After redefining storytelling with the Best Australian Yarn, The West Australian via its PerthNow website is aiming to do the same thing for movie-making with the inaugural Best Australian Short Film Competition.
West Australian Newspapers editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie said the new competition was about celebrating the power of storytelling.
“With a remarkable prize pool of $77,500, it is the richest short film competition of its type in Australia, building on the back of the success of the Best Australian Yarn short story competition,” De Ceglie said.
In collaboration with major sponsor SAE Creative Media Institute, the short film comp will feature an astonishing first prize of $30,000, and the winner of the Emerging Talent category will get a $10,000 partial scholarship towards a Bachelor in Animation or Film at SAE.
SAE general manager Dr Luke McMillan said his organisation was “thrilled to be supporting up-and-coming filmmakers”.
“We’ve witnessed remarkable growth within the Australian film sector, and, as leaders in creative media education, this expansion has opened doors for our students to craft compelling content that sparks profound discussions and paves the way for successful careers in the industry,” Dr McMillan said.
Submitted films must be no longer than 10 minutes, inclusive of credits, and winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts.
The jury includes acclaimed WA director Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours), Gold Logie-nominated Indigenous actor Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), award-winning director Nel Minchin, Home & Away star and awarded playwright Kirsty Marillier and Perth Festival film curator Tom Vincent.
Minchin, sister of famed composer and comedian Tim, said the film industry is tough, so the recognition and financial reward that comes with winning the Best Australian Short Film Competition is significant.
And she had some advice for prospective entrants.
“Keep the idea super simple, it costs a lot of money to make big ideas work,” she said.
“Show huge respect and appreciation to your cast and crew, who are working tirelessly for you to bring your dream to life, be proud of your work, even if it’s not perfect, because just getting it done is a huge achievement — and have fun!”
All short-listed films will be available to view on PerthNow, WA’s No.1 news and entertainment website, with the public having the chance to cast their vote for the $5000 People’s Choice prize.
Other prize categories include $5000 for the best youth film, $5000 for the best animated short, and $7500 for the best First Nations entry, which is supported by WA’s peak film funding body, Screenwest.
“Short films play an important part of career development for screen industry crew and creatives,” Screenwest chief executive Rikki Lea Bestall said.
“They provide training grounds for crew, allow creatives to experiment and develop their craft, as well as well as being a vehicle to showcase talent, so I am excited to see what new WA filmmaking voices the short film competition uncovers.”
The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is presenting the $10,000 prize for best WA-made short film.
“As more high-profile productions are attracted to our state, opportunities such as this short film competition are a chance for Western Australia’s film-makers to share their ideas and talent and get a chance to share their ideas and talent with industry experts and a national audience,” a department spokesperson said.
The State Government hopes its $100 million studio facility in Malaga will lure big productions west, but, in the meantime, a $20 million Production Attraction Incentive is getting the job done.
It helped secure season two of the award-winning legal drama series The Twelve, which is currently being filmed in the Wheatbelt and Metropolitan areas.
It’s the biggest ever production to take place in WA, with an estimated spend of $9.6 million in the State, creating more than 100 local jobs and providing a boost for local business.
Short filmmaking has launched the careers of legendary directors such as Taika Waititi and Christopher Nolan, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that a future WA blockbuster production will be made by the winner of the PerthNow competition.
“I want to be drawn in and compelled to keep watching,” Minchin says of her judging process.
“I’ll be looking for unique perspectives and passion and consideration in what you deliver, but ultimately I want to be entertained.”
The Best Australian Short Film Competition accepts Australian-made short film entries across all fiction and non-fiction film genres, produced from 1 July 2022.
Entries close January 22, 2024. See bestshortfilm.com.au for competition details, terms and conditions.
For more information and to enter, visit bestshortfilm.com.au.
The Prize Pool
First prize winner – The Best Australian Short Film Prize: $30,000
The West Australian Short Film Prize (supported by DLGSC): $10,000
WA First Nations Filmmaker Prize (supported by Screenwest): $7,500
Next Gen Youth Prize: $5,000
Best Animation Prize: $5,000
Future of Film Innovation Prize: $5,000
Peoples’ Choice Prize: $5,000
SAE Emerging Talent Prize: $10,000 partial scholarship towards a Bachelor in Animation or Film at SAE
THE PRIZE JURY
Mark Coles Smith
Mark Coles Smith is a proud Nyikina man from the Kimberley in North West Australia and an award-winning film, television and theatre actor, as well as a writer, producer and passionate sound designer. In 2023, the Mystery Road: Origin star became the first Indigenous Australian actor ever to be nominated for a Gold Logie.
Nel Minchin
Nel Minchin is an award-winning director, writer and producer. Known for her compelling documentaries, her work has screened at film festivals around the globe, on prime-time television and on streaming platforms worldwide. Prior to documentary Minchin produced scripted comedy, short films and music videos.
Kirsty Marillier
Kirsty Marillier is a South African actor and award-winning playwright. She plays police officer Rose Delaney in Channel 7’s Home and Away, and is a part of the Emerging Writers Group at Sydney Theatre Company. In addition to being an award-winning writer, Marillier also an accomplished stage and screen performer.
Zak Hilditch
Zak Hilditch is from Perth and studied film at Curtin University. In 2013, his first funded feature, These Final Hours, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival, picking up The Age critics prize for best film before later going onto its international premiere at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. He has since garnered critical acclaim for his Stephen King adaptation 1922.
Tom Vincent
Tom Vincent is a curator and creative producer who specialises in cinema and is Perth Festival’s long-standing program associate: film. With almost a decade working at the festival, he is responsible for curating the annual Lotterywest Films program.
Ben O’Shea
Ben is the Film Editor at The West Australian and The Sunday Times. He interviews the biggest names in the industry, including Stephen Spielberg, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Tom Cruise and Ron Howard and hosts The West’s Reel Talk YouTube channel, and its flagship news podcast, The West Live. Over 15 years at Seven West Media, he has established himself as one of the most respected critics in Australia.
NEXT GEN YOUTH PRIZE AND SAE EMERGING TALENT JUDGE
Dr Teresa Rizzo
With more than 20 years experience in higher education, Teresa Rizzo has taught at some of the best film schools in Australia. She is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker and spent 11 years as a story producer for Foxtel.