Best Of Australian Shorts 1 – 2021

The 1st of seven programmes featuring the best of Australian short films in competition.

Our home-grown talent battle it out for the prestigious Academy® qualifying award for Best Australian Short Film.

Screening: Sat 23 Jan, 4pm | Runtime: 98 mins | Classification: under 15 to be w/adult

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Saving Daylight

A hotel concierge must change all the clocks in the hotel before daylight savings begins.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Benjamin Balte
- Writer: Nate Gothard, Ally Burnham
- Producer: Nate Gothard
- Runtime: 11min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Spark

After catching a glimpse of life away from her family farm, Jean, an adventurous teen, decides whether to continue coming back or to forge a new path for herself.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Sophie Hawkshaw
- Writer: Madeleine Jurd, Tanna Nankivell
- Producer: Madeleine Jurd, Tanna Nankivell
- Runtime: 9min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Hyde

Joan Utterson searches for her AA Sponsee Haley Jekyll but instead finds herself stalked by a violent and chaotic monster.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Ruby Challenger
- Writer: Erik Magnusson
- Producer: Andrew McMartin
- Runtime: 7min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Julia

A family arm-wrestling battle and a strange radio program lead a father and son to profound realisations about their place in the world.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: James Weir
- Writer: James Weir
- Producer: Erin Friedman
- Runtime: 8min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Jean

A woman’s crumbling relationship bleeds into her work day.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Alisha Hnatjuk
- Writer: Alisha Hnatjuk
- Producer: Alisha Hnatjuk
- Runtime: 11min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Joy

When a homeless couple’s savings are stolen, they’re forced to choose between their relationship or survival as they struggle to reach Queensland for a job too good to be true.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Gabriel Morrison
- Writer: Gabriel Morrison
- Producer: Matthew Bunin
- Runtime: 15min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Tâm

Tâm wakes up in a strange hotel room. As she pieces together the night before, she realizes she is not alone.
NSW PREMIERE
- Director: Noora Niasari
- Writer: Noora Niasari
- Producer: Marta Jelec, Noora Nirasari
- Runtime: 12min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Ella

Ella, a teenager who experiences intense anxiety, attempts to deliver a speech in class. Along the way she reflects on her life and discovers her own way of dealing with the stress of public speaking.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Madison Novak
- Writer: Madison Novak, Reggie Grace-Knipe
- Producer: Reggie Grace-Knipe
- Runtime: 17min
- Year: 2020
- Country: Australia
Occupied

Occupied unlocks the secrets of the women’s bathroom and explores the hilarity of unexpected friendship. So, cross your legs and hope to God this line gets moving.
WORLD PREMIERE
- Director: Ruby Lennon
- Writer: Ruby Lennon
- Producer: Ruby Lennon, David Bedelis, Adam Boys
- Runtime: 8min
- Year: 2019
- Country: Australia