2026 Program
The Screenwriter
The Screenwriter – directed by Mark Petrasso (Italy)
‘A screenwriter is grappling with a new story: a noir with echoes of John Huston. A priceless object, a killer, a dead man, and a femme fatale all play their part in a metacinematic homage.’
Petrasso was born in Newcastle, Australia where he grew up with his family of Italian origins. He then moved to Florence, Italy, where he attended the School of Cinema run by the nationally-renowned film director Giuseppe Ferlito. Afterwards he has written and directed short films that have been screened and have received awards nationally and internationally.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
+ Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
Bobo
Bobo – directed by Ella Bourne (USA / Australia)
‘Two Sugar Babies are breaking down the walls of Wall St.’
BOBO is Bourne’s first foray into writing and directing a narrative piece. A micro female lead comedy leaning into farce that she hopes to turn into a series.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
Lara
Lara – directed by Leah Baulch (Australia)
‘A burned out photographer visits her boyfriend’s sister in the country-side town of Lara, and must confront questions about the future she’s never envisaged.’
Baulch says this is the first film project she undertook since having a child in 2022, and her first operating without her trusty sidekick (husband, Dallas, who edited the film). It’s also her first collaboration with Dos Hermanas Productions and many of the crew. Her connection with Gippsland is deep as she grew up with family in the region and spent time around Leongatha, Meeniyan and Stony Creek. Baulch says showing this film at GIFF is a little tribute to my Grandmother who passed away in early 2025 and lived around Gippsland for a long time.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
Collage
Collage – directed by Marius Conrotto (Spain)
‘A girl who works in a museum tries to convince another co-worker that two visitors are flirting. And how does she know? Scientific studies say that there are six signs that show one person’s attraction to another.’
Conrotto was born in Badalona and studies at the Barcelona School of Audiovisual, where he writes and directs short films.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
Ensconced
Ensconced – directed by Lara Deam (Australia)
‘Theo struggling to come to terms with his past, sits in his car unable to leave, filled with stories and excuses as to why to stay. His older sister, Zoey on the other hand has other ideas. She manoeuvres her way through the car and into his heart in an attempt to help him move on.’
Deam is a Melbourne based actor and emerging filmmaker with 16 years’ experience across film and television. Usually in front of camera as an actor, she recently stepped behind it to direct her debut short film, Ensconced. Deam has a long relationship with Gippsland and went to high school in Bairnsdale before moving to Melbourne to pursue classical ballet. Her family later relocated to Drouin, and Deam fondly remembers performing in 2005 with the Warragul Theatre Company in the musical Oklahoma! She says that screening at GIFF seems like a full-circle moment, and is excited to return to a place that meant so much to her creative development.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
Final Boarding Call
Final Boarding Call – directed by Olivier Bonenfant (Australia)
‘An Aussie traveler is at the airport in advance to board her flight. A border agent pulls her away in what is seemingly a random check. It gets strange quickly.’
Bonenfant is a Melbourne-based Australian-French-Canadian filmmaker working in media and advertising. He’s been making short films since 2004, with most shot in Australia and Canada but also in the USA, France, Belgium and Madagascar, and Sweden.
Final Boarding Call is a comedic exploration of the loosening of the rule of law, the changes in policies that end up enabling individuals to cause injustice that is so absurd and not grounded in reality that it looks like a tragic comedy from an outsider’s view.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
Keith
Keith – directed by Michael Demarco and written by Nic Alexander (Australia)
‘A 25-year industry veteran, a hopelessly green assistant, and one interview day that spirals into chaos inside a child modelling agency.’
Director, Michael Demarco is the founder of Simple Souls Media, a film production company that aims to evoke authentic representations on screen, that resonate, entertain and inspire. Demarco states that he always felt like an outsider growing up and it was films that gave him the window to relate to the world.
Writer and actor, Nic Alexander is based in Melbourne, working across television, film, and digital platforms. She has built a diverse body of work across film and television. She most recently appeared in a recurring role on the acclaimed web series Flunk.
Session 1: WGAC – Laugh until you cry – 6.30-7.30pm Friday 13 March
+ Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
+ Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
After the smoke
After the smoke – directed by Josie Hess (Gippsland)
‘A collage of artists’ interpretations illustrates the story of Wendy Farmer, as she recounts the devastating Hazelwood Mine Fire and how it led her to find her voice as an activist.’
