Bond University Film & Television Academy

08/10/2026

The wait is over – People’s Choice voting is officially LIVE!
This is your chance to watch the Top 27 Nominee films and vote for your favourite. Whether you’re backing a friend, or just in awe of the creativity and passion on display, your vote helps celebrate the next generation of young filmmakers.
Cast your vote here: https://brnw.ch/21x6fFV

All of the Top 27 films will also be showcased at the BUFTA Film Festival on Friday, October 20! Don’t miss your chance to see all 27 films on the big screen, register now: https://brnw.ch/21x6fFW

01/10/2026

With 167 incredible submissions for BUFTA 2026, the creativity, talent and storytelling from high school filmmakers across Australia (and beyond) have truly blown us away!

Our judges have had the difficult task of narrowing down this year’s finalists, and we are so pleased to announce the Top 27 Nominees, listed below in no particular order.

Animation
Jasmine Edwards (QLD) | Heart’s a Mess
Evie Nowland (NSW) | Dear Lillian
Eleanor Creevey (QLD) | Harder Than Catching Lightning in a Bottle

Comedy
Mika Raeli (QLD) | Chip Sandwich
Eli Ross (QLD) | In Good Faith
Eleanor Creevey (QLD) | The Distraction Show

Experimental
Xanthe Clifford (QLD) | Canvas
Samantha Withrington (QLD) | Double Bind
Olivia Porter (VIC) | between blinks

Art Film
Natashia Laijadi (QLD) | Ship of Theseus
Jack Foggo (WA) | Pegasus
Taj Butcher (NSW) | We Were Brave

Drama
Billy Ferguson (QLD) | Normal Man
Francisco Dutra (QLD) | Requiem
Skyla Davies (QLD) | The Train Game

Music Video
Hannah Maslen (VIC) | beReal
Paul Suriano (WA) | still
Odessa Bishop-McMurray | Rose Coloured Glasses

Documentary
Magenta Stafford (QLD) | Denis from Delaware
Billy Ferguson (QLD) | The Connection Of Ants
Francisco Dutra (QLD) | Acrohc

Sports
Aaron Lu (QLD) | CUBE
Taj Butcher (NSW) | 1:44.4
Sophie Guthrie (QLD) | Between The Flags

International
Abhigyan Ravichandran (Malaysia) | Revolution
Kar Sing Ng (Malaysia) | Holding On To Xiao
Alex Brown (Malaysia) | A Night Without You

All nominees will be receiving information on how to submit their Hopes and Dreams videos - keep an eye on your inbox! Hopes and Dreams videos are due 11:59 pm Monday, 5 October.

A huge congratulations again to all our 2026 nominees, their schools, and every student who entered this year’s BUFTA competition. Your passion and creativity continue to inspire us!

PS. Upload in progress for all Top 27 Nominee films - coming soon for People's Choice Voting!

Here you will find the latest Bond University Film and TV Awards announcements.

23/09/2026

🎉📣 THE TOP 45 FINALISTS ARE HERE! 📣🎉
A huge congratulations and thank you to every filmmaker who shared their creativity, vision and storytelling talent with us. Creating a short film by yourself is no easy task, and each and every submission blew us away.
After careful deliberation, our judges have narrowed it down to the Top 45 Finalist films.
Check out the full list of finalists now on our Announcements page - https://bond.edu.au/study/experience-bond-for-yourself/high-school-student-experiences/experience-a-study-area/BUFTA/announcements
Congratulations to all the talented filmmakers who entered BUFTA 2026. The future of Australian film is looking brighter than ever! 🎬✨

Here you will find the latest Bond University Film and TV Awards announcements.

22/09/2026

⏰🎬 FINAL REMINDER: Year 12 students who have entered a BUFTA film - Don't forget! Applications via StudyLink are required, as outlined in the BUFTA Terms & Conditions.

If you’ve been meaning to apply, now’s the time! 🎓✨

📅 Applications close midnight tonight (AEST). Don’t miss your chance to be named a 2026 BUFTA Nominee! Top 45 announcement is tomorrow.

Make sure your application to study is submitted before the closing time to be considered eligible for the major prize, a full scholarship to study a Bachelor of Film & Television📥 Send your Bond University Application Reference Number (from Studylink) direct to [email protected] .

Good luck! 💜

Apply now: https://student-bond.studylink.com/index.cfm?event=security.showLogin&msg=eventsecured&fr=sp&en=default

18/09/2026

In 2023, Ben Rosenberg won the Best Overall Filmmaker at BUFTA, landing himself a 100% scholarship to study film and television at Bond. Before his graduation ceremony earlier this year, Ben found himself travelling overseas for the first time, to see his film screened on the worldwide stage at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary began as an assignment in Factual and Documentary production, guided by educator, Mandy Lake, who expressed the importance of finding a strong subject. Ben immediately thought of a family from his hometown, Toowoomba. The short documentary captures the warmth and optimism of a father writing songs for his daughter, who is deaf and blind. Read more about Ben’s film and experience at Sundance here: https://bond.edu.au/thinking-steps/going-global/shooting-for-stars

07/09/2026

While our judges are busy reviewing your films, we are taking a moment to look back to BUFTA 2025 to celebrate Jules Leo, from Pacific Pines State High School, who won Best Gold Coast Filmmaker!

Jules’ film ‘Captive’ is a stop-motion animation that explores fear, isolation and imprisonment.

Congratulations to Jules’ on the well-deserved recognition ✨

You can watch Jules’ film and the other Top 27 nominees from BUFTA 2025 here: https://brnw.ch/21x5vT6

01/09/2026

And just like that submissions for BUFTA 2026 are officially CLOSED! Congratulations and thank you to every student who submitted a film, we cannot wait to see all of your creative voices and passion shine through in your submissions!

Now it is over to our judges, who face the challenge of narrowing down the entries to just 45 finalists. Keep an eye out for when they are announced later this month…

30/08/2026

A friendly reminder that TOMORROW is your last chance to get a film in for the 2026 Bond University Film and Television Academy Awards! Submissions close at 11:59pm tomorrow night, so make sure you get your film in through our FilmFreeway portal: https://brnw.ch/21x5jjy

Remember to reach out to our team at [email protected] if you encounter any last-minute troubles.

25/08/2026

With ONE WEEK left to go until BUFTA submissions close, we hope you are all hitting export!

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to have your work recognised and join the legacy of past winners who have gone on to do amazing things in the screen industry.

Submit our film now via our FilmFreeway portal: https://brnw.ch/21x5bTs

11/08/2026

Looking back at some of the standout moments from the 2026 BUFTA Competition, we are shining the spotlight on Thomas Birkett from The Hutchins School (TAS) for his music video ‘Walk In Your Shoes’ 👟 🏆

Selected by a panel of industry professionals, the Jury Prize celebrates a young filmmaker who shows outstanding potential in the screen industry. As part of the award Thomas received a 25% scholarship to study a Bachelor of Film and Television at Bond.

"Receiving the Jury Prize scholarship to study at Bond has been an amazing opportunity. It gave me the chance to move from Tasmania to the Gold Coast and pursue my passion for filmmaking. The degree has exceeded my expectations, with passionate lecturers, industry-focused learning, and a collaborative community that's helped me continue developing as a filmmaker."

Thomas is now nearly two whole semesters into his degree at Bond, and we can’t wait to see what he does next!