Winners announced for 2023 Youth Photographic Award & Short Film Prize
Published on 08 November 2023
Beware the Power, Daniel Slade, Yr 12, Cranbrook School - 2022 Senior entry, Winner: Highly Commended
Congratulations to all our 2023 photographic and short film winners!
Impressive technical skill and artistic vision, playful and captivating imagery and imaginative visual effects typify the winning entries in Woollahra Council’s 2023 Youth Photographic Award and Short Film Prize.
More than 180 photo and short film entries were submitted by students from 13 different high schools for the annual competition.
Celebrating its 30 year anniversary in 2023, The Youth Photographic Award and Short Film Prize showcases the talent of young aspiring photographers and filmmakers, providing an opportunity to reach a broader audience and win cash prizes from a total pool of $3,350.
Photographic entries were judged by photographer and artist Gary Trinh, while short film entries were judged by artist and photographer Lulu Pinkus.
Winning photographs and short films will be exhibited until 26 November at the Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, with all entries available to view online through the Gallery’s website.
The Winners
Winners received their awards at a special presentation ceremony held at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf on 8 November.
The Senior Photography Prize was awarded to Sydney Boys High School student Justin Huynh for his work In Absentia; Renee Lam of Ascham School was awarded the Junior Prize for Stay and Loreto Kirribilli student Megan Cheung’s Sky Rat Myriad and Emanuel School student Tennyson Wheeler’s Shadows of Light jointly received the Black and White Prize.
The Quiet Place by Lacey Prokop from Ascham School received the Mayor’s Choice Award Senior category and Fresh out of the Shearing Shed by Dylan Davidson from Cranbrook School won the Mayor’s Choice Award Junior category.
The Short Film Prize went to Waverley College student James Iatrou for his film I Miss You.
Woollahra Mayor Richard Shields praised the creativity of entrants and their expertise in producing a broad range of expressions, intense self-reflections, natural vistas, abstractions, experimentations and reflections of everyday life.
“The technical skill and imagination required to produce imagery of the quality of submissions this year is just extraordinary,” Mayor Shields said.
“Congratulations to all of the winners and entrants and a big thanks also to all of the schools who support the Prize, nurture their students’ talent and encourage them to enter.”
Woollahra Gallery is open Wednesday 1-6pm, Thursday to Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm at 548 New South Head Road, Double Bay. Admission is free.
List of all winners
Senior Category
First Prize $300
In Absentia, Justin Huynh, Yr 12, Sydney Boys High School
Highly Commended $150
Beware the Power, Daniel Slade, Yr 12, Cranbrook School
Junior Category
First Prize $300
Stay, Renee Lam, Yr 8, Ascham School
Highly Commended $150
Sleep Walking, Bronte Walsh, Yr 8, Ascham School
Highly Commended $150
Aurora Light in One Night, Alexandra Kovalenko, Yr 9, Kincoppal Rose Bay
Black and White Category
First Prize $300
Sky Rat Myriad, Megan Cheung, Yr 9, Loreto Kirribilli
First Prize $300
Shadows of Light, Tennyson Wheeler, Yr 8, Emanuel School
Highly Commended $150
Shivers, James O'Rourke, Yr 9, Cranbrook School
Highly Commended $150
Lost, Charlotte Fletcher, Yr 9, Kincoppal Rose Bay
People’s Choice (announced 7 December)
Prize $150
No Worries Bondi, Jonathan Gold, Yr 11, Cranbrook School
Mayor’s Choice Awards
Junior Category
First Prize $200
Fresh out of the Shearing Shed, Dylan Davison, Yr 7, Cranbrook School
Highly Commended $100
Deflated, Nicole Wei, Yr 9, Kincoppal Rose Bay
Senior Category
First Prize $200
The Quiet Place, Lacey Prokop, Yr 10, Ascham School
Highly Commended $100
Salty Hour, Zac Coonan, Yr 11, Waverley College
Short Film Winners
First Prize $400
I Miss You, James Iatrou, Yr 12, Waverley College
Highly Commended $200
Cibernetic Dissonance, Felix Swan, Yr 12, Cranbrook School
Highly Commended $200
BEYOND, Dimitri Tsovolos, Kalan Cusick, Brannavan Prabaharan, James Cao, Yr 10, Sydney Boys High School
Find out more about the 2023 Youth Photographic Award & Short Film Prize