Hess is a non-binary writer/director and impact producer creating on Gunai Kurnai land. Their work has been recognized by The Guardian, The Age, The Feed, ABC News, Filmmaker Magazine and Art Link among others. Josie co-directed their first feature documentary Morgana in 2019 which premiered internationally at Fantasia International Film Festival, nationally at Melbourne International Film Festival. Their latest project, After the Smoke had its premiere at Syndey international film festival in 2023.
Session 2: WGAC – The Elements – 8.00-9.00pm Friday 13 March
+ Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
Forest Country
Forest Country – directed by Lewi Haskins (Australia)
‘By 2024 the Victorian government announced the end of native forest logging, only for it to continue in more insidious forms. Film maker Lewi Haskins made himself a promise that if his forest community came under the threat of logging, he would protect it the best way he knew how – through film. Forest Country is the powerful and deeply moving result of that promise. Shot over the course of a year alongside activists, conservationists, and ecologists, the film bears witness to the ongoing destruction of native ecosystems, the death of endangered wildlife, and the growing risks to community safety.‘
Haskins is an Australian photographer and film maker. For the last decade he has travelled extensively, hitchhiking across Africa, writing for conservation organisations, adventure companies and, recently, solo horse trekking in Mongolia capturing moments through the lens. Haskins has had his work featured on BBC Earth, Africa Geographic & International Elephant Foundation. An all round creative with skills in photography, cinematography and sound production, Haskins focuses his art to inspire, using positivity to inform and induce change.
Session 2: WGAC – The Elements – 8.00-9.00pm Friday 13 March
The Moon Had a Shadow
The Moon Had a Shadow – directed by Phil Hart (Australia)
‘Stunning, evocative and world-class footage of solar eclipses in Idaho/Wyoming and the Tetons, and Exmouth, Western Australia. This short film includes the highest resolution imagery of the solar corona ever captured from Earth, with a soundtrack ‘Shine’ by Jason Mraz that was just made for this.’
Hart is an engineer by day and astronomer by night. His first total solar eclipse in June 2001 in Zimbabwe changed the course of his life and led him to five years in Scotland where he got addicted to chasing the aurora. His love for ephemeral astronomical events has gotten increasingly out of hand. What started with a removal company transporting gear to Cairns in 2012 for three Victorian photographers, became 12 cameras across Idaho and Wyoming in 2017. Showing total disregard for any life lessons learned from those expeditions, he wholeheartedly over-committed himself to the Exmouth solar eclipse and gambled everything on clear skies. Fortunately, for everyone, Exmouth delivered.
Session 2: WGAC – The Elements – 8.00-9.00pm Friday 13 March
+ Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
Great Ocean Love
Great Ocean Love – directed by Ella Bourne (Australia)
‘Great Ocean Love is part documentary, part road-trippin’ surf flick that follows Belinda Baggs, Linley Hurrell, and Lilly Pollard on a journey of discovery along the Great Ocean Road. Centred around the teachings of Gunditjmara whale dreamer Yaraan Bundle. Along the way, they meet saltwater women who share their love for the rugged coastline they call home.’
Bourne is an Australian director who started in the industry as an actor and moved to directing to tell stories focused around the environment, community and narratives with a positive flair.
Session 2: WGAC – The Elements – 8.00-9.00pm Friday 13 March
The Remains
The Remains – directed by Andrew Robards (Australia)
‘The Remains is an experimental crime drama set against the backdrop of 1990s regional New South Wales, Australia. It follows a young detective wrestling with his inner demons as he investigates the disappearance of a mysterious woman. His relentless pursuit uncovers an encoded message, one that resonates with themes of love, separation, and self-sacrifice, intertwining his personal struggles with the haunting echoes of the past.’
Robards is a film-maker, media artist and visual arts educator. Andrew completed his MFA at Sydney College of the Arts in 2014 where he also lectures in Editing and Digital Media for the Screen Arts Studio. His current artistic practice explores experimental and hybrid manifestations of screen language, while his narrative film-making aims to connect storytelling techniques with the materiality of cinematic images.
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
The Cat and The Mice
The Cat and The Mice – directed by Benjamin Mizrahi (Australia)
‘A down-on-his-luck gambler meets a psychic who claims to know the outcome of horse races.’
