2025 Spiritus Short Film Prizes Awarded

11 Nov 2025

On Sunday 9th of November the Spiritus Short Film Prizes for 2025 were announced at the Dendy Cinema Canberra as part of the Canberra Short Film Festival. The announcement followed a screening of the nine short films selected as finalists from a large pool of entries. The films were enthusiastically received by the audience, including film-makers and their representatives, judges, and friends and supporters of the Spiritus Prize.

_{Photo credit - Maddie Sutherland}

Professor Peter Sherlock, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, announced the four winners at the end of the screening:

Open Prize for the best overall short film

Damian McLinden, for The Ranch Motel

18 and Under

Nou De Souza, for What If I Told You The World Revolves Around Dung Beetles?

Highly Commended

Eleanor Evans and Giovanni Aguilar, for Broken Homes

Commended

Alison Stanton-Cook, for He Was A Good Man

The films were judged by Genevieve Jacobs (ACC&C Board Member), Maximo Gowland (Argentine Ambassador), Miriam Pickard (Drama teacher and film maker), and Greg Battye (retired Professor, University of Canberra), and the judging panel commended the film-makers for their imagination and creativity in telling stories and conveying powerful emotions. Audience members gathered after the screening for a reception and an opportunity to share thoughts and views on all of the finalists in a wonderful celebration of the medium of short film.