Isolation Film Festival - 360 films submitted and the winners are....with links to where you can see them

Announcing the Winners of
Isolation Film Festival

Classic, Lido, Cameo and Ritz Cinemas' short film competition was a "self-isolated" success.

From an incredible 360 entries, the winners of the Isolation Film Festival have been chosen by the Classic, Lido, Cameo and Ritz Cinemas team. 

The festival encouraged people to "create while they hibernate" and submit a short film of no longer than three minutes, while also ensuring that the filmmaking process abided by all self-isolation rules as defined by the Australian government. 

There were no parameters around the story, however most filmmakers took the competition as an opportunity to make films – in both fiction and documentary formats – about the human experience of self-isolating during a global pandemic.

The Close Call  was the winning film in the 18 and over category, submitted by filmmakers Nick Harriott, Nick Spellicy and Ryan Stubbs. It takes the now all-too-familiar experience of encountering tech difficulties while trying to make a video call, and runs wild with it. A young man unknowingly puts his entire life in jeopardy when he accidentally joins a conference call with the sinister 'New World Order'. The twist at the end of the film makes for a satisfying payoff.

Harriott, Spellicy and Stubbs met and became collaborators while studying at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney. They've worked on projects together since 2014 but this was the first time they'd collaborated on something with so little face-to-face contact.

"We had to invent new ways of working on the fly, but it was easily the most fun we've had during isolation. Without the festival motivating us, I doubt we would have ever tried something this ambitious," the filmmakers said.

"Hopefully when the lockdowns end we can get back to more traditional filmmaking, and we can cast actors who aren't our dads."

Harriott, Spellicy and Stubbs have won a $1000 cash prize and a golden ticket valid for free movies for a year at Ritz Cinemas from when cinemas are allowed to open their doors to the public again.

Isolation Shorts  was the winning film in the Under 18 category, submitted by Lexie Rough. It shows a busy family isolating together, with the youngest sibling in the family desperately trying to find someone to help her alter her sister's old pair of jeans so to fit her. Everyone's too busy to help her... until guilt gets the better of them all, with hilarious results.

Lexie Rough has won herself a $500 prize, a golden ticket valid for free movies for a year at Lido Cinemas from when cinemas are allowed to re-open, and an unlimited pass to the Children's International Film Festival, happening later in the year. 

In the 18 and over category, the second-place prize winning film was Isolation by Rod Lara, about a lonely man trying to celebrate his birthday in lockdown, and third-place went to Hot Tea by Joshua Collis-Bird, about a man trying to make a cup of tea when the last teabag in the house has been snatched by a small stranger. 

In the U18 category, the second-place prize winning film was Felix's Day Off, inspired by the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, made by Felix and Caspa Wallis-Carnie. Third-place prize went to Bug by Grace Taranto, about a young woman who wants to fly like her favourite insects.

Every single valid entrant in the competition won a double pass to use at their closest cinema when they're open once again.

In the video announcing the winners, posted on the cinemas' Facebook pages, Eddie and Lindy Tamir, owners of the four cinemas, said "It's inspiring that the human impulse to create and connect, and to look for the positive in these crazy times is still alive and well. We felt much less isolated watching these films."

The Isolation Film Festival has been nominated in Time Out's 'Time In' Awards celebrating the best responses to the 2020 lockdown, in the 'Favourite Interactive Arts Class or Activity' category. 

Melbourne Cinemas:
Classic Cinemas, 9 Gordon Street, Elsternwick, VIC 3185
Lido Cinemas, 675 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, VIC 3122
Cameo Cinemas, 1628 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave, VIC 3160
Sydney Cinema:
Ritz Cinemas, 45 St Pauls Street, Randwick, NSW 2031.

Above: The Close Call by Nick Harriott, Nick Spellicy and Ryan Stubbs. Winner of the Isolation Film Festival, 18 and over category.

Above: Isolation Shorts by Lexie Rough. Winner of the Isolation Film Festival, U18 category.