Best of Wagga Waggafest revealed at Special Awards Screening Night

14 October 2015

For immediate release

Best of Wagga Waggafest revealed at Special Awards Screening Night

Sheraden Robins has again taken out the top prize at the annual Wagga Waggafest Special Awards Screening Night by just four points.

The winners were announced at the Civic Theatre on Wednesday 14 October and also live-streamed on Waggawagga.TV.

A countback was needed to decide the Hume Bank Best Overall Film prize worth $2500, with Robins and collaborator Klutch Kable edging out CSU student Thomas Parker.

Sheraden’s high-flying feature The Wagga Wagga Sky featured cameos from Charles Kingsford Smith and Harry Houdini in an animated adventure, while Thomas celebrated our region’s beauty before educating the community on illegal dumping in Don’t Waste Wagga.

Thomas didn’t go home empty handed, taking out the Charles Sturt University Prize, while Robins also won the Waggawagga.tv Best Wagga Visual.

Waggafest judge and ABC Open producer Sonya Gee was so impressed with Thomas’ entry, she contacted the photographer and filmmaker to blog about his entry (https://open.abc.net.au/explore/105212).

The hard work wasn’t over for Gee and fellow judges Peter Cox and Lex Marinos, with the Mayfly Media Best Young Filmmaker also going down to the wire. Jacob Hillis-Skerry’s Blue took out the prize by a single point over Jessica and Amy Martin’s Wagga Unveiled.

In the spirit of this year’s theme “the best is yet to come”, more than half the entries for 2015 Waggafest qualified for the under 18s category.

Youth shone through again, with the Martins awarded the Thirsty Crow Best Wagga Story, while the young guns from Kooringal Public School year 5/6 tech team won the Wagga Wagga City Council Best Original Sound for The Future is Bright, Bright Is The Future.

Waggafest 2015 winners

 Hume Bank Best Overall Film ($2500): The Wagga Wagga Sky, Sheraden Robins

 Charles Sturt University Award ($1000): Don't waste Wagga, Thomas Parker

 Mayfly Media Best Young Filmmaker ($500 or a prize of similar value): Blue, Jacob Hillis-Skerry

 Thirsty Crow Best Wagga Story ($500 or a prize of similar value): Wagga Unveiled, Jessica and Amy Martin

 Waggawagga.tv Best Wagga Visual ($500 or a prize of similar value): The Wagga Wagga Sky, Sheraden Robins

 Wagga Wagga City Council Best Original Score ($500 or a prize of similar value): The Future is Bright, Bright Is The Future, KPS Year 5/6 Tech Team

Vote in the 365 Cups People’s Choice Award

The judges have had their say, now it’s your turn!

Following the Waggafest Special Awards Screening Night, the 365 Cups People’s Choice competition has launched.

The film with the most votes will win a $500 prize, which will be announced during Wagga’s Australia Day celebrations.

The 2014 People’s Choice winner was The Enemy Within, which told the tale of former NRL player and champion boxer Joe Williams’ battle with depression.

Head to www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/waggafest to cast your vote.

About Waggafest

The Tropfest-inspired short film competition was developed by Council and ties in with the city brand.

Adopted in December 2010, the brand concept is that Wagga is more than just one big thing – it’s about the hundred things that are different for all of us, but add up to the city being a great place to live, work and play.

-Ends-

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Contact Josh Lang 6926 9190/0437 385 892 or media@wagga.nsw.gov.au or follow us on Twitter - @WaggaCouncil