Supporting emerging filmmakers isn't something we can do from inside a classroom alone. It also means putting our students, and the wider community of young Australian filmmakers, in front of real industry recognition well before they've finished their studies, and building relationships with organisations that can actually offer that. Our partnership with the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is one of the clearest examples of what that looks like in practice.
MIFF is one of the most notable film festivals in the country, and our partnership with them gives young filmmakers a genuine pathway into the industry: a chance to have their work seen and judged on its own merits, by a festival of that standing, while they're still working out what kind of filmmaker they want to be.
This is part of a broader approach we take to supporting emerging talent: building relationships with festivals, industry bodies and organisations across Australia, so the path from studying screen and media to working in the industry is shorter and more direct. The MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award, which we present, is where that partnership becomes something concrete.
The MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award
Photo above via Melbourne International Film Festival/Tom Noble Creative
The MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award is judged by a panel of three young filmmakers, rather than an industry panel or group of critics. That panel watches every title submitted to the MIFF Schools program and decides which one deserves to win. The jurors are selected in partnership with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), drawn from the strongest work in Top Screen 2026, VCAA's annual showcase for VCE Media students.
This year's jury was made up of Jake Symes, Zoe Bryant and Andrew Nguyen, three young filmmakers recognised for their own work, including Jake's Embers of the Past, Zoe's Connecting Materials and Andrew's Steady, As She Goes. After watching the full MIFF Schools program, they awarded this year's prize to Fernanda Tovar for her film SAD GIRLZ, with PHENOMENA receiving a special jury mention.
Why this partnership matters to us
Results like this aren't really the point on their own. What matters is what they represent: proof that when a young filmmaker's work is put in front of the right people, whether that's a festival like MIFF or an audience beyond their own school, it gets taken seriously. That's the outcome we're trying to create every time we put our name next to an opportunity like this one.
It's also why partnerships like this sit at the centre of how we think about supporting emerging filmmakers more broadly. Study alone doesn't build a career in the screen industry. What builds a career is being seen, being given a genuine shot at recognition, and having organisations willing to back that work with more than encouragement. This partnership with MIFF is one clear example of that.
Here's how our CEO, Sam Jacob, describes it:
Congratulations to Fernanda Tovar on the well deserved recognition for her film SAD GIRLZ. A huge thank you to our Youth Jury for helping select this year's winner. Collarts is incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne International Film Festival and support the next generation of emerging filmmakers supporting fresh perspectives and bold new voices in cinema.
Photo above via Melbourne International Film Festival/Tom Noble Creative
Tristan Meredith, Course Lead for Screen & Media, sees the same value in it:
Collarts' partnership with MIFF opens up amazing opportunities for our students to access the heart of the Australian film industry. The MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award sponsorship is an opportunity to give back to the community and its emerging filmmakers.
If watching Fernanda and this year's other finalists, or Jake, Zoe, and Andrew’s work as part of the jury has you thinking about where your own filmmaking career could go, our Screen & Media courses are built around exactly that kind of support.
Explore Screen & Media courses at Collarts to see how we could support you next.