2020 Student Film Festival Winners Announced

Creative young Tasmanian student filmmakers have been recognised today with the announcement of awards for the 2020 MyState Student Film Festival.

Despite the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, some 1,500 students submitted a near record 285 films in 2020.

The festival, now in its 18th year, has seen dramatic growth in recent years with schools from around the state and beyond competing for a $20,000 prize pool.

Due to the pandemic restrictions, this year’s awards presentations were conducted online, filmed from Hobart’s Theatre Royal and streamed live to competing schools around Tasmania and interstate.

Students from Taroona High School were particularly successful this year, taking out a total of seven of the 22 Tasmanian awards on offer, including Best Film-Intermediate for Genie, Best Film-High School ANSIA, Best Documentary Sea of Horrors and Best Original Score for Dependence. Deloraine Primary School won the Best Film-Junior for Tasmanian Mountain Huts and Rosny College produced the Best Film-Post Year 10, If Only I.

ANSIA, Taroona High School.

The prestigious Premier’s Award was awarded to Table Cape Primary School students for their production Selfless which was also awarded for the Best Use of a Feature Item and Best Animation. Goulburn St Primary School produced the Best Music Video Hometown Hobart, and the People’s Choice Award went to the King Island District High School for Rookie Soldier.

MyState’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Melos Sulicich, said the creativity of the student filmmakers was exceptional.

“Every year we are blown away by the standard of films entered, and this year was no exception,” Sulicich said. “There seems no end to the creative, clever unexpected ways the students are able to express themselves in film. We encourage them to keep up the good work and continue to embrace digital literacy, media arts and technology.

“Of course, we launched this year’s Festival back in February and at a time when life was what we considered ‘normal.’ Pretty quickly, life as we knew it changed, as students were forced to quickly transition to online learning environments.

“We were left with the dilemma of postponing the festival for 2020, or changing it to adapt to the current climate. I’m pleased that students and their teachers continue to embrace the festival, and congratulate them on their outstanding results.”

The students’ films can be viewed on the Student Film Festival website mystatefilmfestival.com.au.

Award Winners