Radio

AFTRS Radio alumni are regularly recognised at national and international awards and festivals for Radio and Podcasting.

This year Pariya Taherzadeh, 2018 Graduate Diploma in Radio alumna, won two New York Festivals Radio Awards for her radio documentary Escape from Iran.

The feature was awarded the Gold Prize in the History category together with the Silver in Social Issues.

Written, recorded and produced by Pariya during her studies and continuing whilst attached to ABC Radio National as part of the ABC Selwyn Speight Diversity Scholarship, the feature follows her and her mother’s escape from Iran on camelback following the 1979 Iranian revolution.

AFTRS’ Radio alumni were once again successful at the prestigious 2019 Australian Commercial Radio Awards, across country, provincial and metropolitan markets.

Best On-Air Team – Metro AM
Afternoons with Erin Molan and Natalie Peters; Natalie Peters, 2GB, Sydney NSW,
Macquarie Media Limited (Metropolitan)

Best Networked Program
Australia By Night with Stephen Cenatiempo; Stephen Cenatiempo,
Southern Cross Austereo (Provincial)

Kate, Tim & Marty; Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold,
NOVA Entertainment (Metropolitan)

Best Current Affairs Presenter
Stephen Cenatiempo;
Triple M Regional Network, Southern Cross Austereo (Non-Metropolitan)

Best Music Presenter
Kent “Smallzy” Small;
Nova Network, NOVA Entertainment (Metropolitan)

Best Syndicated Australian Program
Kate, Tim & Marty; Kate Richie, Tim Blackwell, Marty Sheargold and the NOVA Entertainment Syndication Team,
NOVA Entertainment

Best Digital Radio Format
Triple M Classic Rock Digital; Adam Williscroft,
Southern Cross Austereo

Best Multimedia Execution – Station
Hit104.7 Skyfire; Zak Davies, Tarryn Evans, Adam Jansen, Alexandra Carlon, Georgia Duck, Josh Torney, Ned Breward, Matt Heap, Bethany Larsen, Gemma Maddox and Rod Cuddihy, Hit104.7, Canberra ACT,
ARN/SCA (Non-Metropolitan)

Best Multimedia Execution – Sales
Jesse and Juelz’ Busselton Jetty Swim; Grant Fletcher, Jesse Watkins, Juelz Jarry, Simone Butland and Amy Collett, Hit 95.7, Bunbury WA,
Southern Cross Austereo (Non-Metropolitan)

Best Station Promotion
Stolzy & Damo’s Town Songs; Glenn Stolzenhein, Damien Leith and Sam Arenson, Power FM, Muswellbrook NSW,
Grant Broadcasters (Country)

Best Program Director
Glenn Stolzenhein; Power FM and 2NM, Muswellbrook NSW,
Grant Broadcasters (Country)

Ryan Khay; TRFM, Traralgon VIC,
ACE Radio Broadcasters (Provincial)

Best Music Director
Andrew Very; Gold 92.5, Gold Coast QLD,
Southern Cross Austereo (Provincial).

Film

AFTRS student and alumni films are entered into domestic and international film festivals and film awards, reaching audiences around the world. This year 32 films were selected for 83 festivals, a total of 106 selections, resulting in 25 awards. Highlights included Sweet Tooth winning the CAPA Best Film Award for Fiction at the 2019 Asian Pacific Association of CILECT, feature film Sequin In A Blue Room nominated for an AACTA award for Best Indie Film, and comedy-drama series Gut Feeling took home eight awards on the festival circuit and premiered on ABC iview.

Gut Feeling 2018 3 x 12’00 Episodes

• Creator/Producer – Hattie Archibald
• Writer/lead actor – Bridie Connell
• Producer – Emily Bull
• Production Designer – Mathilda Robba
• Director of Photography – Toby Petch
• Composer – Mark Douglas Williams
• Starring – Jeannette Cronin, Alex Lee, Greta Lee Jackson, Liam Seymour, and Susie Youssef.

A comedy web series about listening to your gut: set in Sydney, the series follows 28-year-old Liv, who’s pretty happy really until the day she meets Uta, her intuition personified, who has an office in Liv’s tummy and wants her to break up with her boyfriend, Luke.

Film Festival Selection

Due to the impact of COVID-19 this year, most festivals switched to virtual events, although some festivals were rescheduled or cancelled. The 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival did not proceed which meant the AFTRS annual showcase in The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès could not be held this year. Other festivals impacted are listed below.

