Griffith Film School students and alumni scooped five awards at the 26th Village Roadshow Studios Queensland New Filmmakers Awards announced this week.
Presented by Screen Queensland, the awards represent the biggest industry sponsored new filmmaker competition in Australia, aimed at recognising and encouraging the achievements of emerging artists.
The Griffith Film School winners were:
– Simon Cottee for The Wedding (Liquid Animation Best Animation Award)
– Simon Cottee for The Wedding (QUT Creative Industries Best Overall Tertiary Production Award)
– Ramsay Mahony for Little Bell (The Post Lounge Best Sound Award)
– Laura Drummond for The Fears of Young Caroline (Best Production Design Award)
– Ben Zuagg (writer and director) for Neuron (Village Roadshow Studios Kinetone Award for Best Overall Film)
– And the QPIX Best New Talent Award went to Jack Vening, who wrote The Wedding.
Simon’s award-winning graduate film The Wedding, which he describes as a “melancholy, dark comedy,” tells the story of a boy who is invited to his father’s wedding on a boat only to discover he’s the only guest.
This latest accolade follows on from a screening at the Cannes Short Film Corner in May, the receipt of the Best Animation prize at the West End Film Festival (which also marked his very first festival appearance), acceptance into the Tel-Aviv Student Film Festival, the Gold Coast Film Festival, official selection at the Brisbane Film Festival and a nomination for an ATOM Award.
Simon is also leaving for Germany this week to attend the Munich International Student Film Festival, where The Wedding is shortlisted.