PRESS RELEASE
Australia’s longest-running short film festival, St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF), has revealed the 2025 award nominees in the running to win more than $40,000 worth of cash and prizes across 14 categories.
Many films have been nominated in multiple categories this year including, The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste, nominated in six categories. Directed by Pernell Marsden, this is a tale of two best friends who embark on a high-stakes game of imagination, which takes a twisted turn and threatens to jeopardise their relationship.
Also heavily nominated is Unstoppable, which collected three nominations. Directed by Jack Byrnes and Marcus Porcaro, the film follows a paraplegic ex-defence contractor who must fight tooth and nail when his workplace is invaded by masked intruders’ intent on killing him for the mysterious information they believe is in his possession. (pictured left)
This year SKFF has set new records for number of films screened and received. The Top Short Films Awards are judged by a panel of industry professionals, with the 2025 judging panel including Cinematographer Ellery Ryan (Wishful Thinking starring Drew Barrymore), Filmmaker Rhianna Meltzer (Thor: Ragnarok and Elvis), Editor Cindy Clarkson (I.Q staring Tim Robbins and Meg Ryan), Film Programmer Spiro Economopoulos (Moving Story Entertainment) and City of Port Phillip First Peoples Programs Lead Fred Gesha.
The winners of this year’s Best Short Film and Best Documentary will also be eligible for consideration in the OSCARS® Short Film and OSCARS® Documentary Shorts Award categories.
The 2025 St Kilda Film Festival’s most prestigious title of Best Short Film will see one of five nominees take home a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of City of Port Phillip. This year’s nominees for Best Short Film are A Long Drive, The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste, Hiraeth, I’m Not Your Heroine, and Unspoken.
The Innovation Award winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize recognising excellence in filmmaking. Sponsored by VicScreen, the nominees for the Innovation Award are I Like Long Walks on Parramatta Road, Bluebird, Rage, and Red Earth.
The Best Director winner will receive $1,500. Sponsored by Australian Directors’ Guild and AFTRS, the nominees are Pernell Marsden (The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste), Bee Jessup (Bicker), Katie McGuinness (I Like Long Walks on Parramatta Road)), and Riley Blakeway (A Thousand Odd Days).
This year’s winners will be announced at the St Kilda Film Festival’s Awards Ceremony on Sunday 15 June, 7.30pm, hosted by Sammy J at St Kilda Town Hall. The awards ceremony will be followed by the official closing night party. Full list of award nominees:
Best Youth Short Film – Supported by City of Port Phillip and JMC Academy
- Jonathon Nilsson, Haylee Muir - Re-Animated: That One Time I Died and Got to Choose Which Universe I Wanted to be Reincarnated Into
- Lisianne Chan - Free Money
- Ari Quig - Diced Peaches in Light Syrup #10 Can
Best Original Score – Supported by JBL and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers
- Alex Olijnyk - The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste
- Greg Dombrowski - The Horn
- Ethan Hunter - Resonance
- Matthew Shaw – Clown
Best Achievement in Sound Post-Production – Supported by Sennheiser and the Australian Screen Sound Guild
- Luke O'Loughlin - Bőr
- Frank Lipson - The Horn
- Wiaan van der Westhuizen - Pliers
- Liam Annert & Sean Wilkinson - Unstoppable
Best Achievement in Editing – Supported by Roar Digital and Adobe
- Michael Houlahan A.S.E - The Execution
- Pernell Marsden - The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste
- Graeme Pereira & Damian Walshe-Howling - Unspoken
- James Ashbolt - Unstoppable
Best Achievement in Screenplay – Supported by Australian Writers’ Guild and Cinema Nova
- Kat Dominis & Mariana Rudan & Damian Walshe-Howling - Unspoken
- Maddie Grammatopoulos - Cordelia, Daughter of The Sea
- Stefan Raabe - Dear Friend
- Gregory Kelly & Pernell Marsden - The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste
Best Achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking – Supported by CitiPower
- Re-imagining Our Futures: birthing
- Motherhood in the Colony
- The Truth About the Telegraph
- Ngarridurndeng Kured
Best Achievement in Cinematography – Sponsored by the Australian Cinematographers Society and Panavision
- Patrick Coe - Die Bully Die
- Ryan Bell - RAGE
- Andrew Gough - A Thousand Odd Days
- Adam Howden ACS - Unstoppable
Best Young Actor – Supported by the Melbourne Actors Guild
- Leon Sparrow - Pliers
- Alistair Bradman and Gilbert Bradman - RASH
- Deeya Saxena - Clown
- Libby Segal & Frankie Gillespie McKay - The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste
Best Actor – Supported by Chameleon Casting
- Steve Mouzakis - Hiraeth
- Angie Milliken - A Thousand Odd Days
- Nora Goldbach - Bőr
- Caroline Sparrow - Pliers
Best Animation – Supported by Deakin University
- Beyond Measure
- I'm Not Your Heroine
- Hanna: A Faerie Tale
- Baggage
Best Documentary - Supported by Shaun Miller Lawyers
- Kentaro
- I Like Long Walks on Parramatta Road
- I'm Not Your Heroine
- Tarzan Pants (2023)
Best Director - Supported by the Australian Directors Guild and AFTRS
- Pernell Marsden - The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste
- Bee Jessup - Bicker
- Kate McGuinness - I Like Long Walks on Parramatta Road
- Riley Blakeway - A Thousand Odd Days
Best Innovation Award - Sponsored by VicScreen
- I Like Long Walks on Parramatta Road
- Bluebird
- Rage
- Red Earth
Best Short Film: Sponsored by City of Port Phillip
- A Long Drive
- The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste
- Hiraeth
- I'm Not Your Heroine
- Unspoken
Media release attached. For more information on screenings and bookings, visit: stkildafilmfestival.com.au
St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) returns to the big screen across Thursday 5 June – Sunday 15 June 2025. SKFF is Australia’s longest-running short film festival, recognising the genre of short film, including music videos, gaming and immersive forms, celebrating some of Australia’s best local short filmmakers and screen artists. SKFF is supported by major government partners Screen Australia and VicScreen.