A real-life inspired story of a young soldier faced with an impossible choice has won Best Short Film at this year’s St Kilda Film Festival Awards.
Neer Shelter’s Perspectives follows a young female protagonist who suspects a man on an Israeli bus of being a suicide bomber, and must choose between the other passengers’ lives and a potentially innocent man with the world watching via live stream.
The film, which was produced by Kristen Hodges and stars Joy Rieger, Carmel Bin, and Carlos Gharzuz, not only received the $10,000 top prize at Sunday’s ceremony but also Best Achievement in Screenplay.
Taking home the most awards on the night was David Robinson-Smith’s Mud Crab, in which a woman recounts the traumatising assault she witnessed of a young man in a small Australian coastal town. Robinson-Smith was named Best Director, while James Mountain won Best Original Score and Jaclyn Paterson received Best Achievement in Cinematography. Joshua Mehmet was also named Best Actor for his performance in the film.
Of the other categories, The Craft Award was awarded to Valentino Filimon’s Suga Rush: Best Documentary went to Ian Wilkes and Poppy van Oorde-Grainger’s immersive Galup VR Experience; Alec Green and Finbar Watson’s Teacups was crowned Best Animation; and Gary Hamaguchi’s The Lost Crystals of Jessica’s Room took out Best Achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking.
The judging panel that determined the winners consisted of cinematographer Ellery Ryan, producer Julie Ryan and filmmaker Rhianna Malezer.
St Kilda Film Festival director Richard Sowada said the quality of this year’s line-up was a testament to the strength of the Australian screen sector.
“Judging the winners from more than 100 local films is just about the hardest thing of the entire festival,” he said.
“For the judges and I though, we’re just so proud to be associated with them all. It’s a great honour.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
Best Original Score
Winner:
• James Mountain – Mud Crab
Nominees:
• Zhao Shen – Famished Shell
• Jason Kumwar – Marionettes
• James Mountain – Mud Crab
• Rainbow Chan – Butter: A Love Story
Best Achievement in Sound Post-Production
Winner:
• Jared Plant & Yee Lee & Bernard Winter – Incarnation
Nominees:
• John Kassab – Breathe
• Jared Plant, Yee Lee + Bernard Winter – Incarnation
• Nathan Turnball – Mud Crab
• Folklore Sound – OUR HAUNT
Best Achievement in Editing
Winner:
• Tania Nehme – MYTH
Nominees:
• James Taylor – Mud Crab
• Geoff Hitchins – Svengali
• Cal McLean – Hash Browns
• Tania Nehme – MYTH
Best Achievement in Screenplay
Winner:
• Neer Shelter – Perspectives
Nominees:
• Grace Tan – Lucky Peach
• Neer Shelter – Perspectives
• Elizabeth Packett – Tarneit
• James Robert Woods – Svengali
Best Achievement In Indigenous Filmmaking
Winner:
• The Lost Crystals of Jessica’s Room
Nominees:
• Galup VR Experience
• Bangay Iore
• The Lost Crystals in Jessica’s Room
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Winner:
• Jaclyn Paterson – Mud Crab
Nominees:
• Jaclyn Paterson – Mud Crab
• Valentino Filimon – SUGA RUSH
• Tania Lambert – MYTH
• Bernard Winter – Incarnation
Best Young Actor
Winner:
• Lena Nankivell – MYTH
Nominees:
• Ella Harrold – The Lost Crystals in Jessica’s Room
• Sheldon Pickett – The Lost Crystals in Jessica’s Room
• Calvin Black – Tarneit
• Antanhe Zewdu – Tarneit
• Federico Gazzilli – By Lucas Wilson
• Lena Nankivell – MYTH
Best Actor
Winner:
• Joshua Mehmet – Mud Crab
Nominees:
• Joshua Mehmet – Mud Crab
• Jack Riley – Incarnation
• Ben Gerrard – Svengali
• Gael Ballantyne – Good Times and That’s Okay
Best Animation
Winner:
• Teacups
Nominees:
• Teacups
• Dies Irae
• The Only Photograph of Emily Dickinson, American Poet
• Blockhead and Sparkles and the Flood of Tears
Best Documentary
Presented by Shaun Miller Lawyers
Winner:
• Galup VR Experience
Nominees:
• Fearless: Jazmin Theodora
• Memorabilia
• Declutter
• Galup VR Experience
Best Director
Winner:
• David Robinson-Smith – Mud Crab
Nominees:
• David Robinson-Smith – Mud Crab
• Neer Shelter – Perspectives
• Bernard Winter – Incarnation
• Alies Sluiter – MYTH
Craft Award
Winner:
• SUGA RUSH
Nominees:
• Dies Irae
• SUGA RUSH
• TREES
• Famished Shell
Best Short Film
Winner:
• Perspectives
Nominees:
• Le Devenir de Pierrot
• A Trip Down Murder Lane
• Host Destination
• Otter & Fox
Under the Radar – Best Youth Short Film
Winner:
• Le Devenir de Pierrot
Nominees:
• Le Devenir de Pierrot
• A Trip Down Murder Lane
• Host Destination
• Otter & Fox