REELZ Student Film Festival

REELZ
Attention Young Filmmakers! 🎬

HOTA Education is excited to launch our new Student Film Festival, REELZ.

Are you a creative student with a passion for filmmaking? Don’t miss your chance to shine at the REELZ Student Film Festival! This exciting event invites Gold Coast and Northern NSW students in Years 7-12 to showcase their finished Media Arts, Film, Television & New Media, and Visual Arts short films on the big screen at HOTA. This is your opportunity to gain exposure and recognition in the world of film.

Submit your work, connect with other young creatives, and let your talent take centre screen.

For further information please contact hotaeducation@experiencegoldcoast.com 

Submission Details

Who can apply:

Gold Coast and Northern Rivers students in Years 7 to 12 studying Media Arts, Film, Television and New Media, or Visual Arts are eligible to apply. Students are required to obtain approval from their subject teacher for their film submission and must have the teacher complete the registration process on their behalf.

Film Categories:

Students can produce a film under any genre or stimulus that aligns with curriculum assessment requirements.

Year 12 students please note, to be selected as a prize winner in the Gold Coast Film Festival 2026 EMERGE! Student Shorts Programme and attend the Gala Event, the film submission must be a narrative.

Film submissions can be submitted in the following formats:

MP4, MOV, MPEG, DCP, or 1080p h.264 QuickTime

 

Students are invited to submit films in the following categories:

• Visionaries (Years 7–8): Films up to 2 minutes in length
• Creators (Years 9–10): Films up to 3 minutes in length
• Storytellers (Year 11): Films up to 5 minutes in length
• Masters (Years 12): Films 5-15 minutes in length

Review Panel:

Jo San Martin - Shorts Programmer | Gold Coast Film Festival

Ivan Vukusic - Awards and Industry Development Manager | Australian Film Institute (AFI) | Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA)

Scott Piper - Officeworks Education Business Specialist | Sound Department – Boom Operator – Boom Swinger| Actor

Brie Jurss - Director | Producer | Actor | Imperfect Creatives

Jack Alfred Kelly - Director of Operations | Camera Operator | Photographer | Production Designer | Imperfect Creatives

Prizes:

The Gold Coast Film Festival has generously donated a 15-minute segment in their 2026 EMERGE event to showcase selected Year 12 REELZ Student Film(s). The outstanding student work(s) will form part of the Gold Coast Film Festival 2026 EMERGE! Student Shorts Programme and Gala Event, providing an exciting opportunity for emerging filmmakers to present their work to a broader audience. The selected filmmaker(s) will be announced during the REELZ Student Short Film Event on Monday 24 November 2025.

Each festival category will feature its own exclusive prizes. More details coming soon — stay tuned!

Key Dates:

Application open: Tuesday 22 April 2025
Applications close: Friday 10 October 2025
Successful applicants notified: Thursday 30 October 2025

Inclusions:

All successful student applicants will receive one complimentary reserved seat for themselves at the film festival screening.