*Virtual festival

**Rescheduled festival

***Cancelled festival

A Story About Lights (James Barahanos, Graduate Certificate Screen 2018), was selected for MicroMania Film Festival, New York; Georgia Documentary Film Festival, Atlanta; the Oregon Documentary Film Festival Portland (nominated for Best International Micro Short Film), and Canada Shorts, New Brunswick.

After The Away (Sacha Vivian-Riding, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for the **BUFF Malmo Film Festival, Sweden, and the *St. Kilda Film Festival.

All Good Things (Simon Croker, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2018), had its world premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival. It was also selected for the Reeling Film Festival Chicago; Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Sydney; the **Serile Filmului Gay International Film Festival, Romania; the Melbourne Queer Film Festival; and Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sydney.

An Athlete Wrestling A Python (Stephanie Day, Master of Arts Screen 2018), was selected for the Brisbane International Film Festival.

Boldly Go (Christopher Cosgrove, Graduate Certificate Screen 2017), was selected for Mardi Gras Film Festival Sydney, Melbourne Queer Film Festival and ***London BFI Flare LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.

Brunch Shift Massacre (Adam Boys, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2018) screened at Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Horror and Fantasy – Rhode Island International Film Festival; the Sydney Underground Film Festival; Fangoria X Monster Fest, Melbourne; DROP Russian International Horror Film Festival and Awards; HorrorHound Weekend Film Festival, Indianapolis; and the **Toronto International Spring of Horror.

Cattle (Kerinne Jenkins, Master of Arts Screen 2017), was selected for the Lorne Film Festival, Tasmania, and the Heart of Gold Film Festival, Gympie.

Chicken (Alana Hicks, National Talent Camp 2018), was selected for the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival; Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, San Francisco; St. Louis Independent Film Festival; Santa Barbara International Film Festival; Cleveland International Film Festival; St Kilda Film Festival; and the **Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Control (Abby Dunn, Master of Arts Screen 2019), was an official selection at the Women’s International Film Festival, New York; and the Byron Bay International Film Festival.

Dots (Eryk Lenartowicz, Master of Arts Screen 2017), was selected for the Nashville Film Festival.

Electric (Oliver Miller, Master of Arts Screen 2018), premiered at the London City Film Awards and was also selected for the Militello Independent Film Festival, Sicily.

Escape By Sea (Eero Heinonen, Master of Arts Screen 2018), was selected for the Aratalerkurzfilmtage Switzerland; Veterans Film Festival, Canberra; London Short Series Festival; In The Palace, Bulgaria; GI Veterans Film Festival, Santiago; and the AOF Film Festival, Las Vegas.

Father (Imogen Hopper, Master of Arts Screen 2018), was selected for the Melbourne Short Film Festival; Accolade Global Film Festival; Cinefest, Los Angeles; Worldfest, Houston; Moscow White Nights Film Festival; and the Australian Short Film Today, New York (which included several screenings in the US and Europe).

Flesh Dream (Kane Gaundar, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2018), was selected for the Fangoria X Monster Fest, Melbourne; and BloodFest, Sydney.

Gut Feeling (Hattie Archibald, Master of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for the Melbourne Webfest; Sydney Webfest; and internationally at the Minnesota Webfest; Toronto Webfest; Stareable Fest, NYC; Seoul Webfest; Webfest Berlin; NYC Webfest; Santa Monica Webfest; and the ***Miami Web Series Festival.

Hate Dance (Beverly Callow, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2017), was selected for the Cyprus Film Festival.

Handout (Vedrana Music, Graduate Certificate Screen 2017), screened at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival and Cinéma des Antipodes, Saint-Tropez.

Invisible (Jacob Melamed, Graduate Certificate 2018), was selected for the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival and the *St. Kilda Film Festival.

Keys (Jeremiah Puni, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for the Revolution Me Film Festival, New York; Topanga Film Festival; Kids First Film Festival, San Francisco; and the Sydney Indie Film Festival.

Little Blue Pill Called Song (Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for the Deptford Cinema’s DC On Demand, UK; and the *Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival.

Loud Thoughts (Benjamin Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2017), was selected for the CinefestOZ, Western Australia.

Loved (Samuel Van Grinsven, Master of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for Cinéma des Antipodes, Saint-Tropez.

