AACTA and Gold Coast Film Festival Announce the three PROOF finalists

AACTA and Gold Coast Film Festival Announce the three PROOF finalists with each film project to receive a $65,000 Development, Production and Support package.

Tonight at the 2026 Gold Coast Film Festival, Deadline, The Water Tank and Tick, Tick, Tick were announced as the finalists of PROOF, each receiving production funding and support valued at $65,000 to produce a 10-minute proof-of-concept short film.

PROOF is a strategic development initiative from AACTA and the Gold Coast Film Festival, supported by Screen Queensland, Gold Coast, Sony, Panavision and The Post Lounge. PROOF has been designed to bridge the gap between early-stage development and real theatrical momentum by backing proof-of-concept shorts that can scale into commercially viable feature films. By embedding audience building from the outset and equipping filmmakers with production support and industry access, PROOF is giving three Queensland-based projects a strong foundation of market awareness and audience interest for their films.

The initiative attracted over 100 applications, with the high calibre of entries presenting a significant challenge for the judging panel in selecting the final three projects. 

“Congratulations to the three PROOF finalists. This initiative empowers filmmakers to produce and focus on their audience. These three finalists did that, and we are proud to support these Queensland teams in their next steps.” said Julie Eckersley, Executive Director, Screen Content at Screen Queensland. 

The recipients are:

Deadline - Lachlan Macfarlane, Austin Macfarlane, Sam Lingham

The Macfarlane Brothers are filmmakers and content creators known for their high-octane action-comedy videos, which have garnered over one billion views online.

Their proof-of-concept film Deadline follows a disillusioned prodigy who, on the night of his graduation party, is confronted by his jaded future self, who will cease to exist unless he chooses a university degree he does not want to take. The concept hints at the larger sci-fi scale of the feature while grounding the story in a deeply relatable struggle: the paralysis of indecision.

The trio said "We’re incredibly grateful to AACTA for the opportunity to tell this story and continue growing our careers in the screen industry. We’ve been developing this coming-of-age time travel idea for years and are so excited to finally bring it to life.”

The Water Tank - Allison Brownmoore and Jodie Camilleri

Led by BAFTA-nominated writer-director Allison Brownmoore and producer Jodie Camilleri, this female-led team presents the survival thriller The Water Tank.

After an accident leaves a single mother trapped in a water tank on a remote Queensland property, she is unable to reach her children as they edge closer to danger, until her nonverbal daughter becomes the architect of their survival.

“We are super excited for this opportunity! After two decades in animation, it’s an exciting move into live action and an important step toward our feature. We’re thrilled to bring The Water Tank to life through this brilliant initiative!” said producers Allison and Jodie.

Tick, Tick, Tick- Peter Bartels and Ashleigh Lawrence

Based on the true story of writer Peter Bartels, and in collaboration with regionally based emerging producer Ashleigh Lawrence, Tick, Tick, Tick centres on Peter’s own life-threatening experience. The story follows an ordinary man who discovers his life-saving heart valve is a ticking time bomb and must join forces with a scrappy Texan lawyer to hold a corporate giant accountable before his time runs out.

The duo said “We’re thrilled and honoured to be a finalist for AACTA Proof. Tick, Tick, Tick is a gripping human drama based on real events, and this initiative gives us the chance to collaborate with an established producer to bring the story to screen, while opening new pathways for our future in the film industry.”

 “We applaud all of our applicants for really showing off the depth and level of creative talent in Queensland, although it gave our selection committee quite the task! There were so many really incredible and interesting projects that deserve an audience and we’ve been encouraged by the response. We hope to give these three compelling film projects the very best chance to cut through to their distinct audiences. Can’t wait to see them on the big screen, in front of a huge audience and our grand jury at AACTA Festival 2027, and see which one rises to the top” said Ivan Vukusic, Awards and Industry Development Manager at AACTA.

Luke Wheatley, CEO of Gold Coast Film Festival said “For twenty-five years, the Gold Coast Film Festival has proudly championed Queensland filmmakers. Our programme has always centred on elevating local talent — and the Proof concept initiative is the natural next step in that commitment, placing Queensland storytellers firmly at the heart of everything we do.” 

The Selection Committee include Greg Denning (Head of Sales and Acquisitions and Development at Studiocanal), Kristian Connelly (CEO, Cinema Nova), Tanya Ellen (Head of Content, Screen Queensland), Michael Selwyn (ex Vice President Paramount Pictures, Gold Coast Film Festival board member), Luke Wheatley (CEO, Gold Coast Film Festival) and AACTA’s Ivan Vukusic.

Kristian Connelly, CEO of Cinema Nova said: “This initiative has shown the diversity of up and coming talent who will hopefully lead Australian cinema culture into the future; many of the submissions indicated that the next generation of filmmakers have an eye for global appeal, which is welcome news.”

The teams will now embark on a tailored program to develop and produce a proof-of-concept short for a mid-budget Australian feature. Each team will receive a comprehensive prize package designed to support both creative and commercial development. This includes a $20,000 production fund, along with complimentary equipment hire from Panavision and Sony valued at $15,000, and post-production support from The Post Lounge valued at $30,000, and two online workshops focused on audience building and digital marketing provided by Cinch Media. 

Teams will also benefit from the attachment of an experienced Executive Producer, providing guidance throughout the development and production process. This is complemented by access to two exclusive online workshops focused on audience development and innovative digital marketing strategies.

For more information head tohttps://www.aacta.org/aacta-development-initiatives/proof/.