Stellar Judges 2018
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry has taken on some of the biggest acting jobs in Australia over the last two decades. He’s a star of film, television and stage, and we are beyond rapt to have him at Stellar.
Steve’s roles have covered the gamut of characters and emotions, from the lovable Dale Kerrigan in ‘The Castle’ to the downright evil John in 2017’s ‘The Hounds of Love’.
Audiences will also know him from roles in ‘The King’ (playing Graham Kennedy), ‘Changi’, ‘The Cup’, ‘The Secret Life of Us’, ‘Wog Boy’, ‘Take Away’ and those brilliant Toyota/AFL ads alongside legends of AFL (oh and you too Dave Lawson), to name just a handful of his credits.
He’s justifiably praised for his acting ability, but we love him even more for the fact he’s a genuine 5-star good guy and makes us laugh.
Never shy to take on a challenge, Steve will be watching the ‘Stellar 12’ finalist short films with us all on Saturday, 3 March, and casting his vote for the winner and runner up.
Michael Caton
He’s the Australian acting equivalent of being in your happy place – a man who makes people smile just by looking at him. Depending on your age, he’s like everyone’s favourite mate, Dad or Grandfather, and he’s coming to Stellar!
Ladies and gentleman, we are beyond thrilled to announce that Michael Caton will join the judging panel for the first annual Stellar Short Film Festival.
Michael has one of the most successful acting careers in Australia, spanning six decades, and has a plaque on the Australian Film Walk of Fame to prove it!
His TV credits are too numerous to list but include roles in ‘Skippy’, ‘The Sullivans’, ‘A Country Practice’, ‘Five Mile Creek’ and ‘Packed to the Rafters’, plus he’s been on stage in productions like ‘Hair’ and ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical’.
As for film, audiences around the world know Michael thanks to cracking performances in dozens of films, most notably our fave ‘The Castle’. Michael will be reunited at Stellar with his co-star Stephen Curry, making it a night sure to be filled with memories and photos that will go “straight to the pool room”.
Cassandra Magrath
Cassandra Magrath is ditching her film set for a day to be one of our guest judges at Stellar!
With a career that began when she was just 11 years old on TV’s ‘Ocean Girl’ and is currently over 25 years strong, Cassandra has a wealth of industry credits to her name.
She’s perhaps best known for playing the part of ill-fated backpacker, Liz, in one of the most famous and chilling Australian horror movies of all time, ‘Wolf Creek’, but there’s an impressive list of roles on stage, TV and film that have kept her working full-time as an actress. Just a few of these include ‘Sea Change’, ‘House Husbands’, ‘Wentworth’, ‘Winners and Losers’, ‘Blue Heelers’ and even the best training ground of all, ‘Neighbours’, as well as a plethora of short films including last year’s ‘Liz Drives’.
She’s one of the most likeable people in the industry, and we can’t wait to have Cassandra join us
Nadia Tass
Nadia Tass' career as a film and stage director spans almost 30 years. Her feature film debut was ‘Malcolm’ in 1986, which was a worldwide hit starring Colin Friels. It won 8 AFI awards, including Best Film and Best Director, plus 23 international awards.
She followed with ‘Rikky and Pete’, then one of the best Australian comedies of all time, ‘The Big Steal’, and went on to helm ‘Pure Luck’, ‘Stark’, ‘Mr Reliable’, ‘Amy’, ‘Matching Jack’ and ‘Fatal Honeymoon’. As well as these features and others, Nadia directs films and high-end television movies in the US for Universal Studios, Disney, Warner Brothers, ABC America and CBS.
She has been honoured by the American Cinematheque in LA with a retrospective of her work, and by Film Victoria with the Screen Leader Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Screen Industry.
Scott Major
We are happy to have Master of Ceremonies for the Stellar Short Film Festival … the quadruple threat, actor/director/producer/writer SCOTT MAJOR!
Scott is in the rare but happy position of being in constant demand in the competitive entertainment industry, having worked extensively in television, theatre and film around the world for the past 28 years. Generations of Australians know and love him from his regular television roles on ‘Heartbreak High’ (who can forget our favourite bad boy Rivers?!), ‘Wildside’, ‘Neighbours’, and ‘Always Greener’. Film credits include: ‘Envy’, ‘He Died With a Falafel in His Hand’, ‘Ned’, ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ and the soon-to-be released ‘Trench’. His recent theatre work includes ‘The Subtle Art of Flirting’, ‘Closer’, ‘Terminus’ and ‘Salt’. He has been directing on Neighbours for the last five years and is also a director and founder of Poppy Seed Theatre Festival.