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
Blue Harvest
Blue Harvest – directed by. Jaydon Sciré Giesekam (Australia)
‘In a near-future Australia ravaged by climate collapse and corporate power, a grieving agriculturalist turns to an experimental AI built from his late wife’s recorded memories to save his dying son. As the machine learns to soothe, remember and decide, he slowly uncovers the perilous boundaries between love, consolation, deception and control — and must choose what, or who, salvation really costs.’
Sciré Giesekam is a Sydney-based writer, producer and director studying at UNSW. He recently completed his Honours year, writing, producing and directing the 15-minute short film Blue Harvest, which screened to a packed audience of peers and examiners, earning a High Distinction alongside a 10,000-word thesis. Blue Harvest has since been accepted to screen at numerous film festivals across Australia. Sciré Giesekam aims to continue making stronger short films that tackle real-world struggles and social issues with creative, innovative, and artistic flair.
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
Burbarism
Trapped at 12am
Burbarism – directed by Sean Cowen (Gippsland)
‘Burbarism offers a brief introduction to a visual landscape with some mixed media animation. The imagery of an iconically mundane road dotted with spindly industrial power lines oozes Gippsland charm. Two figures sit in a dollhouse with the improvised set characterised by photobashing and two dimensional effects. Gibberish dialogue keeps relationships vague as housemates in a sitcom-esque environment. A strange entity wishes to visit their abode and some spookiness ensues.’
Cowen is an emerging artist working out of Latrobe valley working in a variety of mediums. Cowen is interested in experimental processes and learning from traditional art in order to apply a hands on approach full of physicality and texture. Often inspired by media from the entertainment and pop culture space his practice extends from painting to film.
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
Trapped at 12am – directed by Aryamaan Chabba (Australia)
‘A boy spends hours playing a video game, completely ignoring his grandmother’s repeated warnings to stop at certain time. What begins as harmless screen time slowly turns unsettling when his smartphone starts moving on its own , revealing eerie paranormal signs on 31 October 2025 at exactly 12:00 AM, a. As midnight passes, the phone becomes something far more sinister, blurring the line between obsession and control. Shot entirely on a smartphone, Trapped at 12 AM is a sub-two-minute horror short that explores fear, technology, and the hidden consequences of losing yourself to screens.’
Chabba is a 13-year-old filmmaker based in Australia with a strong interest in acting, theatre, storytelling, and visual suspense. He is an alumnus of Acting Performance Studio and a current student at Australian Youth Theatre (AYT). Chabba is largely self-taught in creative software and filmmaking. Trapped at 12 AM is his first short film, written, directed, and edited independently.
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
The Corruption of Masks
The Corruption of Masks – directed by Jacob Pain (Gippsland)
‘One Halloween night an over achieving high school student, Archie, is confronted by his own free will in the form of a costume that will grant him complete anonymity. Will this newfound freedom be too intoxicating for this pillar of the community, how far will he take it before he becomes lost to the cruel temptations that the mask provides access to?’
Pain has been making films since 2015 when he was 14 years old. Over the years he has made around 25 short films, mostly by himself, and on his own dime.
Dark Slide
Dark Slide – directed by Rory Fox (Australia)
‘When friends Jim and Scott sneak into an abandoned skatepark, they’re just looking to film a few clips for their skate video. Their session gets seriously weird when they uncover a coffin-like manual pad; and wake Count Jackula: a grungy, blood starved vampire who claims the skatepark as his “castle.” Despite his ancient age and current living situation, Jack’s still got serious board control, landing tricks that blow Jim and Scott away. However, Jack didn’t come out of his slumber just to shred; he wants blood!’
Fox is a Yarra Ranges local who studied Film and Television at Deakin University. He is now working to establish himself within the Australian film and media industry. He has a strong passion not only for film, but for all forms of creative media projects.
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
The Mediator
The Mediator – directed by Roman Anastasios and produced by Anthony Littlechild (Australia)
‘It’s 2009, Mick Gatto is at the height of his powers. If you take his business card at face value, he’s arguably one of the world’s best negotiators. He’s also the last-man-standing after Melbourne’s brutal gangland wars. What did he have to do to survive the carnage? And what has he had to do to stay alive? Two men cower in a five-star London hotel. Mick’s on his way. And we’ve got just one question. Why didn’t they run when they had the chance?’
