Bell
Shakespeare
Shorts
Festival

2023 Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival Winners

With an incredible 42 films submitted this year from students across the country, we're thrilled to announce the winners of the 2023 Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival! Thank you to all students from across Australia who submitted films about, or inspired by, Shakespeare. It was a joy to watch all of them, and we were so impressed by the work of young filmmakers nationally.

Congratulations to the following films and associated creative teams:

Community Spirit Prize

  • The Bard Baffles The Bay
    Tomaree High School NSW

Excellence in Storytelling (Joint winners)

  • M.Beth
    Santa Maria College WA
  • Insidious Intent
    Uzair Fauzi, Freya Hicks, Emilee Chan
    Christmas Island District High School WA

Excellence in Direction

  • Romeo and Julian
    Kevin Chu, Andrew Nguyen, Rupert Tait
    Cranbrook School NSW

Creative Vision Prize

  • Sonnet 73
    Alfie Swann
    Blue Mountains Grammar School NSW

Excellence in Performance (joint winner) & Top Film – Secondary

  • The Faults in Our Selves
    Prince Alfred College
    Adelaide SA

Excellence in Performance (joint winner) & Top Film – Primary

  • The Late Arrivals
    Buhagiar, McLean & Cameron families
    Port Hacking NSW

Watch the winning entries here:

2023 Winners2023 Winners

The Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival will be back next year...

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Calling all young filmmakers, performers and storytellers - welcome to the 2024 Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival where we retell Shakespeare on screen.

The Festival is open to young people from primary and secondary schools across Australia, as well as household entrants who may want to work on a film individually.

Participating schools and households will have access to a suite of video resources on filmmaking and performing Shakespeare, worksheet resources for students and teachers, as well as a teacher workshop.

By submitting films, students have the chance to win great prizes for themselves and their school, and share their films with a national audience!

Films must be about, or inspired by, Shakespeare and follow these guidelines:

  • Films must be no more than 5 minutes in duration (secondary schools) and no more than 3 minutes (primary schools);
  • Films can be shot on a smartphone, tablet or camera;
  • Films must use Shakespeare’s original text, or be inspired by Shakespeare’s language, plays or characters in some way; and
  • Films must reflect your school and/or your unique community in some way.

Full terms and conditions can be read here.

RESOURCES

To assist with the filmmaking process from inspiration to creation, take a look at our video and worksheet resources, including teacher notes.

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Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival 2023

2023 JUDGES

Peter Evans, Artistic Director, Bell Shakespeare
Deanne Weir, Film producer
Hazem Shammas, Actor
Jessica Tovey, Actor
Kyle Morrison, Actor & Director

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