2025 Romance Rules Film Festival winners

Romance Rules Film Festival 2025 – A Fantastic Night of Film

The Romance Rules Film Festival at Studio 138 was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night of short films exploring romance in all its forms. There were plenty of laughs, moments of reflection, and a great sense of community as we enjoyed films from around the world.

The audience favourite ended in a three-way tie:

Little Issues – Directed by Jerah Milligan (USA)

The Meaning Of No – Directed by Reid McGowan, Mik Gojic (Australia)

26 eXes – Directed by Tess Lafia (USA)

Congratulations to these filmmakers for their outstanding work.

Thank you for being part of this celebration of storytelling. We look forward to welcoming you to our next event.

2025 Romance Rules Film Festival – Official Selections & Tickets

Join us for the 2025 screening of the Romance Rules Film Festival. We have a great line-up of short films from around the world all about romance – the good, the bad and the ugly!

When: February 21, 2025 @ 7.30 pm

Venue: Studio 138, 54 Mountbatten Drive, Dubbo, 2830

BYO: Drinks & snacks

Some films include adult themes, sexual references and occasional coarse language

Tickets: $15 (inc GST) at the door and online (see secure ticket link below)

Note: strictly limited tickets.

Romance Rules Film Festival

Romance Rules Film Festival

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Official selections

These will be screened at the festival

Little Issues, dir – Jerah Milligan, United States
FOTOAUTOMAT, dir – Rémy Mégard, Australia
Reflexion, dir – Alan Bidard, France
My Darling Helen, dir – Joy Mc Keon, Ireland
The Meaning Of No, dir – Reid McGowan, Mik Gojic, Australia
26 eXes, dir – Tess Lafia, United States
TALK, dir – Dario Nadile, Australia
VILLETTA CON PISCINA (Villa with pool), dir – Karma Gava, Italy
Sidewalk Serendipity, dir – Elvia Hill, Blake Cortes, United States
INDOOR, dir – DHAWAL POKLE, India
Sticky Buns, Ravioli, and White Cake, dir – Nicole Pouchet, United States

Finalist

These films will not be screened and were finalists in the selection process.

Last Night, dir – Patrick Nevian, Alice Schmidt, Germany
Yohiro, dir – Luigi Di Domenico, Italy
People Come and People Go, dir – Jess Milne, Australia
Dinner Parties, dir – Jess Milne, Australia
Bacon Sundae, dir – Leon Braun, Australia
A Night’s Chemistry, dir – Jamal Thomas, United States
The Perfect Stranger , dir – Jack Davies, United Kingdom
CAKE, dir – Isaiah Sturge, Not Specified
Someday Soon, dir – Amanda Romero, United States
I am not alone, dir – Michael Parks, Singapore
Al Revés, dir – Luis Figeuredo, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
The Patricia Party, dir – Jonathan Frey, United States
Julienne of Light Bulbs, dir – Dave Lojek, Germany
La Conquista, dir – Julen Laburu, Argentina
You’re My Kind, dir – Joseph Gerges, Australia
The Cut After The First, dir – Matthew Shadbolt, Australia
Trip Down Memory Lake, dir – Nick Bolton, Australia

2024 Romance Rules Film Festival

The official selections of the 2024 Romance Rules Film Festival were screened at the Black Box Theatre Theatre at the Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, on February 16, 2024.

What a fantastic night of diverse films!

Program

Official selections

  1. Slow Dating, dir Adam Szudrich (Australia)
  2. For a Moment, dir Coco Tolentino (United States)
  3. A Rose in the Mud, dir Kailey McComas (United States)
  4. Dear Heartbreak, dir Ffion Pritchard (United Kingdom)
  5. TutuTango, dir Dorothee Elfring, Michael Finbar Sheehan (United States)
  6. Bud, dir Jamie Martinez (United States)
  7. Beta Days, dir Dan Walls (Australia)
  8. The Holidaze of Noelle Snow, dir Courtney Anne McLaren (United States)

Featured film (non-competition)

  1. Greek Philosophia And Chickens, dir Aimiende Negbenebor Sela (United States)

Nominees and award winners

Audience Favourite Award Winner

Winner:

TutuTango, dir Dorothee Elfring, Michael Finbar Sheehan (United States)

Equal second:

  • The Holidaze of Noelle Snow, dir Courtney Anne McLaren (United States)
  • Slow Dating, dir Adam Szudrich (Australia)
  • Beta Days, dir Dan Walls (Australia)

Best Cinematography

Winner:

Brendan Williams – Slow Dating

Finalists:

  • Ryan Chernin – Bud
  • Mariam Salahvarzi – For a Moment

Best Actress

Winner:

Julie Collis – Slow Dating

Finalist:

Janina Picard – Bud

Best song/music/soundtrack/score

Winner:

Michael Lira – Slow Dating

Finalist:

Noah Berry – The Holidaze of Noelle Snow

2024 Romance Rules Film Festival – Official Selections & Tickets

Join us for the 2024 screening of the Romance Rules Film Festival. We have a great line-up of short films from around the world all about romance – the good, the bad and the ugly!

