Taroona High School Students Sweep The MyState Student Film Festival Awards

Taroona High School students have collected five of the 11 prizes at the MyState Student Film Festival awards ceremony this afternoon, including best film in the Secondary Category, Most Engaging Talent, Best Animation as well as the People’s Choice and MyState Award.

Don’t Know What to Think, a music video about dating as a teenager by Lauren Davidson, Johann Burgess and Felipe Moore-Amaral beat three other finalists from around the state to claim the award for best film by secondary school students at the ceremony at Hobart’s Theatre Royal today.

Don’t Know What to Think was also awarded the MyState award for the best film in the festival but for first time, shared the award with another film, the winners of the Primary category, My Parents! by Table Cape Primary School students Holly Krisenthal, Lilly Lacey, Amelia Rickard and Trinity Smith.

Taroona High School student Amara Gantz was awarded Most Engaging Female Talent for role in Fish Out of Water, the story of a young girl trying to fit in at a new school.

Don’t Know What to Think also took out the People’s Choice award, which is voted on by viewing, liking and sharing the student’s work on the MyState Film Festival’s YouTube channel.

MyState Student Film Festival Judge Graham Gates said this year’s festival yielded some of most technically advanced films he had ever seen produced by students.

“As always, it was a very difficult task to pick the winners for each category,” said Mr Gates.

“Don’t Know What to Think was extraordinarily well done. There were some wonderful shots throughout the film and to record the soundtrack, then to lip sync the track on the film was extremely well put together.”

“The talent in the film was great and played the roles really well. I really liked that that the whole school was involved in the film too.”

“The winner of the primary category, My Parents!, was a lovely animation with a gentle story, with a great moral, done really well.”

“Animation is a difficult medium but My Parents! was beautifully simple, engaging and very well shot.”

The award for the best Post Year 10 to University film went to Newstead College students Jordan Peters, Fiontan Cassidy and Harry Dempsey, for their comedy titled Smackaroos.

Mr Gates said the comedy depicting a bank robbery gone wrong was smart, fun and very well acted.

“Comedy acting is not easy but the guys in Smackaroos ticked every box. They really sold their characters, they were consistent and very funny,” he said.

“The entire film is shot in one room, but the script is so clever and strong that it just works.”

MyState Managing Director and CEO Melos Sulicich said the 2015 MyState Student Film Festival had been a tremendous success.

“Each year, we work hard at delivering a Festival that delights, informs and encourages students to tap into their creativity, while also helping to develop a range of lifelong skills,” said Mr Sulicich.
“A great film starts with a great idea, but there is so much more involved.

“We recognise the importance of teaching students a range of skills and abilities, such as collaboration and team work, preparation and planning, developing ideas and writing stories.

“This is why we are committed to delivering Tasmania’s premier film festival for young people across the State.

“We are inspired by the creativity, brilliance, humour and resourcefulness of our student film makers.

“It is always incredible to see the level of professionalism and skill presented by our student film makers and MyState revels in the opportunity to recognise their talent.”

138 films were entered this year and 522 students from 51 schools across the state were involved in the making of the films.

This year’s theme was ‘Cloud’, and over the past 30 days, the films have received over 35,000 views on YouTube by people in over 100 countries around the world including Spain, Kenya, Ecuador, Russia, China, Vietnam, Germany and Belarus.

All entries in this year’s MyState Student Film Festival are available to view via the Festival’s website, mystatefilmfestival.com.au.

Over $10,000 in prizes were awarded today to 11 recipients.

A full list of winners is available below.

2015 MyState Film Festival award winners

Primary Category – $1,000 prize money
My Parents! by Holly Krisenthal, Lilly Lacey, Amelia Rickard and Trinity Smith – Table Cape Primary School
Secondary Category -$1,000 prize money
Don’t Know What to Think by Lauren Davidson, Johann Burgess and Felipe Moore-Amaral – Taroona High School
Post Year 10 – University Category – $1,000 prize money
Smackaroos by Jordan Peters, Fiontan Cassidy and Harry Dempsey – Newstead College
Creative Interpretation Award – $500 prize money
Cloud People by Ned Daniels, Joseph Carter and Alex Zeeman – Sacred Heart College
Most Engaging Talent Award – $500 in tuition, donated by Cooper Screen Academy
Amara Gantz (Main female character) for Fish Out of Water – Taroona High School
Lachie Murphy (Main male charater) for Toby – Launceston College
Best Animation Award – $500 prize money
Outside by Avon Blazely and Kris Nash – Taroona High School
Technical Achievement Award – $750 in equipment hire donated by Wide Angle Tasmania
Alone by James O’Malley and Bailey Stirling – Devonport High School
Jonathan Dawson Encouragement Award – $500 prize money
Jacob Collins for Toby – Launceston College
People’s Choice Award – $500 prize money
Don’t Know What to Think by Lauren Davidson, Johann Burgess and Felipe Moore-Amaral – Taroona High School
Premier’s Award – $2,000 to purchase film making equipment donated by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Cloud People by Ned Daniels, Joseph Carter and Alex Zeeman – Sacred Heart College
MyState Award – $2,000 prize money
My Parents! by Holly Krisenthal, Lilly Lacey, Amelia Rickard and Trinity Smith – Table Cape Primary School
Don’t Know What to Think by Lauren Davidson, Johann Burgess and Felipe Moore-Amaral – Taroona High School

