ESS AWARDS RESOURCES

• Strength and originality of the story.
• Clear narrative structure and engaging themes.

• Effective direction and artistic choices.
• Strong and consistent vision throughout the film.

• Quality of cinematography, editing, sound, and production design.
• Effective use of filmmaking techniques to support the story.

• Quality and authenticity of acting performances.
• Contribution of the cast to the overall impact of the film.

• Ability to engage, entertain, and connect with the audience.
• Overall effectiveness and lasting impression of the film.

• How effectively the director brings the story to life.
• Clear and consistent vision throughout the film.

• Ability to guide actors and achieve believable, engaging performances.
• Strong communication of character and emotion.

• Effective use of camera work, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène to support the story.
• Evidence of thoughtful creative decisions.

• Ability to coordinate and manage the production process.
• Effective collaboration with cast and crew.

• The film’s overall effectiveness and audience engagement.
• The director’s contribution to the success of the final production.

• How well the editing helps tell the story.
• Smooth progression of scenes and ideas.

• Effective timing of cuts and transitions.
• Ability to maintain audience engagement throughout the film.

• Quality and precision of edits.
• Appropriate use of transitions, sound, and visual effects.

• Creative editing choices that enhance the film.
• Effective use of editing to create emotion, suspense, humour, or atmosphere.

• The final polished look and feel of the film.
• How much the editing contributes to the overall success of the production.

• How well the camera work helps tell the story.
• Ability to create emotion, mood, and meaning through visuals.

• Effective framing and use of camera angles.
• Creativity and attention to visual detail.

• Appropriate use of lighting to enhance scenes.
• Clear, well-focused, and visually appealing footage.

• Effective use of camera movement and shot variety.
• Demonstration of technical skill and creativity.

• The overall visual quality of the film.
• How memorable and engaging the cinematography is for the audience.

• How convincingly the student embodies their character.
• Consistency and depth in character development.

• Ability to communicate emotions effectively and authentically.
• Range of expression appropriate to the story and character.

• Clarity and effectiveness of dialogue delivery.
• Use of voice, facial expressions, and body language.

• Ability to capture and maintain the audience’s attention.
• Confidence and impact in scenes.

• How effectively the performance supports and enhances the overall film.

• How effectively the production design creates the film’s setting and atmosphere.
• Consistency and believability of the visual environment.

• Purposeful and imaginative use of design elements.
• Creative solutions that enhance the story.

• Thoughtful use of props, costumes, sets, and locations.
• Details that support character, time period, and mood.

• How well the design choices help communicate the narrative.
• Contribution to character development and audience understanding.

• The quality and effectiveness of the film’s overall look.
• The impression the production design leaves on the audience.

• Clear and understandable dialogue.
• High-quality audio recording with minimal distractions.

• Effective use of sound effects, music, and ambience.
• Sound choices that enhance mood, emotion, and meaning.

• Balanced levels between dialogue, music, and sound effects.
• Smooth transitions and proficient presentation.

• Purposeful use of sound.
• Creative audio choices that strengthen the film.

• The contribution of sound to the film’s overall quality and audience engagement.
• How memorable and effective the sound design is.

• How effectively the animation communicates a story or idea.
• Originality and creativity in concept and execution.

• Smoothness, consistency, and effectiveness of movement.
• Skill in bringing characters, objects, or environments to life.
• Smoothness, consistency, and effectiveness of movement.
• Skill in bringing characters, objects, or environments to life.
• Quality of character, background, and visual design.
• Effective use of colour, style, and artistic choices.

• Demonstration of animation techniques and attention to detail.
• Effective use of software, stop-motion, or other animation methods.

• Audience engagement and entertainment value.
• The overall quality and effectiveness of the finished animation.

