PRESENTED BY
The MIFF Schools Youth Jury, which was inaugurated in 2020, returns in 2026. The jury is a panel of three young filmmakers who deliberate on which title from the MIFF Schools program they deem the best, with the winning film receiving a $10,000 cash prize.
In partnership with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and ACMI, the jury members were selected from the best and brightest among Top Screen 2026’s participants.
Jake Symes is a young actor, filmmaker and musician from the Mornington Peninsula. His film Embers of the Past was awarded the first place Jury Prize for the VCAA Season of Excellence, Top Screens 2026. Jake has been on a number of film sets for TVC commercials as well as being behind the camera and in the creation process of films. He is now studying a Bachelor of Music and Arts Psychology at Monash University.
Zoe Bryant, director of Connecting Materials, is a fine arts student from Hobsons Bay studying at Monash. Her skills learned in VCE media continue to inform her artistic practice as it develops.
Andrew Nguyen is a Vietnamese-Australian filmmaker based in Balwyn North, Victoria. As part of his accelerated studies in VCE Media, Andrew wrote, produced and starred in the short film Steady, as She Goes (2025), a psychological horror film exploring themes of gender dysphoria, alienation and the internet, inspired heavily by the work of Jane Schoenbrun. Andrew is currently finishing Year 12 at Balwyn High School.
