AFTRS students and alumni have been recognised with 40 awards during the Australian Cinematographers Society’s month-long celebration of cinematography across the country.
The ACS Awards operate as a national system, with ceremonies representing members from all States and Territories. Starting with the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, the celebration continued throughout November with events in South Australia and Western Australia (1 November), Victoria and Tasmania (15 November), and concluded with Queensland and the Northern Territory (22 November).
Nationally, six AFTRS films were celebrated, showcasing the depth of talent and creativity among the next generation of cinematographers graduating from AFTRS. Nine AFTRS students and alumni will have their work further recognised as State and Territory Gold winners, progressing to the 2026 ACS National Awards for Cinematography, which will be held in Adelaide in May 2026.
At the ACT/NSW Awards, AFTRS students and alumni won 20 awards across 13 categories. Four AFTRS films and 12 alumni were recognised, highlighting the strength and vision of emerging cinematographers. Find the full award list here.
Here’s the roundup of awards for the other states and territories.
Queensland and Northern Territory
AFTRS students and alumni won 15 awards across 11 categories at the Queensland and Northern Territory ceremony.
Recent graduate Kevin Nguyen was recognised for his work on AFTRS productions Boymode and A Cop From Wagga. He received a total of four awards, including the Kali Batemen Student Encouragement Award.
The Master of Arts Screen documentary A Cop From Wagga had its world premiere at the Antenna Documentary Film Festival and screened at the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival. The film revisits 1973, when Terry O’Connell was a junior police officer and, during his rounds, was randomly assaulted by a teenage boy. Instead of imposing the full weight of the law, Terry set out to revolutionise the way crime and punishment were treated by society and law enforcement.
Kevin previously won Gold for the AFTRS production Quiet Night Thought at the 2023 ACS QLD & NT Awards.
AFTRS alum Shing Fung Cheung achieved ACS Accreditation and won Gold in the Feature Films – Budget Under $5M category for Outside. It was also a standout year for AFTRS alum Jason Hargreaves ACS, who took home four awards, including Gold for Invisible Boys and We Were Children. Ben Cotgrove dominated the branded content and advertising categories, winning three awards, including two Golds for commercials and a Gold in the Short Film category for The Guard.
Here’s the full roundup:
- ACS Accreditation – Shing Fung Cheung ACS
- Kali Batemen Student Encouragement Award – Kevin Nguyen
- Student Cinematography
Silver – Kevin Nguyen with Boymode
- Music Videos
Silver – Jason Hargreaves ACS with Electric Green Lambo, Dope Lemon
- Art, Innovation and Specialised Cinematography
Gold – Jason Hargreaves ACS with We Were Children
- Drama Series – Budget Under $1M
Gold – Jason Hargreaves ACS with Invisible Boys
- Commercials Budget $200K & Over
Gold – Ben Cotgrove with Meridian, World of Numbers
- Documentaries
Silver – Alexander Shingles with Hera
Silver – Kevin Nguyen with A Cop From Wagga
- Branded Content and Advertising
Silver – Ben Cotgrove with Calm, Stopping Suicide
- Commercials Budget Under $200K
Gold – Ben Cotgrove with Pinterest x Habitat, The Lamp
Silver – Jason Hargreaves ACS with Wallace Bishop, What They Wished For
- Short Films
Gold – Ben Cotgrove with The Guard
Silver – Kevin Nguyen with Nightfall
- Feature Films – Budget Under $5M
Gold – Shing Fung Cheung ACS with Outside
Bronze – Julian Panetta with Dead Eyes
South Australia and Western Australia
In South Australia and Western Australia, AFTRS alumni Judd Overton received a double award, and Oliver Hay was celebrated for the feature, The Aegean.
- Commercials Budget $200K & Over
Silver – Judd Overton with Domain, Up All Night
- Serial TV & Comedy Series
Silver – Judd Overton with Laid S1 E4 Flagstaff
- Feature Films – Budget Under $5M – Cinema
Silver – Oliver Hay with The Aegean
Victoria and Tasmania
AFTRS alumni Stuart Heppell and Vincent Lamberti were recognised in the Documentaries, and in the Entertainment, Magazine and Reality TV categories for their work.
- Entertainment, Magazine and Reality TV
Bronze – Stuart Heppell with Backroads Forrest
- Documentaries
Bronze – Vincent Lamberti with KillJoy
See the complete list of ACS Award winners here.