My First Panic (Michaela Holmes, Master of Arts Screen 2018),was selected for the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Sydney.

See For Yourself (Kyle McDonnell, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), premiered at the IMAGE+NATION Festival Film LGBTQueer, Montreal and screened at the Fangoria x Monster Fest, Sydney.

Sequin In A Blue Room (Samuel Van Grinsven, Master of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival; Brisbane International Film Festival; Iris Prize Film Festival, Cardiff; Nashville Film Festival; Palm Springs International Film Festival; Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sydney; TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, Toronto; Dublin International Film Festival; Melbourne Queer Film Festival; London ***BFI Flare LGBTIQ+ Film Festival; and the Oldenburg International Film Festival.

Shadows (Eugène Dyson, Master of Arts Screen, 2017), was selected for Cinéma des Antipodes, Saint-Tropez.

Shame (FKA Swallows, Victoria Thomson, Bachelor of Art Screen 2017), was selected for the Byron Bay International Film Festival.

Sweet Tooth (Shannon Ashlyn, Master of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for the CinefestOZ Film Festival, Western Australia; Manchester Film Festival; Cinéma des Antipodes, Saint-Tropez; Flickerfest International Short Film Festival; *St. Kilda Film Festival; and the *Vail Film Festival, Colorado.

The Art of Doodling (Nicola Macindoe, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), was selected for Directed by Women – NYC Shorts of All Sorts, New York; Worldwide Women’s Film Festival, Phoenix; Melbourne Documentary Film Festival; Illawarra Film Festival, Sydney; and the Shortie Film Festival, New York, where it was a semi-finalist, Audience Award Winner and Honourable Mention.

The Granny Flat (Rachel Mackey, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), premiered at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival, followed by selections at the St Louis International Film Festival; Nashville Film Festival; Flickerfest International Short Film Festival; ***Australian Women’s Film Festival, Sydney; *Vail Film Festival, Colorado; and Cinéma des Antipodes, Saint-Tropez.

Tunnel Ball (Davis Jensen, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2017), was selected for the CinefestOZ Film Festival, Western Australia.

What do You See (Michael Bonner, Master of Arts Screen 2017), was selected for ImagineNATIVE, Toronto; Winda Film Festival, Sydney; and the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, Melbourne, where it was a finalist.

Awards

All Good Things (Simon Croker, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2018), won the My Queer Career Emerging Filmmaker Prize at the Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sydney.

Brunch Shift Massacre (Adam Boys, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2018), won Best Short at the HorrorHound Weekend Film Festival, Indianapolis. It also received Best Student Film at Monsterfest, Melbourne, and the Audience Award Ozploitation at the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Chicken (Alana Hicks, National Talent Camp 2018), won the Best Direction in an Australian Short Film at the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Sydney.

Escape By Sea (Eero Heinonen, Master of Arts Screen 2018), won Best Student Short Film at the Veterans Film Festival Canberra.

Father (Imogen Hopper, Master of Arts Screen 2018), won Best Experimental Film at the Melbourne Short Film Festival; Best Student Film at Accolade Global Film Festival; Best Student Film at Cinefest, Los Angeles; Bronze Remi Award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival; and Best Student Film at the Moscow White Nights Film Festival.

Flesh Dream (Kane Gaundar, Bachelor of Arts Screen 2018), won Best Death at Bloodfest, Sydney.

Gut Feeling (Hattie Archibald, Master of Arts Screen 2018), won the People’s Choice Award and Best Student Series at the Melbourne Webfest. It was awarded Best Series and Best Comedy Screenplay at the Sydney Webfest. Internationally it took home the Audience Choice Award and Best Comedic Performance at the Minnesota Webfest. At the Toronto Webfest, it won Best Lead Performance and won Best Student/Film School series at the Santa Monica Webfest.

Keys (Jeremiah Puni, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), won Best First-Time Filmmaker award at the Revolution Me Film Festival, New York.

Sweet Tooth (Shannon Ashlyn, Master of Arts Screen 2018), won the CAPA Best Film Award for Fiction at the 2019 Asian Pacific Association of CILECT. It also took home the Nicolas Baudin Award – Best Short Film at Cinéma des Antipodes, St Tropez, and Production Designer – Emma Bourke won Best Emerging Designer for Screen at the Australian Production Designers Guild Awards.

The Art of Doodling (Nicola Macindoe, Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018), won the Audience Award at the Shortie Film Festival, New York.