Anastasios is a graduating director from the Victorian College of Arts, having just completed a Bachelor in Film and Television. With a background in cinematography, Anastasios boasts a keen visual literacy that champions itself on connecting with that which makes us most human. These elements are vivid through his work as a director of photography and have carried over into his career as a director. With his work in the short-form space garnering millions of views online worldwide, which has led to successful music video work, award-winning collaborations, and working alongside a talented new generation of cinematographers and actors.
Producer Littlechild is a multi-hyphenate creative: actor, cinematographer turned producer with a slew of film, television, commercial and music videos under his belt. Melbourne based Littlechild is a multi-award winning Cinematographer and Producer, recognised with ARIA & ACS awards and an Australian Academy nomination. He has appeared in many television shows, commercials and films. Over the years his love for cinematography and filmmaking grew and he shot his first film at age 16. Littlechild has traveled the world from Iceland to Morocco and Filmed for companies such as NIKE, Lululemon, Champion, Uber, Sony Music, Universal Records and Electra Records. He also produced AACTA nominated ‘Hatchback’ starring Stephen Curry and ARIA winning music video ‘Dancing2’ for Keli Holiday.
Session 3: WGAC – Dark Regions – 9.30-10.30pm Friday 13 March
Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre - Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
Cinematic music from 7.30pm by the West Gippsland Concert Band led by Niels Bijl
Noojee session info follows!
In the Trees
In the Trees – directed by Andy Layclark (Australia)
‘Blood, bones, war, and wooden swords. This is the story of Sasha the Great and Rory the Brave, rival leaders of opposing forest fort gangs. Having been sworn enemies on the battlefield, their world shifts when their mums become friends… Forced together, they bond over their mutual love of medieval warfare. But loyalty to their gangs soon tests their newfound fragile alliance.’
LayClark is an emerging writer and director born in the bustling city of Melbourne and raised in the quiet countryside of France, finding community through storytelling wherever they go. They began their filmmaking career in high school, becoming the youngest filmmaker accepted into the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, LayClark has since built a growing body of short films that have screened at multiple festivals from Melbourne to LA. Using their camera as a diary, LayClark hopes to expose their deepest vulnerabilities, hoping for dear life someone out there can relate.
Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
Aldbrough
Aldbrough – directed by Gail Smith (Gippsland)
‘Aldbrough uses archival 8mm silent found footage with the addition of Creative Commons audio. The film has been re-invented and re-imagined in order to highlight the need for action to preserve important historic communities on the east coast of Yorkshire, UK of which Aldbrough is just one. Though erosion on this part of the English coast has been occurring for centuries, climate change and rising sea levels have now increased the rate at which the cliffs, and the homes that perch on top of them, are disappearing into the sea. It currently stands at two metres per year. As the cliffs crumble, they expose hundreds of unexploded bombs and shells which were dropped indiscriminately into the sea as part of target practice from nearby RAF bases. Government initiatives to impede erosion are being attempted but the focus is increasingly on more densely-populated tourist areas, generally in the south of England. Aldbrough is a small, northern, working-class outpost struggling to fight the encroaching tide of obliteration.’
Smith is a British/Australian artist whose solo show, No-one Told Me There’d Be Days Like These was exhibited at Latrobe Regional Gallery in Morwell, Victoria as the recipient of the Dick Bishop Memorial Award and also at Walker Street Gallery, Melbourne as the winner of the 2016 She award. In the same year, Smith was also handed the Leica and Ilford Excellence in Photo Media prize at Salon, through the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne. Her photographs are held in private collections in Australia and overseas and in 2017, her work Selvedge II was acquired for the Patrick Corrigan AOM collection. She was also the recipient of the National Gallery of Victoria Women’s Association Award in 2015.
Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
Eye of the Game
Eye of the Game – directed by Ramas McRae (Australia)
‘Born profoundly Deaf, an Australian Rules footballer defies expectations by playing in an all hearing team, striving to break out of the reserves and claim a position in the seniors.’
Born Deaf, McRae has built a passion for Deaf Arts throughout his career, staying actively involved in filmmaking, television production, theatre, and linguistics. He is a writer and filmmaker who has produced a number of short films. He is the go-to expert on Auslan and Deaf Culture in the Australian Film, Television and Theatre industries, frequently consulting on large-scale projects.
Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
That's Right
That’s Right – directed by Alan Claridge (Australia)
‘Couple at a restaurant have difficulties communicating due to political correctness.’
