Australia’s longest-running short film festival has drawn the curtain on another year, with the 2025 St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) announcing the winners of its Top Short Film Competition.
Presented by the City of Port Phillip and hosted by comedian Sammy J, the awards celebrated 14 winning entries from a record-breaking number of submissions.
This year’s prize pool totalled $40,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.
The festival’s highest honour, Best Short Film, was awarded to The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste, directed by Pernell Marsden. The tale of two friends caught in a spiralling game of make-believe also received the Best Young Actor award for co-stars Libby Segal and Frankie Gillespie McKay.
Another standout was I’m Not Your Heroine, which won both Best Documentary and Best Animation. Directed by Emmalene Vidot and Savannah James, the film explores themes of addiction, loss and grief through the eyes of a mother watching her son struggle after the suicide of his mentor.
A Thousand Odd Days, about a young man and his estranged mother, earned Riley Blakeway the Best Director award, while Andrew Gough was recognised for his Achievement in Cinematography on the same film.
In the Achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking category, Motherhood in the Colony – a collaboration between Genevieve Grieves and Aseel Tayah – received top honours, alongside a Judges’ Commendation for Re-imagining Our Futures: birthing.
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CEO of VicScreen, Caroline Pitcher, praised the diversity and ambition of this year’s winners:
‘VicScreen and St Kilda Film Festival share a commitment to celebrating and amplifying the next generation of Australian voices. Congratulations to all the winners – we’re excited to see what they do next as they continue to grow their careers.’
As an Academy Awards qualifying event, SKFF’s winners in the short film and documentary categories will now be eligible for Oscar consideration.
All winners (except Best Young Actor) also receive a complimentary six-month membership with WIFT Australia.
St Kilda Film Festival 2025: Full List of Award Winners
- Best Short Film – Sponsored by the City of Port Phillip
Winner: The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste (Dir. Pernell Marsden) - Best Director – Supported by the Australian Directors Guild and AFTRS
Winner: Riley Blakeway – A Thousand Odd Days - Best Documentary – Supported by Shaun Miller Lawyers
Winner: I’m Not Your Heroine (Dirs. Emmalene Vidot & Savannah James) - Best Animation – Supported by Deakin University
Winner: I’m Not Your Heroine - Best Actor – Supported by Chameleon Casting
Winner: Steve Mouzakis – Hiraeth - Best Young Actor – Supported by the Melbourne Actors Guild
Winners: Libby Segal & Frankie Gillespie McKay – The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste - Best Achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking – Supported by CitiPower
Winner: Motherhood in the Colony (Dirs. Genevieve Grieves & Aseel Tayah)
Judges’ Commendation: Re-imagining Our Futures: birthing - Best Achievement in Cinematography – Sponsored by the Australian Cinematographers Society and Panavision
Winner: Andrew Gough – A Thousand Odd Days - Best Achievement in Screenplay – Supported by Australian Writers’ Guild and Cinema Nova
Winners: Kat Dominis, Mariana Rudan & Damian Walshe-Howling – Unspoken - Best Achievement in Editing – Supported by Roar Digital and Adobe
Winner: James Ashbolt – Unstoppable - Best Achievement in Sound Post-Production – Supported by Sennheiser and the Australian Screen Sound Guild
Winner: Wiaan van der Westhuizen – Pliers - Best Original Score – Supported by JBL and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers
Winner: Greg Dombrowski – The Horn - Best Innovation Award – Sponsored by VicScreen
Winner: I Like Long Walks on Parramatta Road - Best Youth Short Film – Supported by the City of Port Phillip and JMC Academy
Winner: Ari Quig – Diced Peaches
For more on this year’s program and award winners, visit the official St Kilda Film Festival website.
