BBFF2026 | Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year
Catch the Rising Wave of Australian Talent
The next generation of storytellers is here - bold, brilliant, and ready to be seen.
Scores of Young Australian Filmmakers entered BBFF’s coveted Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year Competition this year. This session features the top finalists for 2026.
5pm Saturday 17 October at Palace Cinemas
Sponsored by Mercato On Byron the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year Competition has been part of the Byron Bay International Film Festival (BBFF) since 2007, and it continues to shine a light on the voices of tomorrow. Each year, the competition gives emerging filmmakers a platform to share their vision and be recognised for their talent, passion, and fresh ideas.
These films reflect a wide spectrum of voices and styles - from sharp-edged drama to playful experimentation - united by the courage of young filmmakers eager to test the boundaries of story and form. With many nominees attending in person to share their perspectives, this screening offers a rare and inspiring opportunity to encounter the next generation of cinematic storytellers.
It’s a celebration of emerging talent, bold ideas, and the future of film.
-
AND THE WINNER IS...
This year’s finalists represent a new generation of Australian filmmaking, each bringing their own perspective, style and creative voice to the screen.
Meet the filmmakers selected for the 2026 Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year, and discover more about the people behind the films you’ll see in this special BBFF2026 session.
Following the films we announce of the 2026 Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year.
The Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year Award is proudly sponsored by Mercato on Byron.
-
CORBAN BRUCE
Enmeshed
After being kidnapped and forced on a road trip by his schizophrenic mother, James pretends to believe her delusions. However, the longer he goes along with her plan, the more disconnected from reality she becomes.
Corban Bruce is a filmmaker who tells complex narratives that challenge and expand perspectives. He has worked on several short film projects over the past two years and is now finding himself in the directors chair.
-
TYLER KANG
Fenômeno Boy
12-year-old Aidan skips school to play football, and returns home with the haircut of his idol. His Dad navigates the complex terrain of crushing his child’s dreams gently.
Tyler Kang is an award winning Malaysian-Australian filmmaker, graduating from AFTRS BA in 2025. His work explores themes of Asian-Australian cultural identity, diaspora and memory through documentary and fiction.
-
IMOGEN TYLER
Gemini
In the minutes before a skating championship, Mark and Alisa, a long-time skating duo and childhood couple, go head-to-head with the competitive team of David and Tessa. Old flames are reignited and long buried truths teased out.
Imogen Tyler is a screenwriter-director who is dedicated to telling authentic stories with universal hard-hitting themes, playing with genre and non-linear storytelling, often through a queer lens.
-
ANDY JADWIGA LAYCLARK
In The Trees
The story of Sasha the Great and Rory the Brave, two leaders of opposing forest fort gangs who unexpectedly form a friendship. Their newfound bond is tested when the war between their gangs forces them to betray one another.
Andy LayClark is an emerging writer-director who tells stories about the small moments we don’t pay too much attention to in the hustle of everyday life, exemplifying the complexities of how we think and how we love as humans.
-
LAYLA PHILIPPOU + RUBY REARDON
Nothing and the Sun | Byron Premiere
Eleven-year-old Mallee has recently lost his mum, and is struggling to navigate a world broken open. Across a day spent with his friend, Alby, and Alby’s Mum, he searches to find a reflection of his experience, attempting to understand his new reality.
Layla and Ruby are AFTRS graduates who have used their shared experience of grief to explore the complexities of human connection through emotionally resonant filmmaking.
-
CLAIRE RIVERLAND
Simmer | NSW Premiere
After being fired from her parents’ cooking show in Hong Kong, 20-year-old Sunny shamefully returns to Melbourne. Facing intergenerational pressure, Sunny is forced to choose between inherited ambition and forging an identity of her own.
Claire Riverland is an Australian–Chinese–Polish director & actor whose films combine evocative visuals with deeply felt storytelling, drawing on her global outlook, multicultural upbringing, and love for nature and human connection.
-
THOMAS MATTHEWS
Solar Retaliation | NSW Premiere
In an alternate 1990s where the Cold War rages on, the U.S. and Soviet Union are still stuck in a space race. Tensions rise amongst Soviet cosmonaut Polina and her crew as the nature of their mission is revealed to be more serious than anticipated.
Thomas Matthews (22) is a Griffith University film production alumnus, with experience as an editor and gaffer on various short films.
-
JAKE JAMES WHITFORD
The Squatters and the Fairy Princess | NSW Premiere
On her 10th birthday, a self identified Fairy Princess recounts her previous birthdays which have all taken place living in a house amongst eccentric squatters.
Jake James Whitford is an AACTA award-nominated writer and director based in Melbourne. His storytelling focuses on creating characters with unique and raw experiences, mostly focusing on isolation and self discovery, whilst humanising these experiences.
-
NICHOLAS BURT
The Way of the Wind | Byron Premiere
In the early 20th century, after the Frontier Wars, The Ragged Man runs across the vast landscapes of the Australian Outback, pursued by a violent past and a connection to a deadly sniper.
Nicholas Burt is a cinematographer and director with extensive experience in short films, music videos and commercials. His craft is centred on finding the humanistic and intimate moments within filmmaking.
SESSION TIMES
-
PALACE BYRON BAY
Saturday 17 October 5pm