Claridge, a multifaceted filmmaker, boasts a track record in comedy cinema. With a distinguished twelve-year tenure in television, followed by a dynamic foray into acting, Alan has carved a unique niche for himself as a writer-director. His recent comedic short film, “Who Needs The Guy”, won best comedy at renowned film festivals such as ”POP” festival Australia 2020, “London Indie Festival” England 2021, “Hollywood International Festival” New York USA 2021, “Cult Movie Festival” Canada 2021 and “Bright Festival“ London 2021, garnering accolades and honorable mentions. Alan’s rich blend of industry experience informs his eclectic storytelling style, fusing comedic timing with heartfelt narratives. His work reflects the diverse roles he has embraced in his journey through the realm of film making.
Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
Love Shack '99
Love Shack ’99 – directed by Abigail Hargrave (Australia)
‘In January 2025, a group of old friends reunite at an abandoned shack in Yea, Victoria, to dig up a time capsule they buried 25 years ago on New Year’s Eve 1999. Love Shack ‘99 uses a mixture of interviews, archival photography and observational footage to tell a beautiful and heartwarming story about the rarity and importance of enduring friendships.’
Hargrave is a passionate and intuitive filmmaker with over fifteen years of experience in the screen industry. Driven by an interest in the human psyche, her work is defined by emotional depth. After a film career hiatus to raise her three children, Hargrave returns to directing with Love Shack ‘99. Through her production company, Abstar Productions, Abigail has written, directed, and produced several short films. Her film Lovers Walk, a moving love story about an elderly couple who passed away on the same day, toured internationally, receiving the Most Positive Image of Age award at the St Kilda Film Festival and a Silver Palm Award at the Mexico International Film Festival. Most recently, Hargrave was one of the executive producers of the AACTA Award-winning documentary This is Going to Be Big and the comedy One More Shot starring Emily Browning for Truce Films.
Session 4: Noojee Heritage Centre – Community Connection 7.30pm-onwards Saturday 14 March
+ Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
Session 5: Rokeby Hall - Creativity and Connection - 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
Join us at Rokeby Hall for our Sunday matinee session including a QnA with some of the filmmakers at the end of the session!
Beehives and Bottom Turns
Beehives and Bottom Turns – directed by Brad Coetzee (Australia)
‘Beehives and Bottomturns, a short film exploring the connection between beekeeping, ocean and climate, featuring local surfer/beekeeper Tom. Beekeeper Tom from Coastal Nectar surfs his local waves, educates a local primary school and teaches us about the important buzzing world of bees. This film will showcase the synergy between bees and the environment while capturing the spirit of surfing.’
Dobrina
Dobrina – directed by Hannes Rall (Singapore)
‘Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short, where desire burns as bright as the desert sun. A brand-new animated short that premiered in June 2025, successfully touring the festival circuit now.’
Rall is President’s Chair Professor in Animation Studies at Nanyang Technological University Singapore. He is also a successful director of animated short films. They have been shown at over 900 film festivals worldwide and have received 95 international awards. His previous animated short SHAKESPEARE FOR ALL AGES film has been selected for over 250 international film festivals worldwide and won 25 awards. His successful books “Animation: From Concept to Production” and “Adaptation for Animation Transforming Literature Frame by Frame” (CRC Press) can be found in over 160 important university libraries, including Stanford, Yale, Cornell, UCLA and Columbia.
Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
Dreamweavers
Dreamweavers – directed by Heather Forbes McKeon and Yanni Dellaportas (Australia)
‘Gidja Walker is a Mornington Peninsula based ecologist and ethnobotanist who has worked for years protecting its Earthscapes. Gidja overcame discrimination in a male dominated profession. She is a mentor to young women entering the world of nature-based learning and an advocate for traditional owner custodianship. Over many decades, Gidja has contributed professionally and informally as a consultant and advisor to many government bodies and community-based organisations. In 2006 she was a recipient of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Banksia award for the “Back from the Brink” endangered orchid species recovery project.’
