By Gavan O’Connor, Director Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation
On the evening of 15 November, I had the pleasure of attending the public screening of the finalists in the Emerging Filmmaker Awards, showcased as part of the North Bellarine Film Festival 2025 (NBFF).
This year, the Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation proudly co-sponsored a brand-new category within the Emerging Filmmaker Awards. The evening brought together an impressive range of short films from talented creators across Victoria. The diversity, creativity, and technical skill on display made it a truly memorable night.
The support for this important category was unmistakable with local community groups, filmmakers and their families, commercial sponsors, the Portarlington Film Society, and our own Foundation all showed up in force. Festival Chair Bill Lussier expressed his gratitude throughout the evening, acknowledging how meaningful this support is to the growth of the Festival and the filmmakers it champions.
Our Foundation’s involvement extended beyond sponsorship. I also had the privilege of serving as a judge, an incredibly challenging task with so many outstanding entries. The level of filmmaking talent emerging from our region, and across the state, is genuinely exciting.
A highlight of the night was the screening of “Lara”, written, directed and co-starring one of our own, Leah Baulch. Leah is a past recipient of a Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation Grant, and it was wonderful to see her work on Lara featured as part of the Festival program. She also joined MC Chris Bryan for a Q&A session, offering insights into her creative process and production journey.
Huge congratulations go to Bill and the NBFF Committee for delivering another successful Festival. They continue to foster a supportive, vibrant platform for filmmakers of all levels.
And now, eyes forward: 2026 promises to be a breakout year for filmmaking in our region. The NBFF will celebrate its 10th Anniversary, and the Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation will be staging a bigger and better 48-Hour Film Frenzy Shoot Out across the Geelong region.
So, to all Friends of Geelong Waterfront Film, let’s make 2026 a landmark year for creativity across Geelong, the Surf Coast, the Bellarine and beyond. Big things are coming, and we’re pumped!
Photos: Captured by GWF Committee Member and photographer extraordinaire, Tracie Sullivan.
