The Game We Play, a short horror film sponsored by the Australian Performing Arts Conservatory (APAC), recently took home an impressive 11 awards at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival 2024 (July edition)! Directed by the amazing husband and wife team Amanda and Mirko Grillini and produced by APAC (powered by GEDU) this film took out nearly half of the 22 categories it was eligible for. This is not only a testament to the fear factor of the film but also to the talent emerging from APAC’s graduating class and how we develop and support future stars in the industry. 

The Hollywood Blood Horror Festival 

IMDb qualifier, the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival is an LA International online film festival. It is designed for filmmakers to promote their work through an online platform. The festival recognises outstanding contributions from horror, gore, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, dark comedy, thriller, crime, action, adventure, comedy, animated genres and documentaries, especially low or no-budget plus-student films. 

The story behind The Game We Play 

The Game We Play will immerse you in a chilling yet exciting scenario. It’s a terrifying story about four friends who wake up only to find themselves tied to chairs, beaten and disoriented, with no memory of how they got there. As the story unfolds, tension increases and a door opens in darkness, unveiling their nightmare. After watching the film, you will see how this horror story won 11 awards at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival 2024 (July Award) in the following categories. 

1. Best Horror – Mirko Grillini and Amanda Grillini 
2. Best Actor – Mirko Grillini 
3. Best Actress – Mariana Freitas 
4. Best Supporting Actor – Liam Dewar 
5. Best Supporting Actress – Chantelle Lal 
6. Best Acting Ensemble – Mirko Grillini, Liam Dewar, Chantelle Lal, Mariana Freitas and Finn Buxton 
7. Best Cinematography – Hing Ang 
8. Best Editing – Hing Ang 
9. Best Sound Design – Rowan Cottingham 
10. Best Original Score – Jacy Grillini 
11. Best Horror Comedy – Mirko Grillini (Honorable Mention at the Lit Scares International Festival) 

These awards recognise not only the technical and narrative ability of the film but also the dedication and creativity of APAC students from the Tri 3 2022 admission, who will be graduating in September 2024. Before beginning the production of The Game We Play, all the actors went through rigorous 11 weeks of character development to turn from learners to professional actors and filmmakers. Furthermore, to prepare our students for portraying intense and violent scenes in the film, at APAC, we also provided stage combat and intimacy facilitators to safeguard the physical and mental well-being of our students and staff. 

These awards won by The Game We Play are just the beginning of what APAC students can achieve. In addition to being honoured at the LIT Scares International Film Festival in the United Kingdom, the film is also part of the official selection at the Snow Leopard Film Festival in Sweden and Fright Nights in Austria. These awards open the door to new opportunities not only for the film but also for the talented APAC students who brought it to life. The triumph of The Game We Play has set high standards for future projects.  

At APAC, we continue to nurture talent and push the boundaries of what our students can do. It won’t be stretching when we say that by enrolling in our acting course, you can expect to be a part of such innovative projects and succeed independently in the film industry in the coming years.