A total of 27 awards were handed out across this year’s WA Made Film Festival, the highest number in the festival’s seven-year history.

The festival, which ran over 11 days and wrapped on Sunday night, awarded three Best of the Fest prizes – Best of the Fest: Film, Best of the Fest: Documentary and Best of the Fest: Performance – seven Audience Choice awards, the $1000 Best Film prize at Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best, and 15 awards at the second annual WA Made Film Festival Student Awards.

Short film Reach for the Stars was the biggest winner throughout the festival, taking out the Best of the Fest: Film award.

Written and directed by Dylan Randall, Reach for the Stars follows a young girl, Madeline (Ava Pasch), who is struggling with her mother’s passing.

One night, when a small spacecraft crashes in her backyard, she meets B3R1 (voiced by Daniel Monteiro Pais), a stranded visitor from the stars.

As they share their stories, Madeline helps B3R1 search for a way home. Along the way, she learns that even when someone is gone, their love can remain with you.

“Reach for the Stars is stunningly beautiful in its narrative and its execution,” says festival director Matthew Eeles, who decides on the Best of the Fest winners along with managing director Jasmine Leivers.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on Dylan’s career for years, and seeing his growth as a filmmaker has been a great pleasure. Reach for the Stars is what I’d describe as a perfect film, and the fact that Dylan wrote, directed, produced, and handled the film’s visual effects and animation really cemented it as a clear winner for us.”

Dylan’s previous film credits include the feature musical Sweet Rhythm, short film Get the Girl, and the Scooby-Doo fan film Scoob! Where Are You?

“Winning Best of the Fest is an amazing achievement that I am still super stoked about,” says Dylan.

“This project and the win are personal, as the film reflects my grandfather’s passing and how grief affects people differently. I wanted to bring this shared experience to life with something that couldn’t be tangible in our day-to-day lives — our little robot, B3R1.”

Dylan says the adorable B3R1 brought a sense of wonder and opened up the audience’s imagination, helping bridge the gap between reality and make-believe.

“I’m so thankful for my team and everyone involved who helped create something so wholesome and heartwarming. I hope it shows that a little wonder in film makes anything possible. I’m still in awe of our project being so simple yet so touching, and I’m sure B3R1 will forever be looking down, telling us to reach for the stars.”

Nathan Dyer’s thought-provoking documentary, Small Town Pride, won the Best of the Fest: Documentary award.

Small Town Pride is set in the remote outback town of Kununurra (pop. 4,515), where a small but fearless queer community works to keep its annual Pride celebration alive.

“It’s an absolute honour to win this award, particularly given the incredible talent of the other filmmakers involved in this year’s festival,” says Nathan.

“When we made the film, we felt it was a story that would connect with people far beyond Kununurra, so to have it embraced and celebrated like this feels deeply affirming. A huge thank you to Jasmine and Matthew, and everyone behind such a unique and wonderful celebration of WA film.”

Winning the third and final Best of the Fest award was actor Aaron Wilkes for his wildly entertaining performance in the black-and-white comedy Criminal Helpline, about a disillusioned operator working for an underground call centre that provides guidance to criminals in distress.

“I’m still somewhat in disbelief that I won this award,” says Aaron. 

“I keep double checking the name on it to make sure I didn’t accidentally walk off with someone else’s award.

“It’s an indescribable feeling to have your work looked upon and be deemed worthy of commendation in such a manner. When I went into this screening I was delighted just to see our film screened next to so many other amazing shorts. When we won audience choice that was unreal. Then the surprise reveal of the brand new award and that I would be the one to receive it was such an honour.

“WA Made was my first film festival. And getting to meet so many talented creatives is an assurance that I’ll be back again.”

