The Essential Screen Skills Awards – Essential Screen Skills

A celebrATiON of QueenslAND High School Screen Excellence

Essential Screen Skills is proud to announce the inaugural Essential Screen Skills (ESS) Awards, coming to Brisbane on the 13th and 14th November 2026.

Recognising and elevating the most talented emerging screen practitioners (Year 10-12) from Queensland high schools across the state, the ESS Awards bring together the next generation of filmmakers with industry professionals, mentors, and opportunities that can shape their futures.

A night of celebration with an industry day program makes it unlike anything else in Queensland. In addition to receiving recognition, nominees will be invited to an exclusive Industry Development Day program including workshops, career pathway conversations, and direct connections with working screen professionals.

Entries will be assessed by a panel of highly regarded industry judges drawn from Australia’s screen guilds, key industry stakeholders, production companies and educators.

High achieving students, their families and teachers will network with Queensland’s screen industry this mid-November in Brisbane.

Essential Screen Skills reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet these standards, at its sole discretion.

Prizes:

QUT offers the recipients of Best Film, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Performance, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Animation and Screen and Media Gateway Student of the Year Awards a $100 gift voucher in recognition of their outstanding achievement.
Best Direction will receive a 12 month student membership to Australian Directors Guild.
Best Cinematography will receive a 12 month student membership to Australian Cinematographers Society.
Best Production Design will receive a 12 month student membership to Australian Production Design Guild.
Screen and Media Gateway Student of the Year – The recipient of this award will be offered a bursary from QUT in recognition of their outstanding achievement in screen and media, demonstrated leadership, and commitment to pursuing a future pathway in the screen industry. A bursary of $3,000 will be awarded if the recipient commences an undergraduate degree within the QUT Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice in 2027.
Screen and Media Gateway School of the Year – The winning school will receive a bespoke experiential learning opportunity tailored to the school’s needs (for example: bus fund for an excursion, industry incursion, funding for Teacher Professional Development etc). This will be co-designed with the Screen and Media Gateway Project Manager.
More prizes to be announced.

ELIGIBILITY

• 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.

CONTENT STANDARDS

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.

RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS

• 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

TIMELINE AND FEES

Early Bird closes – 22 August ($10)

Regular closes – 12 September ($20)

SUBMIT YOUR FILM VIA FILM FREEWAY

https://filmfreeway.com/EssentialScreenSkillsAwards

click me to head to the ess awards resources page

SCREEN and MEDIA GATEWAY TO INDUSTRY SCHOOLs program CATEGORIES

Screen and Media GATeway to Industry School Student of the Year Award

This award recognises a Year 12 student who has demonstrated outstanding qualities of a screen and media practitioner, leadership skills and champions screen and media subjects at their Screen and Media Gateway school. This student is someone with plans to pursue a pathway to the Screen Industry.

Applications close 14^th September, 2026

Prizes:

$100 gift card sponsored by QUT
The recipient of this award will be offered a bursary from QUT in recognition of their outstanding achievement in screen and media, demonstrated leadership, and commitment to pursuing a future pathway in the screen industry. A bursary of $3,000 will be awarded if the recipient commences an undergraduate degree within the QUT Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice in 2027. Please read: CIESJ Essential Screen Skills Award Scholarship_Terms_and_Conditions_2027

Eligibility:

Year 12 student enrolled at a Screen and Media Gateway School
Australian citizen or permanent resident
The student is required to study a screen and media subject (General Film, Television and New Media and/or Applied Media Arts in Practice and/or Cert III Screen and Media and/or IB Film)
You must be available to attend the Awards in Brisbane mid-November

Judging:

A suitably qualified judging committee will review submissions and determine the winner, which will be announced at the ESS Awards in November 2026.
Some applicants may be asked to make themselves available for an online interview to finalise results.
School must submit a statement from a Head of Department, Deputy Principal or Principal supporting the student’s application.

How to apply:

Submit a Reflective Essay (800 words maximum) in response to the questions below:
Tell us how the Screen and Media Gateway to Industry Schools program has shaped your educational journey and future pathway to the screen industry.
Tell us how you have contributed to your school/class’ Screen and Media program.
Where do you see yourself working in the Screen Industry and why?
Add your CV into the same document after the Reflective Essay
Please name your file: FirstnameLastname_Application
School Statement. Please name your file: FirstnameLastname_SchoolStatement
- Must be completed signed off by Nominating Teacher or Head of Department or Deputy Principal AND Principal with the school letterhead
- Please write a statement supporting your student’s application.
  - 500 words maximum
  - Please address how the nominated student has demonstrated outstanding qualities of a Screen and Media practitioner, leadership and how they champion screen and media subjects.
  - Please include confirmation of Screen and Media subject/s studied.

Accessibility option: Students may submit the reflective essay as a video essay if this format better supports their accessibility needs. Video essays should focus on the student’s response to the application questions, not production value. Maximum 5 minutes.

Gateway to Industry Schools program connects school students with industry to help students explore career options. The Screen and Media Gateway to Industry Schools project is delivered by Essential Screen Skills and is proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government.

Privacy Disclosure

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

Screen and Media GATeway School of the Year

Funded through the Screen and Media Gateway to Industry Schools project.

This award recognises a Screen and Media Gateway to Industry School that demonstrates a commitment to Screen and Media education and pathways to the Screen Industry. This school demonstrates active involvement in program initiatives, Screen and Media curriculum with connection to Screen Industry Practice and extra or co-curricular Screen and Media opportunities encouraging pathways to careers in the Screen and Media industry.

Prize: The winning school will receive a bespoke experiential learning opportunity tailored to the school’s needs (for example: bus fund for an excursion, industry incursion, funding for Teacher Professional Development etc). This will be co-designed with the Screen and Media Gateway Project Manager. This prize is funded through the Gateway to Industry Schools Project.

Applications close 14^th September, 2026

Eligibility:

You must have completed at least 1 year as an MOU Screen and Media Gateway School
Your school must have a current Memorandum of Understanding in place.
Your school must include a statement from the Principal supporting the application.

Judging:

A suitably qualified judging committee will review applications and determine the winner, which will be announced at the ESS Awards in November 2026.
Some applicants may be asked to make themselves available for an online interview to finalise results.

How to apply:

A written application (1000 words maximum) which addresses the selection criteria below:

How the Screen and Media Gateway to Industry Schools program has impacted your school
How your school fosters Industry Practices through film curriculum
How your school connects and maintains relationships with the Screen Industry
How your school encourages and provides opportunities for students to pursue a pathway to the Screen and Media Industry

Principal Statement:

500 words maximum
A statement addressing the award criteria supporting the school’s application

Privacy Disclosure

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

ATOM QLD HELEN YEATES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MEDIA EDUCATION

Helen has had more impact on the introduction and development of Media Education in Queensland than any other individual, through her activities as: one of the founders of Australian Teachers of Media in Queensland, and an early ATOMQld President during the organisation’s formative years; Chair of National Media Education Conferences that promoted the expansion of Media Education in Australia; advocacy for the development of Media Education curriculum in Queensland; development of Media Curriculum as a teaching area at QUT; an innovative contributor in the field of creative industries theory and practice; supporting the Brisbane International Film Festival and other major film culture events; an inspirational teacher and mentor of undergraduate and postgraduate students in Film and Television at QUT.

To find out more go to https://www.atomqld.org.au/award-for-excellence-in-media-education

Essential screen skills awards