When: February 16, 2024 @ 7.30 pm
Venue: Black Box Theatre, Western Plains Cultural Centre,
76 Wingewarra Street, Dubbo, New South Wales, 2830
BYO: Drinks & snacks
Some films include adult themes, sexual references and occasional coarse language

Tickets: $12 each (including GST) online and at the door

Featured film (non-competition)
“Greek Philosophia And Chickens”

We are so excited to present the award winning short Greek Philosophia And Chickens, written by Despina Moraitu Politzi, directed by Aimiende Negbenebor Sela and starring Germaine Gaudet (How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood, River of Ghosts), Brian D Cohen (Nash Bridges, The Rookie), Lukas Hassel (Blacklist, Slapface, Limitless) and Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Gigli, Tango Shalom).

Part drama, part comedy with a hint of romance, Greek Philosophia and Chickens follows a sixty-something best-selling romance author who, feeling invisible as woman, hires an assassin to take her out. An encounter with chef/restaurant owner, Niko, and his vivacious waitress mother, Katina, from whom she learns a Greek philosophy/saying that really gets her thinking maybe…?

Official Selections

Beta Days, dir Dan Walls (Australia)

A Rose in the Mud, dir Kailey McComas (United States)

Bud, dir Jamie Martinez (United States)

For a Moment, dir Coco Tolentino (United States)

Dear Heartbreak, dir Ffion Pritchard (United Kingdom)

The Holidaze of Noelle Snow, dir Courtney Anne McLaren (United States)

Slow Dating, dir Adam Szudrich (Australia)

TutuTango, dir Dorothee Elfring, Michael Finbar Sheehan (United States)

All official selections will be eligible to be voted as “Audience Favourite”.

Finalists

Category winners will be announced at the end of the screening.

Best Cinematography

  • Brendan Williams – Slow Dating
  • Ryan Chernin – Bud
  • Mariam Salahvarzi – For a Moment

Best Actress

  • Julie Collis – Slow Dating
  • Janina Picard – Bud

Finalists best song/music/soundtrack/score

  • Noah Berry – The Holidaze of Noelle Snow
  • Michael Lira – Slow Dating

Romance Rules Film Festival is back for 2024

We’ve had a break but Romance Rules Film Festival is back and open for entries!

All genre’s are welcome, as are non-English films (as long as there are English subtitles). Films should be 10 minutes and under.

A number of selected films will be part of our live screening in February, 2024. Early deadline ends November 2023.

Enter on FilmFreeway.

Romance Rules Film Festival: Monthly results, April 2021/22

Romance Rules Film Festival celebrates all things romance – the good, the bad and the ugly! To find out more or to enter your film, see:

Romance Rules Film Festival

April results – official selections & finalists

Romance Rules Film Festival: Monthly results, March 2021/22

Romance Rules Film Festival celebrates all things romance – the good, the bad and the ugly! To find out more or to enter your film, see:

Romance Rules Film Festival

Romance Rules Film Festival 2020 – official selections

Romance Rules Film Festival

Part 1

Stood Up – Cjay Boisclair (Canada, 2019)

Kandy – Dubbo Filmmakers (Dubbo, 2014)

A Violent Noise – Natalie MacMahon (Germany, 2019)

Beat – Pascale Potvin (Canada, 2017)

Space – Erifili Davis & Kellie Jenner (Dubbo, 2017)

Hungry Millennials – Edward Fearon (Australia, 2019)

Petrichor – Cameron Moon (UK, 2019)

Intermission

Part 2

Village Cafe – Alina Gerasimova (USA, 2019)

Turn It Around – Ingeborg Putter (Netherlands, 2017)

100% Girl – Chen Liangyu (Taiwan, 2019)

Backbeat – Martin Blank (USA, 2019)

Slides – Andres Padilla (USA, 2018)

Connection – Erifili Davis (Dubbo, 2018)

Maria – Robert Burns

Lit – Thia Schuessler (USA, 2019)

Audience Choice Award Winners

Congratulations to the teams behind the short films Petrichor and Stood Up, joint winners of our Romance Rules Film Festival Audience Choice award.

A big thank you to all the other filmmakers who contributed to a wonderful night of film.