Forbes-McKeon is a playwright, screenwriter, poet, short film director and producer and radio producer. She wrote, co-directed and produced the short film series ‘Dreamweavers’ (2021-2023). She wrote and produced the short film ‘The Shell’ in 2018. She also produced a series of ten radio plays for RPP FM over 2017 – 2018. Melbourne Writer’s Theatre have produced some of her works including: ‘Hope’ in 2017, ‘‘Desperate & Dirty at Twilight’ in 2019 and both ‘Iso in Fountain Lakes’ and ‘This Sheila’s Lockdown’ in 2020. Forbes-McKeon completed a Masters in Writing and Literature at Deakin University in 2014. She is also the founder and convenor of Poets Corner; a Mornington Peninsula based group of performance-bards.
Dellaportas is a professional visual storyteller who resides and works on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, as a well-established photographer and digital artist. Dellaportas began creating and directing short films in 2018. Dellaportas collaborated with Forbes-McKeon on the short film series ‘Dreamweavers’ (2021- 2023) as co-director, cinematographer, editor and music composer.
Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
Shakespeare for All Ages
Shakespeare for All Ages – directed by Hannes Rall (Germany)
‘How can you give the target and age group “smartphone” an overview of the work of this unique literary genius without getting bogged down in long-winded lectures on verse and drama theory? The filmmaker and artist Hannes Rall has turned this consideration into a very short and yet for that very reason so great animated film. (…) He succeeds in depicting the poet’s most famous plays in an immediately recognisable way with individual images that flow dynamically into one another. A smart, entertaining and coherent Shakespeare homage in about 3 minutes.’
Rall is Associate Chair Research and Professor for Animation Studies at the School of Art, Design and Media at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. He is also a successful director of independent animated short films: His films, primarily adaptations of classic literature, have been shown in over 900 film-festivals worldwide and won 92 international awards. Festivals screened at include Annecy, Stuttgart, Cinanima, MIAF, St. Louis IFF, Chicago Children Film Festival, Palm Springs Animation, DC Shorts, Filmfest Bremen, Interfilm, Minimalen, Rochester, Phoenix Film Festival, Dam Short Film Festival, Love Your Shorts and many others.
Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
What if I'm Wrong
What if I’m Wrong – directed by Elodie Ricaud (Australia)
‘What If I’m Wrong is a short multi-media documentary that blends cinematography with animation to explore the battle between artists’ creative self-expression and their inner critics. Set in contemporary Melbourne, it follows musician Boler and painter Ashley as their appointed self-critic personas are personified through animation, haunting their real-world environment. With an introspective and emotionally resonant tone, the film delves into vulnerability, inner dialogue and perfectionism in the artistic process. It asks a deeply relatable question: how do we live with and even support our internal voice that holds us back?’
Ricaud is a Media Communications graduate and passionate advocate for mental health awareness and social justice through storytelling and art. Her debut short film What If I’m Wrong emerged from a collaborative university project, shaped by conversations with friends and personal reflections on dealing with imposter syndrome within the creative process. She is particularly interested in exploring how young artists navigate self-doubt and internalised criticism, inviting audiences to question the inner narratives that limit freedom of imagination and expression.
Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
Sails
Sails – directed by Nathan Niguidula (Australia)
‘Have you ever deleted Instagram because you were crushing on someone? Or maybe you were daydreaming way too much about your heartthrob in that band? Piper is. SAILS explores the personas we create for ourselves online, and how they’re completely different from our real lives. It’s a Gen Z rom-com of confusion, misunderstandings and that bubbly feeling of your first love. Inspired by ‘Rashomon’, we follow the perspectives of two protagonists with very different views on the same events. Through a series of mishaps, we see how we can sometimes act as unreliable narrators in our own stories.’
Niguidula is an award-winning actor and filmmaker. While at the ABC, he helped launch ‘The Loot Drop’, ABC’s first-ever live-stream show for teens, was a presenter on ABC 3’s ‘Good Game: Spawn Point’, and helped create films for Triple J’s current affairs show ‘Hack’. As a Filipino-Australian, his work focuses on community, comedy and developing marginalised voices.
Session 5: Rokeby Hall – Creativity and Connection – 12.30-3.30pm Sunday 15 March
*Due to the nature of running a film festival we cannot guarantee if a selected title is screened or if a session is cancelled due to events outside the organisers control such as weather or bushfire
*The views of the films or filmmakers selected do not represent the views of the selection panel or organisers
*Both Noojee Heritage Centre and Rokeby are programmed to be ‘Family friendly’ as possible, however we cannot ensure that very young children find the films entertaining and/or scary