STELLAR SFF

Sibylla Budd and Stephen Curry in Favourites.

If it’s not already, the Stellar Short Film Festival is rapidly becoming one of Australia’s favourite short film festivals, highly anticipated each year by filmmakers, film lovers, and general punters alike.

Each year, Stellar showcases a specially curated selection of Australian short films known as the Stellar 12.

“Like every year, we’ve again seen such a diverse range of films come out of 2024,” says Jasmine Charles, founder and director of Stellar.

“But there has been a definite swing towards more uplifting stories and laughter in our post-COVID world, and that’s reflected in a number of the final twelve. These films have all travelled the world and picked up a variety of awards. We’re so excited to see them all playing together on one night in front of a captivated Stellar audience.”

What makes Stellar unique is that entries into the festival are by invitation only, with an anticipated 100 award-winning films starting on the shortlist.

Matthew Backer in Die Bully Die.

The 12 selected films will compete on the night for significant prizes, with winners selected by a panel of industry judges, as well as an Audience Choice Award.

This year’s judging panel is made up of celebrated Australian filmmaking identities including Glendyn Ivin, Madeleine Dyer, Darren Gilshenen, Christian White, Annelise Hickey and Leah Popple.

Stellar is an exclusive opportunity for punters to catch the best Australian short films of the past 12 months on the big screen at McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery.

While films are the main focus at Stellar, guests are invited to bring a picnic blanket and settle into the natural amphitheatre, where they can explore the remarkable sculptures, enjoy lawn games, and indulge in delicious food and coffee from carefully curated vendors.

You can also sip on cider, wine, beer, or gin crafted by wonderful local producers. It’s an unforgettable night where culture meets community.

Tickets are on sale now!

McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery
390 McClelland Dr, Langwarrin

Saturday, March 1, 2025
Gates open at 5pm

Secure your tickets now via http://www.stellarshortfilmfestival.com.au

Aaron Glenane and Adam Dunn in Astronots.

Here’s your guide to the Stellar 12!

Favourites

Directed by Nick Russell
Written by Nick Musgrove and Nick Russell
Produced by Nick Russell
Starring Sibylla Budd and Stephen Curry

When their family camping trip turns deadly, two parents face an impossible choice.

Die Bully Die

Directed by Nick Lacey and Nathan Lacey
Written by Matthew Backer and Drew Weston
Produced by Matthew Backer, Nathan Lacey, Nick Lacey, Nicole Thorn and Drew Weston
Starring Matthew Backer and Drew Weston

When Max agrees to catch up with his high-school bully Adam, who bullied Max for being gay, Max’s grudge against Adam begins to manifest in horrific ways in a fancy restaurant because, well, revenge is a dish best served cold.

Interview: Nick and Nathan Lacey

And the Ocean Agreed

Written and directed by Tanya Modini
Produced by Stephanie Dower, Luisa Martiri and Tanya Modini
Starring Chrissie Page, Jacy Lewis and Jazz Zhao

Vina is fading away, lost to dementia, but on a rare outing to the ocean, she finds herself and a chance for freedom

Astronots

Directed by Andrew Seaton
Written by Adam Dunn and Aaron Glenane
Produced by Nick Mutton
Starring Adam Dunn, Aaron Glenane and Krew Boylan

As Commander Thomas Collins sits in the cockpit of NASA’s Ares 7 awaiting launch he learns his partner Pilot Abraham Adams has inextricably fumbled his way through training and ended up in the most important seat in the universe.

Yakka

Directed by Jack Shepherd
Written by Jorrden Daley and Jack Shepherd
Produced by Lena Buchanan
Starring Jiya Vander Straaten, Javi Vander Straaten and Anni Finsterer

As two teenage brothers get up to mischief on summer holidays in a coastal fishing town, the cycles of toxic masculinity above the water reflect the hierarchies of predation below.

Yeah the Boys

Directed by Stefan Hunt
Written by Vanessa Marian
Produced by Alexandra Taussig
Starring Neven Connolly, Kieran Crowe and Hadley Davidson

Six young Aussie men drink beers from the afternoon well into the night. Using only movement in the way of back slaps, crowd surfs, and chokeholds, they manage to say everything without uttering a single word.

The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste

Directed by Pernell Marsden
Written by Gregory Kelly and Pernell Marsden
Produced by Sophie Booth
Starring Frankie Gillespie McKay and Libby Segal

Two best friends embark on a high-stakes game of imagination, which takes an unforeseeable turn and threatens to jeopardise their relationship.

Good Neighbour

Written and directed by Julian Lucas
Produced by Max Kearsley and Rachael Morrow
Starring Mike Bishop, Hannah Camilleri and Maxine Ellah

Phil is in hospital with kidney failure when Jeff, his neighbour, emerges as a potential donor. However, his unexpected demand in exchange for the kidney sparks a moral dilemma for Phil, his partner Ray, and Phil’s parents.

Gorgo

Directed by Veniamin Gialouris
Written by Danielle Stamoulos
Produced by Katie Amos
Starring John Daviskas, Maria Panagis and Alex Pantazes

Medousa, an arranged Greek bride bound for Australia, discovers a monstrous secret that threatens to tear apart her best friend’s promise of sisterhood.

Bird Drone

Directed by Radheya Jegatheva
Written by Clare Toonen
Produced by Hannah Ngo

A lonely seagull looking for love struggles to accept that his newfound object of affection is a human-operated drone with a limited battery life.

Finding Jia

Written and directed by Alice Yang
Starring Joy Jiang and Vicky Liao

8-year-old immigrant Mei yearns for the type of life she sees on TV. A life that resembles the Western way of living that is so often played on her television. Her family’s ‘mom and pop’ business struggles to make ends meet, and they can only afford to live in the small office room at the back of their store. Mei’s discontented life is made up of baths in a bucket, mediocre Chinese food and bickering parents.

Last Man Standing

Directed by Alvy Willa and Calan Mai

Short documentary about Ron West, the 90-year-old organ player at Pomona’s silent movie theatre, The Majestic. Ron looks back on his life, detailing memories of love, loss and the magic of Hollywood’s Golden Era—all seen through the eyes of a young man carrying a secret too dangerous to tell but impossible to keep. Last Man Standing is the swan song of a life well lived.

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