The Stellar Short Film Festival proudly announced the winners of its 2026 awards last night, celebrating an exceptional lineup of emerging and established filmmakers from around Australia. The annual festival continues to champion bold storytelling, diverse voices, and innovative short-form cinema, proudly boasting the finest lineup of short films in the country.
Major winners on the night were David Robinson-Smith’s The Shirt Off Your Back which took home the Best Film Award as well as the Rising Star for the performance of the young Eden Wendt.
Walshe-Howling and his team with Unspoken were also big winners, collecting the Audience Choice Award, along with the Best Performance Award for Goran Grgic and the award for Best Production Design.
Stellar traditionally selects its final twelve films from around 90 award-winning shorts from the 50 festivals across Australia. The films screen under the stars in the uniquely stunning grounds of the McClelland Sculpture Park in Langwarrin. In attendance were celebrated filmmakers Nash Egerton (Candy Bar) and Damian Walshe-Howling (Unspoken), alongside Australia’s next generation of talent including Leela Varghese (I’m The Most Racist Person I Know) and Annelise Hickey (Stranger, Brother). Australian screen star Ashley Zukerman’s directorial debut Jason Is My Dad was popular with the audience of around 1200, polling high in the audience choice category.
2026 Award Winners
● Best Film: The Shirt Off Your Back (dir. David Robinson-Smith)
● Best Screenplay: David Ferrier – Beyond Measure
● Best Cinematography: Matthew Chuang – Stranger, Brother
● Audience Choice Award: Unspoken – (dir. Damian Walshe-Howling)
● Best Production Design: Gareth Davies - Unspoken
● Best Performance: Goran Grgic - Unspoken
● Rising Star: Eden Wendt - The Shirt Off Your Back
● Special Mention: James Carey - Over
This year’s festival jury—acclaimed director Ana Kokkinos, actor and writer Tony Briggs, writer and actor Nina Oyama, actor Tai Hara, and director Pernell Marsden—expressed overwhelming praise and deep respect for the remarkable strength and diversity of this year’s Stellar 12.
Festival Director Jasmine Charles added, “This year’s selections reflect the extraordinary talent shaping the future of cinema. We are proud to provide a platform for these exceptional filmmakers whose work challenges, inspires, and entertains.”