STUDENT FINALISTS

We are excited to announce that eight short films, created by students from Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, and Katanning, are finalists in the 2025 Cinesnaps Short Film Competition. Their films will be screened at the red-carpet awards event on Tuesday 2 September, as part of the 18th annual 2025 CinefestOZ Film Festival.

Open to high school students in Western Australia’s South West, Great Southern and Kimberley regions, the Short Film Competition requires the creation of an original, three-to-five-minute short film based on a theme, which this year is ‘Rip’.

“This year’s theme of ‘rip’ has sparked incredible creativity among students, with 61 emerging filmmakers from our three regional areas entering the Awards,” said Scott Mills, CinefestOZ Community & Education Engagement Manager.

“A heartfelt thank you and congratulations go to all of the students, as well as the dedicated educators who – regardless of whether they specialise in Media Arts – have inspired their students to engage in high-quality audio-visual storytelling.

“As Western Australian screen production continues to thrive, it’s inspiring to witness the next generation of talented young filmmakers stepping forward, ready to make their mark on the industry and contribute to its vibrant future.”

Congratulations to the finalists:

Year 10-12 category up for $1000 in prize money:

• Max Cruse & Grace Eckersley, Great Southern Grammar: THE PULL
• Jasmine Elliott, Abigail Fishlock, Jade Turpin, Jana Worgan, Bunbury Catholic College: RIPPED
• Zachary Frühstück & Nevayeh Tasarip, Katanning Senior High: RIPPED FROM LIVING
• Jack Harris & Charlie Wallrodt, Manea Senior College: ERODE
• Taylor Nuttall & Isabella Reid, Manea Senior College: CONSEQUENCE
• Ethan Tomlinson, Bunbury Cathedral Grammar: RECEPTION

Year 7-9 category:

• Cohen Hope, Liam Turnbull, Omkar Variya, Bunbury Senior High: CONSP-RIP-ACY
• Milla Patterson, Georgina Molloy Anglican School: ONE DRESS

Ahead of the awards night, the eight films will be judged by an expert Jury Panel of film professionals. The films will then screen, and the winners announced at Reading Cinemas Busselton on 2 September. 🎟️ Tickets to the event are ON SALE now. 

The Cinesnaps Jury for 2025 is: 

Sean Keenan
Sean began acting at 14 in Lockie Leonard and has since appeared in major Aussie series like Puberty Blues and films including Nitram and The Power of the Dog. He brings years of experience in TV, film, and stage to inspire the next generation of storytellers. 

Alex Williams
Alex is a West Australian actor known for his screen portrayals of many famous personalities such as Julian Assange, Shane Warne and Kirk Pengilly as well as featuring in The Heights, Playing for Keeps, Brock, Catching Milat, Friday On My Mind and Paper Planes. 

Courtney Mulvay
Courtney is a development producer at Easy Tiger Productions in Boorloo, where she helps shape bold, character-driven factual stories. She has credits across art departments in Australia and the UK. 

About Cinesnaps and the Short Film Competition – The CinefestOZ schools program, CINESNAPS, has engaged more than 60,000 students from around the region since commencing in 2011.

The Short Film Competition is part of the CINESNAPS program for both students and teachers and involves engagement with renowned filmmakers and industry professionals. 

A range of activities are undertaken with students, such as Excursion Screenings with Q&As, rotating Excursion Screen Xplore Pods, and a range of engaging Incursion opportunities.