Table Cape students take out Primary Category at 2015 MyState Student Film Festival

An animated short film produced by four students from Table Cape Primary School about embarrassing parents has taken out the Primary category at this year’s MyState Student Film Festival awards ceremony at Hobart’s Theatre Royal today.

The winning work, My Parents! by Holly Krisenthal, Lilly Lacey, Amelia Rickard and Trinity Smith beat finalist from Tasman District School and Lenah Valley Primary to take out the award.

My Parents! was also awarded the best film in the festival but for first time, shared the award with another film.

Winners of the Secondary School category, Don’t Know What to Think by Taroona High School students Lauren Davidson, Johann Burgess and Felipe Moore-Amaral shared the award with My Parents!.

MyState Student Film Festival Judge Graham Gates said this year’s festival yielded some of most technically advanced films he had ever seen produced by students.

“As always, it was a very difficult task to pick the winners for each category,” said Mr Gates.

“My Parents! was a lovely animation with a gentle story, with a great moral, done really well.”

“Animation is a difficult medium but My Parents! was beautifully simple, engaging and very well shot.”

“The winner of the secondary category, Don’t Know What to Think was extraordinarily well done. There were some wonderful shots throughout the film and to record the soundtrack, then to lip sync the track on the film was extremely well put together.”

“The talent in the film was great and played the roles really well. I really liked that that the whole school was involved in the film too.”

The award for the best Post Year 10 to University film went to Newstead College students Jordan Peters, Fiontan Cassidy and Harry Dempsey, for their piece comedy Smackaroos.

Mr Gates said the comedy depicting a bank robbery gone wrong was smart, fun and very well acted.

“Comedy acting is not easy but the guys in Smackaroos ticked every box. They really sold their characters, they were consistent and very funny,” he said.

“The entire film is shot in one room, but the script is so clever and strong that it just works.”

MyState Managing Director and CEO Melos Sulicich said the 2015 MyState Student Film Festival had been a tremendous success.

“A great film starts with a great idea, but there is so much more involved.

“We recognise the importance of teaching students a range of skills and abilities, such as collaboration and team work, preparation and planning, developing ideas and writing stories.

“This is why we are committed to delivering Tasmania’s premier film festival for young people across the State.

“We are inspired by the creativity, brilliance, humour and resourcefulness of our student film makers.

“It is always incredible to see the level of professionalism and skill presented by our student film makers and MyState revels in the opportunity to recognise their talent.”

138 films were entered this year and 522 students from 51 schools across the state were involved in the making of the films.

All entries in this year’s MyState Student Film Festival are available to view via the Festival’s website, mystatefilmfestival.com.au.

Over $10,000 in prizes were awarded today to 11 recipients.

A full list of winners is available below.

2015 MyState Film Festival award winners

Newstead College students take out Post Year 10 to University category at 2015 MyState Student Film Festival

A short film about a back robbery gone wrong by three Newstead College students has taken out the Post Year 10 to University category at this year’s MyState Student Film Festival awards ceremony at Hobart’s Theatre Royal today.

Smackaroos by Jordan Peters, Fiontan Cassidy and Harry Dempsey beat finalists from Launceston College and St Patricks College to claim the coveted prize.

The film is a comedy which depicts a man who attempts to hide-out in the bedroom of his friend after robbing a bank.

MyState Student Film Festival Judge Graham Gates said this year’s festival yielded some of most technically advanced films he had ever seen produced by students.

“As always, it was a very difficult task to pick the winners for each category,” said Mr Gates.

“Smackaroos really stood out in the Post Year 10 to University category because it was smart and really well written.

“Comedy acting is not easy but the guys in Smackaroos ticked every box. They really sold their characters, they were consistent and very funny.”

“The entire film is shot in one room, but the script is so clever and strong that it just works.”

The award for best film by secondary school students went to Don’t Know What to Think, a music video about dating as a teenager by Taroona High School students, while the best primary school film went to Table Cape Primary School students for their animation, My Parents!.

“The talent in the film was great and played the roles really well. I really liked that that the whole school was involved in the film too.”

“The winner of the primary category, My Parents! , was a lovely animation with a gentle story, with a great moral, done really well.”