‘The Kents’ awards creativity in focus

The versatile JPC Atrium played host to ‘The Kents’ 2025, our College’s annual awards evening for Year 12 and 13 Media Studies and Animation students working at Excellence level. Part film premiere, part prize-giving, the event welcomed peers, families, and a remote judging panel to view and assess the year’s best work. Now a fixture of the College arts calendar, the evening recognises not only technical achievement but also the imagination and persistence required to take a project from concept to screen.

This year’s event was rich in both variety and vision. Two Year 13 films shared the honour of Best Film. Pestilence (Emma Coatsworth, Samantha Stewart, Sophia Hoskin), a historical drama-thriller, follows a young woman confronting her mortality after contracting a deadly disease, drawing on a mysterious connection to the past to survive. Equally lauded was Brightside (Reuben Black, Nathan Dick, Miriam MacFarlan), a tech-noir horror about a man disillusioned with corporate life who turns to a pair of glasses for escape, only to find it comes at a cost.

In the Year 12 category, As the Rain Falls (Vivien Shao, Milly MacLeod, Fletcher Houghton) was awarded Best Film. This poignant work combined evocative cinematography with strong storytelling, capturing the judges’ and audience’s attention alike. Homework, also collected a series of awards for their use of genre conventions, visual score, score, and creativity. 

Cautiously hailed as “the best ever” selection of films by Head of Media Studies, Luke Oliver, the evening left the audience with plenty to discuss. The storytelling on display, particularly when expressed through such inventive means, is a skill that will serve these students well beyond their grades.

Award Winners:

Year 13 Media Awards

Best Film: Pestilence – Emma Coatsworth, Samantha Stewart, Sophia Hoskin & Brightside – Reuben Black, Nathan Dick, Miriam MacFarlan

Best Screenplay: Brightside – Reuben Black, Nathan Dick, Miriam MacFarlan

Best Editing: Brightside – Reuben Black, Nathan Dick, Miriam MacFarlan

Best Actor: Reuben Black (Brightside)

Best Supporting Actor: Nathan Dick (Brightside)

Best Costume and Make-up Design: Pestilence – Emma Coatsworth, Samantha Stewart, Sophia Hoskin

Best Art and Production Design: Pestilence – Emma Coatsworth, Samantha Stewart, Sophia Hoskin

Best Cinematography: From Then On – Charlie Killick, Daniel Shen, Jarvis Chen

Best Visual Effects: From Then On – Charlie Killick, Daniel Shen, Jarvis Chen

Best Sound Design: The Red String – Sophie Sampson, Carter Stokes, Sophie Wood

Best Use of Genre Conventions: Post Humorous – Gem Williams, Morgan Alley, Nina Beniston

Audience Choice: Brightside – Reuben Black, Nathan Dick, Miriam MacFarlan

Year 12 Media Awards

Best Film: As the Rain Falls – Vivien Shao, Milly MacLeod, Fletcher Houghton

Best Cinematography: As the Rain Falls – Vivien Shao, Milly MacLeod, Fletcher Houghton

Best Ensemble Cast: The Missing Link – Kayla de Vos, Anna Li, Matthew Ho

Best Editing: The Missing Link – Kayla de Vos, Anna Li, Matthew Ho

Best Use of Genre Conventions: Homework – Cash Gallagher-Ruru, Lucas Grant, Jamie Cearns

Best Visual Effects: Homework – Cash Gallagher-Ruru, Lucas Grant, Jamie Cearns

Best Score: Homework – Cash Gallagher-Ruru, Lucas Grant, Jamie Cearns

Most Creative Film: Homework – Cash Gallagher-Ruru, Lucas Grant, Jamie Cearns

Audience Choice: As the Rain Falls – Vivien Shao, Milly MacLeod, Fletcher Houghton

Animation Awards

Best Animation Film (Year 13): Tonight – Joy Xie

Best Character Design (Year 13): Happiness – Skye Perry

Best Storytelling with Animation (Year 13): Reflection – Reuben Jansen van Vuuren

Audience Choice (Year 13): Reflection – Reuben Jansen van Vuuren

Best Animation Film (Year 12): Fish! – Jazelle Sahay

Best 2D Animation (Year 12): Fish! – Jazelle Sahay

Best Character Design (Year 12): The Cave – Amelie Gould-Pretorius

Best 3D Animation (Year 12): The Healing Stone – Mitchell Orr

Audience Choice (Year 12): Fish! – Jazelle Sahay