ACTF News

After a seven-year hiatus, Trop Jr - Australia's national short film competition for young filmmakers aged 15 and under - is back in 2026. Powered by the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF), Trop Jr gives young people a platform to develop their storytelling skills, share original ideas and experience the creative process behind screen production.

Throughout the year, the ACTF has been supporting students, teachers and families through a series of free Trop Jr Masterclasses with former finalists. Significantly, every Masterclass guest has gone on to forge a professional career in the screen industry, demonstrating the long-term impact initiatives like Trop Jr can have in nurturing Australia's future creative workforce. 

Charlotte McLaverty

After launching Trop Jr at Tropfest in Feburary, emerging director Charlotte McLaverty was the first guest for the ACTF's free Trop Jr Masterclass series, taking participants behind the scenes of Social, the short film that earned her runner-up honours at Trop Jr in 2019 when she was just 15. 

Following her success with Trop Jr, Charlotte co-wrote and directed Dolly’s Dream, an anti-bullying short film for the Alannah & Madeline Foundation. She continues to build an impressive screen career whilst studying screen production at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and working across short films, television commercials and other screen projects.

Yianni Rowlands 

Director and animator Yianni Rowlands led the second Trop Jr Masterclass, sharing his experience as the winner of Trop Jr 2016 for his stop-motion film Chess People. From transforming his childhood bedroom into an animation studio for Trop Jr, Yianni has established himself as a director, working with major arts and cultural organisations and commercial clients while developing his own slate of film projects. His trajectory from Trop Jr finalist to screen practitioner highlights the role that accessible creative opportunities can play in developing the next generation of Australian screen talent.

Lachlan and Austin Macfarlane 

The ACTF's third Trop Jr Masterclass will feature Brisbane filmmakers Lachlan and Austin Macfarlane, who created The Sock Dimension, the film that earned them a place in the 2018 Trop Jr Final. 

Since their Trop Jr success, the Macfarlane Brothers have built a hugely successful independent digital filmmaking brand, attracting more than one million YouTube subscribers and hundreds of millions of views. They have collaborated with major organisations including Warner Bros, Sony Pictures and Amazon Prime, represented Australia at Cannes after winning the 2023 Cannes Young Lions Film competition and established themselves as leading voices in the creator economy.  

ACTF CEO Jenny Buckland said: “Trop Jr is not only creating a platform for young people to tell their stories, but also helping to build the next generation of Australia's screen industry. The achievements of Charlotte, Yianni and the Macfarlane Brothers demonstrate what can happen when young creators are given the support, confidence and stage to develop their ideas into original screen content. For educators, policymakers and industry leaders, Trop Jr is a reminder that investing in children's creativity today helps shape the storytellers, innovators and screen practitioners of tomorrow.” 

The ACTF has created a free Trop Jr Education Resource designed for Year 5 – 10 teachers to support their students in hands-on filmmaking. For children whose schools do not take part in Trop Jr, the resource can be used at home individually or as part of a team. It is designed to support young people through every stage of creating a short film, from the first spark of an idea to the final edit. You can explore the resource here.

Submissions for Trop Jr open Wednesday 12 August and close Friday 18 September.  

You can view Trop Jr Masterclasses with Charlotte McLaverty and Yianni Rowlands and register for the free upcoming Masterclass with Lachlan and Austin Macfarlane here.