Fleurieu Film Festival 2025 Awards

The 2025 Fleurieu Film Festival awards were presented on Saturday, February 8th at the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre. While the planned screening was unfortunately cancelled due to weather and unforeseen technical issues, the festival proudly recognised outstanding films from emerging and established filmmakers in South Australia and beyond. The winning films, spanning a range of categories, are listed below.

Fleurieu Film Festival 2025 Award Recipients

Best South Australian Filmmaker Under 24

Happy To Help

Directed by Nik Long and Bayleigh McDonald Produced by Tia Bailey and Bayleigh McDonald

The recipient was awarded an engraved trophy and $500 cash courtesy of Carclew

Best South Australian Director

The DOGHOUSE

Directed by Ryan Nichalas Davies and Robert Baulderstone Produced by Ryan Nichalas Davies and Winter Pines Film Group

The recipient was awarded a two day studio hire and $200 hire voucher courtesy of Star Avenue Studios, and an Adelaide Fringe merchandise pack courtesy of Adelaide Fringe

Best Australian Documentary

Foundation

Directed and Produced by Jack Hinz

The recipient was awarded an engraved trophy

Best South Australian Actor

Happy To Help

Actor Monica Patteson as Alex

Directed by Nik Long and Bayleigh McDonald Produced by Tia Bailey and Bayleigh McDonald

The recipient was awarded a Gold Pass courtesy of Wallis Cinema, and an Adelaide Fringe merchandise pack courtesy of Adelaide Fringe

Best South Australian Script

The DOGHOUSE

Writers Ryan Nichalas Davies and Robert Baulderstone

Directed by Ryan Nichalas Davies and Robert Baulderstone Produced by Ryan Nichalas Davies and Winter Pines Film Group

The recipient was awarded a 12 month Mercury Subscription courtesy of The Mercury, and a 10 film pass courtesy of the Adelaide Film Festival.

Best South Australian Score

The Crease of this Couch

Composer Hannah Wilkinson

Directed and Produced by Jada Zilm

The recipient was awarded two tickets to Fleurieu Folk Festival 2025 courtesy of the Fleurieu Folk Festival

Best South Australian Edit

Burden

Editor Jordan Ellis

Directed by Jordan Ellis Produced by Robyn Clarke

The recipient was awarded a 12 month Mercury Subscription courtesy of The Mercury

Best South Australian Cinematography

Living Australia

Cinematographer Chris Tangey

Directed by Chris Tangey

The recipient was awarded a $1000 hire voucher courtesy of ProAV Solutions

Best South Australian Sound Design

Where the Grass Is Greener

Sound Designers Ryan Nash and Dante Julian Niedzwiedz

Directed by Dante Julian Niedzwiedz Produced by Dante Julian Niedzwiedz and Patrick Prior

The recipient was awarded a 30-day Crew HQ coaching intensive courtesy of CrewHQ

Best South Australian Production Design

The Crease of this Couch

Directed and Produced by Jada Zilm

The recipient was awarded a $200 voucher courtesy of Bunnings Seaford

Best South Australian High School Short Film

Echoes

Directed by Hayden Shrowder

The recipient was awarded an engraved trophy and a $750 hire voucher courtesy of Urban Cine

Best Fleurieu Short Film (Focus on the Fleurieu)

Satin Sun - Dancing to Keep the Lights On

Directed and Produced by Jon-Luc D'Lima

The recipient was awarded an engraved trophy, a 2 days accommodation courtesy of Old Coach House Estate, a meal and wine voucher courtesy of Oscars Restaurant and a $500 voucher from Diamond's Camera

Best International Short Film

The Sunset of Green Snails

Directed by Mohammad Hasani, Produced by Mohammad Hasani and Mohammad Ghanefard

Best Film

A Dragons Dance

Directed and Produced by Dean Spraakman

The recipient was awarded an engraved trophy and a $1000 hire voucher courtesy of Picture Hire Australia

Fleurieu Film Festival 2025 Finalists

The Fleurieu Film Festival would like to acknowledge the efforts of the finalist films in 2025 that did not receive an award, but were selected to feature at the event. The finalist films are listed below.

Lemon Squash

Directed by Imogen Kopias and Maya Rodenburg

Beyond Limits

Directed and Produced by Riley Hinton

Chloe’s Palette

Directed and Produced by Alistair Schmidt

Hunting The Hare

Directed by Sam Suhard and Ben Crisp, Produced by Sam Suhard and Ben Crisp and Miles Rowland

Shakespeare for all Ages

Directed and Produced by Hannes Rall

The recipient was awarded a certificate

NGADJURI Spirit and Songs of Country

Directed and Produced by Quenten Agius and Kim Mavromatis

Dance in nothing

Directed and Produced by Sina Hadadi and Ali Rostami

Mary in the Mirror

Directed by Justine Vlachoulis Produced by Trinity-Lee Brown

This is fine.

Directed by Ren Williams Produced by Madison Siegertsz

Fleurieu Film Festival 2025 Honourable Mentions

The Fleurieu Film Festival uses a rigorous, multi-stage judging process. Our industry judges review a long list of submissions, selecting films for screening and awards. The following films, while not ultimately selected for screening, were recognised by these judges for their merit and awarded Honorable Mentions.

The Queen of Adelaide

Directed by Laila Scaparra
Produced by Kate Langley and Catie Engelhardt

Pier Pressure

Directed by David Moore
Produced by David Moore and Rick Clise

Collector's Item

Directed by Lily Beck
Produced by Prudence Herbertson

Erebus

Directed by Dante Julian Niedzwiedz
Produced by Brooke Bowering

When We Were Here

Directed by Brandon Boyer and Allie Burns
Produced by Megan Adrain

House Plant

Directed by Jada Zilm
Produced by Ruby Cunningham

Young Felix

Directed by Tia Bailey
Produced by Tom Terry

Goodbye, Hercules

Directed by Kristoffer Lucia
Produced by Lauren Jones

Listen

Directed by Riley Sapsford
Produced by Holly Winter

Harvest

Directed by Anouk Chapman and Liezel Heylen
Produced by Soph Manuel

Down by the Jetty

Directed by Alex Jeffree
Produced by Isis Fabjancic

Coexistence

Directed by Gabriel Zurbrugg
Produced by nan

Laundry

Directed by Josh Thompson
Produced by Josh Thompson

7 Minutes to Rice

Directed by Manuel Ashman
Produced by Manuel Ashman and Caitlin Ellen Moore

Fleurieu Film Festival 2025 Sponsors