As we close in on our earlybird deadline for submissions for the 15th edition we are very excited to announce the jury for 2023. It’s essentially an all-Australasian affair of rising stars and bona fide legends, giving their time to help support and nurture the independent dark genre filmmaking scene.

The three feature film judges are Sydney’s Kiah Roache-Turner, Lauren Grimson, and Tasmanian Sam Curtain.

Short film judges are Melbourne’s Cassie Magrath, Sydney’s Doug Turner, and from the Blue Mountains, Sara Elizabeth Joyce.

Judging the unproduced screenplay competition we have Sydney’s Ally Burnham, Tassie’s Benjamin Jung-Clarke, and from Christchurch, New Zealand, Lynnaire MacDonald.

Also included in the jury this year is the very welcome return of Chicken & Chips Casting hotshots, Alison Fowler and Stephanie Pringle, who are once again sponsoring and awarding the Best Performance in an Australian Short Film.

We have an exciting announcement to make in the coming weeks in regard to a new creative competitive component in the festival. Keep your eyes peeled for that!

Check out the full jury and credentials here.