AFIN 2025 AWARD RESULTS
71 films · 20 awards · 99 nominations · 25 countries
See the festival
The 2025 Official Trailer
2025 Award Nominated & Winning Projects Showcase
Winners
A quietly magical story about a boy, a bookseller, and the pull of his own destiny, this short carries the warmth of the fantasy films many of us grew up watching. Its effects work and production design drew genuine admiration from the panel, from the handcrafted books holding people's stories to the small conjurings of wonder, while the lighting and composition give every frame a deliberate, glowing style. The score lifts and settles exactly where it should, adding that extra touch of magic to the images.on A MESSAGE TO THE AUTHOR →
Best Documentary Short Subject · James Stapledon
A BITTERSWEET ENDING
James Stapledon · 
Australia · 7m 29s
Best Director · John Gray
A GUEST IN MY COUNTRY
John Gray · 
USA · 15m 26s
Best Student Short Film · Lachlan Scott
Best Visual Effects · Owen Douglas
A MESSAGE TO THE AUTHOR
Andrey Goulter · Australia · 16m 29s
Best Music Video · Alexander Denysenko
BEFORE THE DAWN
Alexander Denysenko · 
Canada, Eswatini, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine · 7m
Best Supporting Performance · Michael Silberblatt
DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND
Halle Sullivan, John Steele · USA · 11m 22s
Best Art Direction
DISCO DOLLS AND CHIKO ROLLS
Alexandros Kalas · Australia · 15m 57s
Best Film Editing · Axel Tacey
ELASTOPLASTIC
Jack Vernon · Australia · 25m
Best Cinematography · Daniel Watt
Best Feature Film · J. Markus, B. Robert Anderson
IF YOU SHOULD LEAVE BEFORE ME
J. Markus Anderson, B. Robert Anderson · USA · 1h 59m 58s
Best Australian Short Film · Shannon Glover
IN A PLACE LIKE THIS
Shannon Glover · Australia · 19m
Best Australian Performance · Seraphine Harley
MAN EATER
Alexander Whitrow · Australia · 24m 29s
Best International Short Film · Henrik Larsson, Jakob Arevärn
PIERRE WEST
Henrik Larsson, Jakob Arevärn · 
Sweden · 28m 56s
Best Short Screenplay · Amanda Louise Lay
READING OF THE WILL
Amanda Louise Lay · Australia · 18 pages
Best Queensland Short Film · Kate Armon, Shannon Rigbye, Craig Smith
THE CELEBRANT
Kate Armon, Craig Smith · Australia · 37m 31s
Best Youth Performance · Amirhossein Bayat
THE LITTER
Pouria Bagheri · 
Iran · 16m 53s
Best Lead Performance · Jana Balkan
THE REACH
Luca Caserta · 
Italy · 28m
Best Feature Screenplay · Terry Luke Podnar
THE RED ZONE
Terry Luke Podnar · USA · 104 pages
Best Sound & Music
THE SESSIONS
Vince Eisenson · USA · 27m 16s
Best Documentary Feature · Terry William Webster, Stuart McKay
WASHED AWAY
Terry William Webster, Stuart Mckay · Australia · 1h 28m 8s
How results work
WHAT IS A NOMINEE?
NOMINEES > AWARD WINNERS, and IMDB
As an IMDb-Qualifying festival, only projects that reach Nominee or Award Winner status are eligible for IMDb listing.
- Nominee
- Nominated for an award, remains as a nominee if not won. IMDb-Qualifying
- Award Winner
- Wins the award, transitioning from Nominee status. IMDb-Qualifying
We audit IMDb listings for accuracy and will request corrections for any incorrect entries.
Award Winners and Nominees will receive IMDb project location details, submission status, laurels/certificates, and prizes after the event.
When adding to IMDb, ensure the correct award, year, and choose:
- Award Winner: Rank as "Winner (1)"
- Nominee: Rank as "Nominated (nom)"
Our festival includes only Award Winners and Nominees We do not have finalists, semi-finalists, quarter-finalists, Honorable Mentions, or official selections.
2025 Award Categories Eligibility. At AFIN, we do not charge for projects per category, they are considered for all categories applicable to their project, with a single entry fee.
Performances
These awards honour a performer rather than a film. Each name links to their AFIN page; the film beneath is the work the performance is in.
