Simon Toy’s True Love was awarded the top honour in a highly competitive field at the 2011 Village Roadshow Studios Kinetone Award for Best Overall Film at the Village Roadshow Studios Queensland New Filmmaker Awards (QNFA), held on Sunday 13 November at the State Library. 

As well as taking home the main prize, True Love topped the leader board in the awards 25^th anniversary year, taking out four awards including the highly coveted Brisbane City Council Best Drama award, THE postWORKS Best Editing Award and The Post Lounge Best Sound Award.  The Village Roadshow Studios QNFAs recognise and reward aspiring filmmakers from Queensland, and is Australia longest running industry sponsored filmmaking competition. 

More than 85 entries were received from filmmakers across the state, with 25 receiving a nomination for the 13 awards on offer.  Over the past 25 years, judges have presented more than 400 awards and launched the careers of some of Queensland’s most successful filmmakers.

Helen Yeates, one of the founders of the QNFAs, was given special acknowledgement with a surprise award at the ceremony for her dedication to unearthing Queensland film talent, including her ongoing contribution to the Village Roadshow Studios QNFA over the past two decades.

Helen Yeates is a renowned nurturer of filmmaking talent in Queensland, through her work with the QNFAs, with the Brisbane International Film Festival, and as an educator in Australian and international cinema at the Queensland University of Technology’s Creative Industries.

A full list of Village Roadshow Studios QNFA winners follows.

Village Roadshow Studios QNFA is a part of the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) which ended with the award ceremony on Sunday 13 November.

2011 CATEGORY WINNERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Village Roadshow Studios Kinetone Award for Best Overall Film

True Love – Simon Toy

QUT Creative Industries Best Overall Tertiary Production Award

Living With Georgina – Felicity-Rose Harrison

JMC Academy Best Overall Secondary Production Award

Heist – Justin Gowdie

Liquid Animation Best Animation Award

Gus – Andrew Martin

Brisbane City Council Best Drama Award

True Love – Simon Toy

University of Southern Queensland Best Documentary Award

Intimate Details – Rachel Williams

Griffith Film School Best Director Award

Living With Georgina – Tanika Pratt

Kodak / Village Roadshow Digital Film Laboratory Best Cinematography Award

The Forgotten Men – Jack Wareham

The Postworks Best Editing Award

True Love – Simon Toy

QPIX Best Production Design Award

The Last Tango in Sunnybank – Billy Shannon, Rosetta Cook & John Haag

The Post Lounge Best Sound Award

True Love – Simon Toy

International Film College Original Screen Music Award

The Forgotten Men – Cameron McKenzie & Phil Slade

AFTRS Best Emerging Talent Award

Blood – Kaylee Burgess