A young TAFE NSW Wollongong student is on the path towards a career as a director and writer after winning a prestigious award at last month’s Short and Sweet Illawarra film festival for a short film she shot in just one day. 

Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media student Logan Sheldrick won the emerging Illawarra Filmmaker Award for The Flight of the Living Planes, a five-minute film about a man who is killed by the paper planes he makes while confined to his home. 

The judges chose Logan’s film – made with three friends - over a strong field of competitors, and with a prize of camera hire worth $500 they hoped it would encourage her to make more films and contribute even more to the screen scene in Illawarra. 

Screen Illawarra says it’s a good time to be a young filmmaker in the area, with growing opportunities in the sector, including the recent production of a new Paramount Plus television series, One Night, which was partially filmed in the Illawarra and premiered on September 1. 

Logan said the award came as a pleasant surprise. 

“We just set out to have fun and make a film that was a bit silly, so I didn’t expect to win but I think the judges saw the effort we put in to pull some tricks out of the hat with visual effects on the green screen and liked what we did,” she said. 

“I was able to shoot the film in one day, largely due to the skills I’ve learned at TAFE NSW, so I’m looking forward to making more films and building my career.” 

TAFE NSW Screen and Media teacher Camille Favaloro said the film sector in the Illawarra was going through an exciting growth period. 

“There’s a real vibrancy in the screen and media scene in the Illawarra, with opportunities growing not only for filmmakers and producers but also those learning skills as diverse as podcasting, radio and television producing or animation, just to name a few,” she said. 

“Our students are going on to get jobs in the administrative and creative side of filmmaking, so it’s exciting to see Logan develop a pathway towards her goal of directing. 

As her relationship with TAFE NSW continues, Logan is hoping to use her growing knowledge and experience to make more films, including an untitled film now in development. 

“I’m now working on a microfilm of about one-minute – which is harder than it might sound – which I plan to present to other film festivals. 

“With this recognition from the industry and the knowledge I’ve gained at TAFE NSW, I’m really excited about a career in the film business.”