SONGS INSIDE WINS AUSTRALIA’S RICHEST FILM PRIZE & SCREEN LEGEND: FRANCES O’CONNOR
Image supplied.
Songs Inside – written and directed by Shalom Almond and starring Nancy Bates – was announced tonight as the 2025 CinefestOZ Film Prize Winner – the richest $100,000 Film Prize in the country for an Australian production.
The filmmaking team behind Songs Inside were presented the prize by Parliamentary Secretary, Cassie Rowe MLA, on behalf of the Minister for Creative Industries at the prestigious Film Prize Celebration in Busselton, following the film’s selection by a Jury of industry experts, including Frances O’Connor (Wednesday, Emily, Mansfield Park); Wayne Blair (Mystery Road, Top End Wedding), Shari Sebbens (Thor: Love and Thunder; The Moogai;); Nathalie Morris (Bump, The Twelve) and Distributor Jonathon Page.
CinefestOZ Chair Margaret Buswell said: “The CinefestOZ Film Prize Award champions new, unique and compelling Australian made feature films and documentaries and, on behalf of CinefestOZ, I would like to congratulate all our incredible finalists, and our 2025 winner Songs Inside.”
“In our 18th year of the Festival we are fortunate again to have a sensational cross section of filmmakers on the Film Prize Jury who together assessed each of the four finalists, including We Bury The Dead, Birthright, Songs Inside and One More Shot a MIFF@CinefestOZ film – from a perspective of excellence in filmmaking.”
Jury Chair Frances O’Connor spoke about the decision on behalf of the Jury saying: “Congratulations to the four films chosen for the 2025 CinefestOZ Film Prize.
Choosing a winner from these four exceptional films was genuinely a challenging decision as each film brought something unique and powerful, and we deeply appreciate the filmmaking and know how hard won any film is.
In our discussions we kept returning to stories that can make a difference in this moment and Songs Inside, which celebrates music’s transformative power to heal and strengthen, is an emotionally powerful experience that showcases Shalom’s skillful filmmaking, beautifully weaving together the narratives of these remarkable women, and celebrating their humanity with such grace and compassion.
We’re excited to see what this team creates next and hope this prize supports that journey. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Songs Inside and thank you for this beautiful film.
Finally, we thank CinefestOZ for inviting us to participate and be a part of this wonderful festival. It’s been a fantastic experience for us all and long may the festival and this blossoming WA film industry continue to grow!”
Songs Inside writer and director, Shalom Almond said:
“Our team were shocked to learn we were chosen as a 2025 CinefestOZ Film Prize Winner, and it’s an honour and privilege to be selected alongside such outstanding Australian films.
Songs Inside truly is a testimony to the transformative power of music. Creating music and song inside prison fences brought light and meaning into such a dark place. For the incarcerated women involved in this project music stripped away the identity of being a “prisoner” or a number, it allowed them to feel like a mother, a daughter, a lover, a survivor or a leader again.
The camera was there to document the women’s transformation around music, but soon many of the women began to my camera as their own tool, almost like a witness or a trusted confidante to keep themselves accountable and prove to themselves that they could stay on track.
As filmmakers, the experience of making this film felt like such a gift, so we always hoped that once the film was shared with audiences, that they too would be moved by the stories of these brave and resilient women inside, who took a chance on music, maybe even hope.
Many of the women who were involved in Songs Inside have since been released from prison. The challenges on the other side of the fence have been deeply complex for these women to navigate; from poverty, addictions, broken family relationships and inability to find housing or meaningful employment. These women have served their time and much to offer to our communities – if we as a society can support them to do so.
To be awarded the CinefestOZ Film Prize feels like a testament that these women’s stories and lives matter.”
2025 Film Prize Jury – Wayne Blair, Nathalie Morris, Frances O’Connor (Chair), Jonathan Page and Shari Sebbens. Image credit: Court McAllister @Mac1Photo
2025 SCREEN LEGEND
Frances O’Connor – Screen Legend 2025 Image credit: Court McAllister @Mac1Photo
Frances O’Connor was also recognised at the evening’s Gala for outstanding contribution to the Australian film industry and named the CinefestOZ 2025 Screen Legend.
The Screen Legend is recognised for playing a valuable role in supporting excellence in Australian filmmaking, which CinefestOZ proudly showcases through a variety of film events and screenings across Western Australia’s South West region over the nine-day festival.
CinefestOZ is proudly supported by the WA Government through the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program. We would also like to acknowledge strong support from our Premium Partner Screenwest and the City of Busselton, along with our Major Partners Rio Tinto, Lotterywest, Forester and Screen Australia.
Frances O’Connor – Screen Legend 2025 Image credit: Court McAllister @Mac1Photo