The 19th annual Bond University Film and Television Awards (BUFTA) has again uncovered some of Australia's best young talent - with this year's overall winner - Thomas Evans - who has an incredible 2 million likes on Youtube for his Lego Minecraft animation series which includes one of his nominated films, Against the Sky.
Mr Evans - who attends Corinda State High School in Ipswich who started working on his film productions five years ago - has won a full scholarship to Bond University on the Gold Coast to study a Bachelor of Film and Television. He also won Best Sound and Best Cinematography for Against the Sky and Best Experimental Film for his other entry, The Walk.
Henry Thong from Glenunga International High School in Adelaide was the winner of the People's Choice Award, following an online public vote which had over 2300 votes in the weeks leading up to the event. Mr Thong's comedy - LEAP - about an unlikely high school hero, received more than a quarter of the votes to take the title. Mr Thong also picks up Best Documentary for his film Urban Exploration.
Freya Mcleod, from Robina State High School, won the City of Gold Coast award for her experimental film, Technological Oblivion.
The BUFTA event was held on November 29 and was hosted by Academy Award winning Australian 'clayographer' Adam Elliot - who is best known for his animation film Harvie Krumpet.
Bond University Director of Film and Television Associate Professor Michael Sergi said this year's awards had been one of the biggest and most successful yet, having attracted more than 170 entries from budding filmmakers across Australia.
"Each year BUFTA keeps getting bigger and better - more students are becoming aware of it and realising that BUFTA is a great opportunity for them to kickstart their career in film and television, with scholarships, film equipment, vouchers and prize money available to help them take the next step," he said.
"I was most impressed by the innovation shown by this year's group of finalists. A number of these students were self-taught in film production, and some - like Thomas - have already started an online portfolio so they are already out in the public domain.
"The internet and social media has really opened doors for young filmmakers to learn the art of production and showcase their talents to the world. At Bond University, we're always interested in discovering and assisting talented students to make the leap from online to professional production, so they can make a career out of their passion for film and TV."
Dr Sergi said this year's major prize winners showed a flair for film well beyond their years.
"It's incredible to think that these students - who have little or no professional training - are already producing such quality work," he said.
"I particularly congratulate Thomas Evans on his achievements - to have such a strong grasp of production technique and such a large following online at this young age is a great achievement, and I look forward to welcoming Thomas to Bond next year and working with him to develop his considerable talents."
ENDS