Epic Games together with screen agencies from all Australian states and territories are pleased to announce the culmination of the first Unreal Engine Short Film Challenge.

Luna stands on a beach the only child ever born on the Moon-but her weak Moonling body would never survive on Earth.

Participating film makers ranged in levels of creative and technical experience, and the quality of the resulting short films is a testament to the fantastic talent in the region, and the power that real-time tools put in the hands of creatives.

Over 1,800 aspiring and seasoned artists and film makers from all across Australia took part in free Unreal Engine online training over the course of two weeks, through which they learned the latest techniques in real-time animation and virtual production, and then teamed up to create short film pitches.

Sixteen of the top pitches were selected and given $20,000 AUS to produce a short film in six weeks. Of the final shorts, Cassini Logs,submitted by NSW creatives, Timothy Cole, Alexandru Popescu and Isabella Povolny,was selected as the top film receiving a $50,000 grand prize.

The winning film is above.

“The level of production quality achieved in these shorts is remarkable considering the tight six-week turnaround”.
– Connie Kennedy, Head of Los Angeles Lab – Epic Games.

Since her parents separation, 16 year-old Molly is undergoing a transformation that she doesn’t yet understand.

All Australian state screen agencies: Screen NSW, Film Victoria, Screen Tasmania, Screen Queensland, Screen Canberra, Screenwest, South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Territory came together to put the call out for participants across the country. The sixteen selected film making teams also collaborated with visual effects facilities, production studios, and universities across Australia to leverage every tool in the virtual production play book from LED stage shoots, to real-time animation work flows, to performance capture, in-camera visual effects, and VR.

The resulting films portray everything from futuristic journeys into alternate universes under the sea and in outer space, to suspenseful live-action narratives with stunning visual effects, and thoughtful, whimsical fully animated tales.