APAC’s Students' Capstone Project Awarded at International Film Festival

Alchemy of Collaboration

Six students. Ten faculty mentors. One relentless deadline.

"We argued over Charlotte’s motivation for weeks," laughs Director Mirko Grillini. "Does she leave? Does she fight? That tension became the film’s pulse."

Daena Lucas, who embodied Charlotte’s vulnerability, credits the collaborative grit: "Charlotte’s journey from victim to vengeful witch needed raw honesty. We workshopped her rage in rehearsals , those silences where trauma simmers." Her performance, now crowned Best Actress, anchors the film’s emotional chaos.

Make-up Artist, Natalie Stanfield, scavenged op-shops for witchy portrayals. Composer Jacy Grillini scored tension using wine glasses and scraping stones.

And that showstopping spellbook?

Hand-bound by illustration students, its pages dripping with 'blood' made from corn syrup.

The Capstone Project

The whole thing kicked off as a capstone project for APAC's final-year crew.

Directed by faculty member Mirko Grillini, who brings his own acting chops from shows like Joe vs Carole, the film draws on the synopsis of a woman named Charlotte stuck in a tough spot.

She's in a bad relationship, hoping to fix her partner with old magic, flowers and herbs. But things spiral when a dark spellbook wakes up, leading to chaos.

Students like Daena Lucas, who played Charlotte, had to dig deep into her emotions. "It felt raw," Daena might say, recalling late nights perfecting scenes.

The Storyline of Unbinding Souls

Unbinding Souls is no ordinary student piece; it is a fully realised short film with themes that cut beyond its fantasy setting.

The storyline follows Charlotte, trapped in an abusive relationship, holding on to the memory of a love she hopes can be restored. When she turns to an ancient warlock and a circle of fellow witches for healing, she learns that magic can mend many things, but it cannot force a heart to change.

When control slips away, a dangerous spellbook is awakened, and what follows is as haunting as it is unforgettable.

Behind the Scenes

The making of Unbinding Souls wasn’t a smooth, polished journey. Cast and crew recall missed cues, retakes that stretched into the early hours and edits that seemed endless. But every challenge became part of the creative process.

Behind the scenes, a wild mix of talent stepped up, writers sculpted the plot’s raw tension, directors chose every angle with purpose, and actors made chaos beautiful.

By completion, the project had evolved into something far greater than the sum of its parts, a capstone project that spoke directly to contemporary storytelling while never shying away from complexity.

Actors’ Performances Paid Off

Production occurred in APAC's Brisbane city centre studios, where student filmmaking was integrated with acting instruction. The team mixed acting classes with hands-on student filmmaking.

They learned camera tricks, sound mixes, and even special effects for those witchy moments. Rhiannah Hatchett and Lachie Mackie, cast as supporting witches, refined incantations and movements through repetitive practice. They even practised chants and gestures until their arms ached.

Tony Nixon embodied the challenging role of the partner, blending intimidation with subtle hints of potential redemption. Can you imagine rehearsing fury without crossing lines?

They did, with guidance from lecturers like Sean Dennehy and Kristina Chapman.

The Extraordinary Cinematography

Challenges popped up everywhere during this capstone project. Budgets were tight, so creativity ruled.

Hing Ang, likely handling cinematography as in past APAC films, captured misty herb rituals with simple lights and fog machines.

Editing turned raw footage into a tight 15-minute thrill. One student quipped, "We brewed potions for the film, but our real magic was coffee at 3am."

That kind of spirit kept them going. APAC's small groups meant everyone got a say, from script tweaks to final cuts. No one sat on the sidelines.

Forget CGI.

The film’s true sorcery was human: collaboration bending impossibility into reality.

That warlock’s lair? A repurposed rehearsal room. The haunting forest? South Bank Park at 4am, shrouded in mist machines.

That Win-Win Motivation

Submitting to the international film festival felt like a leap. Out of the Can draws entries from everywhere, judging on story, craft and spark. When the win came, cheers echoed through APAC's halls.

For Daena, it opened doors to auditions. Daena’s performance as Charlotte stood out early, balancing vulnerability, strength, and the quiet ache of hope.

That performance resonated not only with audiences at the Out of the Can film festival but also with international juries, leading to her Best Actress award at the Asian Independent Film Festival 2025.

The Winning Formula?

Raw, unfiltered student energy, plus an environment where making mistakes is not only allowed but also encouraged. Nobody expects perfection on the first day in APAC’s halls.

Instead, it’s about chasing the story and sometimes running headfirst into it. The students and faculty, gathered around their big capstone project, delved into a world packed with ancient warlocks, emotional turmoil, and spells that echo far beyond the script.

Unbinding Souls isn't just a film; it’s proof of APAC’s hands-on approach to student filmmaking. Charlotte, the film’s protagonist, wrestles with heartbreak, hope and the dark side of magic, all wrapped up with the help of fellow witches and a whole lot of mystical misadventures.

But don’t let the fantasy fool you. Themes of resilience, the pain of staying too long in a bad place, and the search for change are all too real. And honestly, watching students bring that to life is something special, it’s student filmmaking at its bravest.

Why These Wins Resonate?

APAC stands out as a conservatory where students don't just study student filmmaking; they create films that snag spots at top events.

Look at our short 'Changing Lives', picked for the International Online Web Fest. That one, with input from Mirko and others, showed strategy and heart.

Or 'The Game We Play', the horror short that grabbed 11 awards at Hollywood Blood Horror Festival 2024. Wins included Best Horror for Mirko and Amanda Grillini, Best Actor for Mirko, Best Actress for Mariana Freitas, and more for folks like Liam Dewar and Chantelle Lal. Cinematography by Hing Ang, sound by Rowan Cottingha, all APAC talent shining.

As Sherri Smith (APAC’s Acting Lecturer) notes: "Our students don’t just learn film grammar. They speak it fluently. On set. Under lights. Where it counts."

Unbinding Souls is now submitted for additional festivals. Track its journey via APAC’s social channels, or wander down to Level 5, 102 Adelaide Street.

The spellbooks might be props, but the ambitions are deadly real.

Why Learn Filmmaking at APAC?

APAC is not simply a filmmaking school; it is a conservatory where performance, storytelling, and production are intertwined, and where the final measure of achievement isn’t a grade, but whether the audience remembers the film long after the credits roll.

This philosophy has not only brought awards for Unbinding Souls but also for Changing Lives and The Game We Play, proving APAC’s students can compete and win on some of the world’s most selective film festival stages.

International film festival, capstone projects and student filmmaking, that’s APAC. It’s where stories aren’t just imagined; they’re made, screened, and celebrated for the world to see.

So yeah. More laurels for APAC’s cabinet. But more than that? Proof that the best stories aren’t just told here. They’re lived. And celebrated worldwide.

Here’s a question, what’s next for APAC’s unstoppable students?

If past wins are any sign, you better stay tuned.