• BIRD DRONE

    Directed by Radheya Jegatheva

    A heartfelt story of unrequited love explored through a lonely seagull struggling to accept that his newfound object of affection is a human-operated drone with a limited battery life.

  • DIE BULLY DIE

    Directed by Nathan Lacey & Nick Lacey

    Max catches up with his high-school bully Adam, 17 years later, in a fancy restaurant where Max’s grudge against Adam begins to manifest in horrific ways.

    WINNER: Best Screenplay (Matthew Backer & Drew Weston)

    WINNER: Audience Choice

  • AND THE OCEAN AGREED

    Directed by Tanya Modini

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

  • GORGO

    Directed by Veniamin Gialouris

    Inspired by Ovid’s Medusa myth, Gorgo is a dramatic short film that tells the story of a Greek bride’s cross-continental journey to marry a man she has never met.

    WINNER: Special Mention Award

    WINNER: Best Performance (Danielle Stamoulos

  • THE MEANINGLESS DAYDREAMS OF AUGIE & CELESTE

    Directed by Pernell Marsden

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

    WINNER: Best Film

    WINNER: Best Production Design (Pernell Marsden)

    WINNER: Rising Star (Libby Segal)

  • LAST MAN STANDING

    Directed by Alvy Willa & Calan Mai

    A short documentary about Ron West, a 90-year-old organ player at The Majestic Theatre, the longest running silent movie theatre in the world. 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.

  • ASTRONOTS

    Directed by Andrew Seaton

    Two astronots sit in the cockpit awaiting takeoff on a crucial mission to Mars when one turns to the other and admits he isn't ready for the voyage.

  • FAVOURITES

    Directed by Nick Russell

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

  • YAKKA

    Directed by Jack Shepherd

    On a secluded Australian estuary, as two young brothers grapple for their neglectful father’s approval, their usual pastime of exploring empty holiday houses goes awry, and a violent mistake will shatter their fragile bond forever.

  • FINDING JIA

    Directed by Alice Yang

    Mei, an immigrant 8 y.o 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.

  • YEAH THE BOYS

    Directed by Stefan Hunt

    Yeah the Boys follows six young Australian men as they sink beers over an afternoon and well into the night. Emoting only through movement; lewd gestures, chokeholds, crowd surfs, and chugging shoeys, they somehow say everything without uttering a single word.

    WINNER: Best Cinematography (Sam Chiplin)

  • GOOD NEIGHBOUR

    Directed by Julian Lucas

    A kidney could save Phil’s life, and Jeff, his neighbour, is willing to help—for a price. His demand throws Phil, his partner Ray, and his parents into a moral and emotional battle. Good Neighbour is a witty and thought-provoking exploration of human nature, blurred ethical lines, and the surprising complexities of generosity.

2025 HOSTS & JUDGING PANEL

  • DARREN GILSHENAN

    JUDGE

    Darren is one of Australia’s most iconic actors, with a career spanning decades of unforgettable performances. His extensive TV credits include Colin From Accounts, Bay of Fires, Stateless, How To Stay Married, Rake, No Activity, Top of the Lake, The Moodys and so much more. On the big screen, Darren has starred in June Again, The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race, Carnifex, and Save Your Legs.

  • ANNELISE HICKEY

    JUDGE

    Annelise’s stunning film ‘Hafekasi’ was awarded Best Film by the judges at Stellar 2024 and has won awards all across the world. Her most recent short film is entitled Stranger, Brother - and made it’s debut at Sundance Film Festival recently. We are thrilled to have Annelise back in 2025.

  • CHRISTIAN WHITE

    JUDGE

    Christian is a best-selling Australian author with four novels to his name, including The Nowhere Child - the fastest selling debut novel by an Australian author. Christian also writes for the screen, having co-written the screenplays for feature films Relic and Apartment 7a, whilst co-creating the Netflix series Clickbait.

  • LEAH POPPLE

    JUDGE

    Leah is a production designer working across film, television and commercials. Throughout her career she has designed numerous award-winning films with prolific directors both nationally and internationally. Her recent credits include The Royal Hotel, The Stranger and the upcoming prison drama Inside.

  • GLENDYN IVIN

    JUDGE

    Glendyn is one of Australia’s pre-eminent film and television directors. His recent film credits include Penguin Bloom, starring Naomi Watts, while his extensive list of television credits include Puberty Blues, Gallipoli, The Seven Types of Ambiguity, The Cry and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart starring Sigourney Weaver and Asher Keddie.

  • MADELEINE DYER

    JUDGE

    Madeleine is a writer and director. Her feature film debut A Savage Christmas released on Binge scored a 2024 AACTA Best Indie nomination. Her latest directing work on comedies Colin From Accounts for Binge/Paramount Plus and Austin for ABC/BBC have had very successful releases.

  • SCOTT MAJOR

    MC

    With a career spanning over 35 years, Scott has made his mark as an award-winning director, actor, writer, and producer in TV, film, and theatre, both locally and internationally. Scott’s impressive credits include the internationally acclaimed reboot of Heartbreak High, where he reprised his iconic role of Peter Rivers, as well as his AACTA nominated feature film directorial debut, Darklands.

  • JACKSON TOZER

    HOST

    Jackson’s journey in entertainment began with the 2014 ABC sketch series THIS IS LITTLETON. Since then, he’s graced screens worldwide, from DEADLOCH on PrimeVideo to THE NEWSREADER on ABC, MR INBETWEEN on FX, and FIVE BEDROOMS on Paramount+. His AACTA-nominated short film “HATCHBACK” is a Stellar favorite.

    In 2023, Jackson shared the screen with Hollywood stars John Cena and Zac Efron in Peter Farrelly’s upcoming comedy feature, RICKY STANICKY, set for an early release in 2024.

    But Jackson is more than an actor; he’s a talented writer and director, known for award-winning short films like UBER X-CITING DAY (Peninsula Film Festival: Best Screenplay) and THE DIVORCE (Hollywood Indie Film Awards: Best Comedy, Best Screenplay) and a genuinely good human.