March

Lily
Will Towers
Screens at Left of Centre
Thursday, 27 February

Digital Realism
Mikaela Zuiderduyn
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 1
Sunday, 23 February

Mind Meddling
Alisha Sanders
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Kenopsia
Jarrod Hayden
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Chookas
Cameron A. Clear
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof
Shannen Morrison
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Kenopsia
Jacqueline Cockerell
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Skin Deep
Claire Pattison
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Cubby House
Jacopo Cioni
Screens at Family Flicks
Saturday, 1 March

BEST MUSIC

Eat the Meat
Emma Crawford
Screens at Sunday Shorts Part 2
Sunday, 2 March

Skin Deep
Nicholas Huston
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Kenopsia
Ryan Wagstaff
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Lily
Alix Simatos and Jasper Preedy
Screens at Left of Centre
Thursday, 27 February

BEST SOUND

Chookas
Alicia Tucker & Alex Alderson
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Mind Meddling
Ken Boonroongruang
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Refrain
Atwith Nachai
Screens at Friday Night Shorts
Friday, 28 February

Holiday Email
Ben Nixon & Matt Nixon
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Fading Colours
Lucas Smith
Screens at Aging Gracefully
Saturday, 22 February

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Gestation
Blanche Deards
Screens at In Sect
Saturday, 1 March

Skin Deep
Claire Pattison and Daniella Savva
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof

Shannen Morrison
Screens at Saturday Shorts
Saturday, 22 February

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