Audience Choice award winners throughout the festival included Jackson Cogger-Clee’s Get Smart! short Prepoured Beer; Robbie Mars’ Criminal Helpline (Saturday Shorts); Darcy Wilson’s Voiceless (Long Shorts & Short Longs); Aron Attiwell’s In the Doghouse (Sunday Shorts); Charlotte Kennedy and Laurie Gelmi’s Spin Cycle (Thursday Shorts); Kaleb McKenna’s She Kinda Liked the Beach (LOL: Comedy Showcase); Nic McRobbie’s Flowers (Left of Centre); and Paula Ximena Roa Ayla’s Alma (Student Showcase).

Lisette McAllister-Liew’s smartphone film melancholia won the $1000 Best Film prize at Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best, consistently the festival’s most popular event. A total of 17 smartphone films made exclusively for the festival screened to a packed house this year.

melancholia interpreted this year’s theme, Wave, as the ups and downs of living with depression. The film follows Blue as she goes through the motions of her mental health, waiting for the ‘wave’ to pass.

With dark comedy and abstract visuals peppered throughout, melancholia aims to shed light on the experience of depression while encouraging viewers to take care of themselves until they feel better.

“Hearing my film title being called out as the winner was such a surreal feeling,” says Lisette.

“I was surrounded by my crew members who helped shape this film, so it wasn’t just a win for me, but a win for all of us. I didn’t enter to win, but to challenge myself to create something special with my friends. I’m so glad the hard work of my crew was appreciated by the competition’s Smart Jury and that the audience was able to connect with the film,” she continued.

“Mental health is something I am very passionate about, so it means a lot to win and is really encouraging for me to keep making more.”

This year’s Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best Smart Jury was made up of filmmakers Miley Tunnecliff (Proclivitas), Jason Robert Lester (Bleederville) and Jaron Herren (The Mustangs).

The festival concluded with the second annual WA Made Film Festival Student Awards, hosted by acclaimed Australian actor and director Myles Pollard.

The biggest winner on the night was Criminal Helpline, which won Best Student Film.

“It was such a surreal feeling to win Best Student Film at the WA Made Film Festival Student Awards,” says Criminal Helpline director Robbie Mars.

“The WA Made Film Festival was talked about throughout the entire production of Criminal Helpline, from the very first stages right through to the final cut.

“It was always a huge goal of ours just to have the film screened at the festival, so to not only be selected but to win these awards is honestly incredible and a memory I will never forget.

“Being able to celebrate with my cast and crew felt amazing and really highlighted the incredible teamwork behind the film. Having the opportunity to see it play in a cinema alongside such talented local filmmakers was an honour and a privilege.”

A total of 15 awards were handed to students on the night, including:

Best Student Film (presented by WA Made Film Festival)
Criminal Helpline

Rising Talent Award
Lincoln Morgan

Best High School Film (presented by Murdoch University)
Fall

Best Documentary (presented by WA Screen and Media Academy at ECU)
Penny Lane’s

Best Director (presented by Curtin University)
Chenoa Perich – Tryptophan

Best Producer
Elsie Taylor – Holding

Best Screenplay
Charlotte Kennedy and Laurie Gelmi – Spin Cycle

Best Performance (presented by Ali Roberts Studio)
Griffin McLaghlin – Triple Zero

Best Performance Under 18 (presented by Ali Roberts Studio)
Ayla Koele – The Mini Office

Best Editing
Rodrigo Torres Badoino – Triple Zero

Best Cinematography
William Smart – Shadows and Deception

Best Production Design
Nathan Burnby – Adrift

Best Costume Design
Willow Armitstead – Spin Cycle

Best Music (presented by Murdoch University)
Julius Jendrezok – Triple Zero

Best Sound
Taylor Finch – Holding

The WA Made Film Festival will open submissions for the 2027 festival in August. Details about the Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best smartphone filmmaking competition will be announced in June.

You can keep up to date at wamadefilmfestival.com.au.

*All short films screened in the festival’s showcase screenings are eligible for the Audience Choice awards. Short film Inheritance was ineligible for any official WA Made Film Festival awards due to the festival team’s involvement in the film, including the Managing Director.

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