Best Australian Performance
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Nominee
Shane Emmett
as Horace
IN A PLACE LIKE THIS
AustraliaShort Film19m Also at AFIN Rostrum 2024, cast
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Best Lead Performance
Best Supporting Performance
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Winner
Michael Silberblatt
DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND
USAShort Film11m Also at AFIN Temple 2026, cast The Damned Thing 2026, cast
Best Youth Performance
Details and imagery from The Movie Database This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Nominees
2020 VISION
Australia Best Australian Short Film 
80 FACES OF FREEDOM
Canada Best Documentary Short Subject 
A FATEFUL WEEKEND
USA Best Art Direction 
ALL ABOUT VALERIE
Australia Best Australian Short Film 
AL WADIAA
Italy, Tunisia Best Youth Performance 
ANGEL
Australia Best Short Screenplay 
A ROYAL IN PARADISE: A ROYAL IN PARADISE II
Australia Best Feature Film Best Sound & Music 
ASTRONOMERS (WEB SERIES "ABOUT PEOPLE AND WAR")
Russia Best Art Direction Best Director Best International Short Film Best Sound & Music Best Youth Performance 
BINGO MAN
Australia Best Feature Screenplay 
CHICKEN BROTH SOUP
Turkey Best Director Best International Short Film Best Lead Performance Best Supporting Performance 
CLOCKWORK
Australia Best Queensland Short Film 
CONQUERING SKIN CANCER
Australia Best Documentary Feature 
CROC COUNTRY
UK Best Documentary Short Subject 
EUGENE O'NEILL'S - THE FIRST MAN
UK, USA Best Art Direction 
FAMISHED MAMMON
Greece Best Music Video Best Visual Effects 
FOREVER FIRST LOVE
Australia Best Cinematography Best Feature Film Best Sound & Music 
HOT WATER - INVESTIGATING AUSTRALIA'S MARINE ECOSYSTEM
Australia Best Documentary Feature 
HOWARD TANGYE
Belgium Best Documentary Short Subject 
HUMAN RESOURCES
Australia Best Short Film 
I THINK I NEED THERAPY - KEVIN SILVESTER
Australia Best Film Editing Best Music Video Best Visual Effects 
KICK IN THE TEETH
Australia Best Queensland Short Film 
KING OF THE MOUNTAINS
Australia Best Documentary Feature 
LEGEND (RESURRECTED)
New Zealand Best Music Video 
LE MANS
Austria Best Short Documentary 
LOVE TO GO
Denmark Best Short Screenplay 
MEETING BY MISTAKE
Vietnam Best Cinematography 
NINE WAYS TO KILL BARRY
Australia Best Short Screenplay 
OUTER REACHES
Australia Best Visual Effects 
OVER AND OUT
USA Best Short Screenplay 
OXYGEN STATION
Ukraine Best Art Direction Best Cinematography Best Feature Film 
PICKAXE
Australia Best Feature Screenplay 
PRECURSOR
United States Best Feature Screenplay 
SANCTIFIED
Italy Best Music Video 
SEARCH FOR HAWAIKI
New Zealand Best Lead Performance 
SEEK (四十九)
Japan Best Feature Film 
SHE WORE BLUE
Australia Best Australian Performance 
SIX STRINGS UP
Australia Best Documentary Short Subject 
SPRING IN SIBERIA
United States Best Feature Screenplay 
SWEENEY TODD - SLICE AND DICE
United Kingdom Best Visual Effects 
TENDERFOOT
Australia Best Australian Performance Best Student Short Film 
THE CONTRACT
Italy Best Short Screenplay 
THE HOIST
Australia Best Queensland Short Film 
THE INVISIBLE FLOATING ISLAND OF KIA KAI
Australia Best Feature Screenplay 
THE MEDIATOR
Australia Best Australian Performance Best Student Short Film 
THIS TOO SHALL PASS
Australia Best Australian Short Film 
TIME
Australia Best Music Video 
TINN
Thailand Best Student Short Film 
UKUWELA: THE CROSSING
South Africa Best Documentary Feature 
VANISHING
USA Best Documentary Feature 
VIRTUOSO
USA Best Feature Film 
WARLORD
UK Best Supporting Performance 
WHEN THE PETALS FALL
Hong Kong Best Student Short Film Best Youth Performance AFIN 2026
The festival opens in 4 days
Screening 1 at Dendy Cinemas Portside, Brisbane