The Australian Cinematographers Society NSW Awards last Saturday celebrated the best in screen – with AFTRS students and alumni winning 20 awards across 13 categories. Four AFTRS films and 12 alumni were recognised in the awards, showcasing the depth of talent of the next generation of cinematographers.
The Master of Arts Screen (MAS) film Fracture saw cinematographer Tim Oxford secure Gold in the Short Film category ahead of its international premiere at BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival next month in the UK, and after premiering domestically at CinefestOZ.
Tim’s work has been doubly celebrated in 2025, also winning Bronze in the Documentary category with the AFTRS production Bringing His Spirit Home. The MAS short documentary had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival and received special recognition from SCEDI (The Standing Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) at the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT) congress, which took place last month in Mexico. Tim had previously been recognised for his work with the AFTRS production Suture, a visual poem with rich imagery and an exploration of the cinematography craft, which won the Silver ACS NSW Award in 2024 in the Art, Innovation, and Specialised Cinematography category.
The Silver award in the Short Film category was also awarded to an AFTRS production for outstanding cinematography by Deva Kannaya Somu. The MAS film, Interview with a Hero, had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival earlier in the year, and it took director Celeste Diep to MIFF’s Accelerator Lab, also seeing production designer Nathan Evans awarded the AFTRS Emerging Designer for a Screen Production at the Australian Production Design Guild (APDG) Awards.
AFTRS students dominated the ACS NSW Awards in the Student Category, taking home every award. Jake Frazer won Gold for The Native Police, created in collaboration with fellow student Charles Perkins. Jonathan Le Grice earned Silver for Watch Me Burn, completed during his Masters at NFS in London, while Bronze went to Gus DeVylder for his AFTRS proof of concept film Ayana.
Alumni achievements were equally remarkable, with awards spanning nine categories and four Gold wins, including Drama Series and Feature Film. A standout moment came when Jonathan Le Grice won Gold in Art, Innovation and Specialised Cinematography for Death’s Peak, which also received the prestigious Ross Wood Snr Judges’ Award for 2025 Best Entry, his second time earning this honour after Echoes of Darkness in 2022. Collaborating alumni Mia Schirmer and Anna McGirr took Silver in the same category for If/When.
The evening of celebration also saw Erika Addis (ACS National President and AFTRS alum) gaining ACS accreditation.
The ACS NSW Awards celebrate the essential craft of cinematography, and how, through its combination of artistry and technical skill, it defines the look, tone and emotional impact of every production.
The ceremony took place last Saturday, 25 October. Awards for each state and territory are held in October and November each year, with Gold winners automatically progressing through to the ACS’ National Awards for Cinematography.
See the complete list of NSW winners here.
Here’s the list of AFTRS students and alumni awarded last Saturday:
- Student Cinematography
Gold – Jake Frazer with The Native Police
Silver – Jonathon Le Grice with Watch Me Burn
Bronze – Gus De Vylder with Ayana
- Entertainment, Magazine and & Reality TV
Silver – Josh Flavell ACS with Creative Types – Patricia Piccinini
Silver – Aaron Smith ACS with Creative Types – George Miller
Bronze – Peter Mullins with Gardening Australia Junior – Ep. 6
- Art, Innovation and Specialised Cinematography
Gold – Jonathon Le Grice with Death’s Peak
Silver – Mia Schirmer & Anna McGirr with If / When
- Branded Content and Advertising
Bronze – Ian Tyley with ADT – Protect What You’ve Built
- Corporate – Branding, Education & Events
Silver – Josh Flavell ACS with Scout Motors X Chris Hunt
- Commercials – Budget under $200K
Silver – Zachary Hardaker with With You at Every Turn
- Documentaries
Bronze – Tim Oxford with Bringing His Spirit Home
- 2nd Unit Cinematography
Bronze – Josh Flavell ACS with Heartbreak High S2 E4
- Short Films
Gold – Tim Oxford with Fracture
Silver – Devamanikandan Kannaya Somu with Interview with a Hero
- Drama Series – Budget $1M and Over
Gold – Jules O’Loughlin ACS ASC with The Old Man S2 E5
Gold – Nicola Daley ACS BSC with The Handmaid’s Tale S6 E8 – Exodus
- Feature Films – Budget under $5M – Cinema
Silver – Aemon Barzanji with Bunny
- Feature Films – Budget $5M and Over – Cinema
Gold – Andrew Commis ACS with Inside
- Ross Wood Snr. ACS Judges Award for 2025 Best Entry
Jonathon Le Grice – Death’s Peak
