REELZ
Student Film Festival
HOTA Presents Gold Coast Secondary Schools
Mon 24 Nov
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.
A $4 transaction fee will apply for e ticket delivery purchases (excluding free events + donations).For Hold at Box Office ticket delivery purchases, a $6 fee will apply.Please view full Terms and Conditions prior to purchasing your tickets.
#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.
Please note, to be selected as part of the Gold Coast Film Festival 2026 EMERGE! Student Shorts Programme and attend the Gala Event, the film must be event 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.
Registration and Film Submission:
Teachers, please complete the following form.
#Links to curriculum
ACARA 9.0 Media Arts Descriptors and Elaborations
Years 7 – 8
Creating and Making
Design and structure media arts works to effectively communicate ideas, perspectives, and meaning to a specific audience. Apply production processes and media arts concepts to create representations that convey intended messages, while ensuring responsible media practices throughout the creation and presentation of the work.
Presenting and Performing
Present media arts work, using responsible media practices and considering potential relationships the work could create with audiences.
Years 9 – 10
Creating and Making
Design and structure media arts works that explore and communicate ideas, perspectives, and meaning. Apply production processes and media arts concepts to create representations that engage specific audiences, either confirming or challenging their expectations.
Presenting and Performing
Present media arts work to audiences and plan approaches for creating relationships with audiences if/when media arts works are distributed in selected personal, community and/or institutional contexts using responsible media practice.
QCAA
Years 11 –12
Media Arts in Practice 2024 v1.1 - Applied senior syllabus
- Unit Option A: Personal Viewpoints
- Unit Option B: Representations
- Unit Option C: Community
- Unit Option D: Persuasion
Film, Television & New Media 2025 v1.2 - General senior syllabus October 2024
- Unit 1: Foundations
- Unit 2: Stories
- Unit 3: Participation
- Unit 4: Artistry
Film, Television & New Media 2019 v1.2 - General Senior Syllabus
- Unit 1: Foundation
- Unit 2: Story Forms
- Unit 3: Participation
- Unit 4: Identity
General Capabilities
Critical and Creative Thinking
- Generating
- Create Possibilities
- Consider Alternatives
Digital Literacy
- Creating and Exchanging
- Create, Communicate, and Collaborate
#Acknowledgements
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