Best Film (Nominees: Director/s and Producer/s)
• Best Animation (Nominee: Director/s and Producer/s)
• Best Direction (Nominee: Director/s)
• Best Cinematography (Nominee: Cinematographer/DOP)
• Best Performance (by a High School Student) (Nominee: Performer)
• Best Production Design (Nominee: Production Designer)
• Best Editing (Nominee: Editor)
• Best Sound (Nominee: Sound Designer, Recordist, or Composer)
• Additional outstanding student, teacher and school award categories and submission criteria will be listed on the ESS Awards website

 Narrative fiction, experimental, music video, vertical, online content, documentary and animated films of all genres are accepted.
• Entrants must be currently enrolled in a Queensland high school (Years 10–12) and be an Australian Citizen/Permanent Resident at the time of submission. Tertiary students are currently not eligible for 2026.
• Films must have been completed on or after 1 January 2025.
• The entrant must be a primary creative behind the film (ie. director, producer, writer, or lead creator). Films produced as part of a supervised school curriculum are eligible, provided individual students are credited as the primary creators.
• Films must be 5 minutes maximum in duration, including titles and credits.
• Films must be supplied as an online screening link (e.g. Vimeo, YouTube) or uploaded directly via FilmFreeway. Password-protected links are accepted and encouraged – include the password in the submission form and ensure it remains valid for the entire submission period.
• Entrants must complete all required fields in the FilmFreeway submission form, including: film title, synopsis (max 100 words), key credits, key stills, school, and year level. Entrants are encouraged to supply additional marketing materials via FilmFreeway such as a director’s statement, press kit, poster, trailer, screening selections to support their submission.
• Films may be in any language. Non-English language films must include English subtitles.
• All content must be the original work of the entrant. Any use of third-party music, footage, or other material must comply with applicable copyright law or be accompanied by written permission from the rights holder.
• Use of AI tools are only acceptable to support the production and post-production processes, however films that rely or use generative models to produce scripts, synthesize performances, or generate primary visual or audio content are not eligible. A declaration of AI use and how it was used must be included in the credits.
• Teacher or parental guidance during production is permitted, however the creative vision, direction, and decision-making must be demonstrably the student’s own.
• Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

All entries must be suitable for a general school audience and comply with applicable Australian law and safety regulations. Films must not contain:
• Content that would be classified M15+ or above under the Australian Classification scheme
• Nudity, drug taking, sexual content, or graphic violence
• Material that is discriminatory, harassing, or vilifying on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, or any other characteristic
• Footage of individuals filmed without their knowledge or consent
• Content that is defamatory or unlawful in any jurisdiction within Australia
Content must be created with significant human involvement and not AI generated. A declaration of use of AI in film credits is required.
Essential Screen Skills reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet these standards, at its sole discretion.

Entries will be assessed by a panel of industry professionals drawn from Queensland’s screen sector and educators, including representatives from screen industry guilds relevant to each category.
Judges will be assessing technical crafts, as well as the overall strength of ideas, creativity, originality and execution of each film. Judging decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding outcomes.

• Entrants retain full copyright ownership of their film.
• By submitting an entry, entrants grant Essential Screen Skills a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use marketing materials and screen the film for promotional, educational, and awards-related purposes, including on ESS platforms and at ESS events.
• If the entrant is under 18, a parent or guardian must accept the submission declaration as required in the FilmFreeway form.
• Nominated filmmakers under 18 must complete a talent release form to confirm nomination.
• We will be using this information to collect statistical data regarding screen and media in schools in order to inform and report to the Department of Trade, Employment, Training (the “Department”) on the needs of the sector and provide valuable input in order to shape the Gateway to Industry Schools Program. The information we collect may also be provided to the Department to ensure that we are delivering quality services. The information will be shared with sponsors, collaborators and partners. Full details of our Privacy Policy can be found on our website. https://essentialscreenskills.com.au/privacy-policy-2

• Submission of an entry constitutes acceptance of these regulations in full and submissions cannot be withdrawn unless agreed in writing with ESS.
• Essential Screen Skills reserves the right to disqualify, refuse nomination, or retract any nomination, award or prize at any stage if an entry is found to involve plagiarism, fraudulent activity, misrepresentation, or any breach of these regulations.
• Essential Screen Skills reserves the right to amend and/or cancel the event/s with notice provided via the ESS website.
• Queries should be directed hello@essentialscreenskills.com.au.