The 2023 Stellar Judges
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!
Michael will join the judging panel for the fourth time at the 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 and was enlisted by KitKat for some wizardry in their popular TV ad campaign.
As for film, audiences around the world know Michael thanks to cracking performances in dozens of films, most notably our faves THE CASTLE, and LAST CAB TO DARWIN.
Tilda Cobham-Hervey
An Australian actor, director, and writer, Tilda has made a name for herself in film, TV, and live theatre. From being part of the renowned physical theatre company, Force Majuere in the hit show THE AGE I'M IN, to being a founding member of the award-winning Circus company GRAVITY AND OTHER MYTHS, Tilda has always pushed the boundaries.
Her powerful performances have earned her recognition and critical acclaim, including a Helpmann Award nomination for her performance in Andrew Bovell’s play THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE. Her feature films include 52 TUESDAYS, HOTEL MUMBAI, BURN, FLINCH and I AM WOMAN, and she’s had roles in two high-profile TV mini series: THE KETTERING INCIDENT, and BARRACUDA. Tilda's creative talents shine through in the short film she wrote and directed, A FIELD GUIDE TO BEING A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL, which won the Crystal Bear at the 2018 Berlinale.
In recent years, she's co-directed the short animation ROBOROVSKI and created an immersive theatre experience called TWO STRANGERS WALK INTO A BAR. Catch her latest performances in THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART for Amazon and the feature film YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA for Disney+.
Chloé Hayden
Chloé is an Australian AACTA winning actor, global motivational speaker, best selling author, and award-winning disability rights activist.
Chloé debuted her film acting career in short film JEREMY THE DUD and is now best known for her AACTA winning performance as Quinni in Netflix's HEARTBREAK HIGH, where she made history as Australia's first mainstream autistic actress, and one of the first autistic characters in history to actually be played by an autistic actress. Chloe's passion for pushing change is also highlighted in the documentary EMBRACE, KIDS (Taryn Brumfitt, Australian Of The Year), and most notably in her best selling memoir and self help book DIFFERENT, NOT LESS.
Natalie Erika James
Natalie Erika James is a Japanese-Australian writer/director and producer focused on female-driven genre stories told with heart.
Her debut feature, RELIC, is a psychological horror starring Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote and Robyn Nevin, produced by Carver Films, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories and the Russo Brothers’ AGBO Films.
RELIC premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was programmed in SXSW, BFI London Film Festival and Sitges Film Festival, The film received a nomination for Best Film at the 2020 IFP Gotham Awards, as well as nominations for Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay at the 2020 AACTA Awards, the Australian Director’s Guild Awards and the Australian Writer’s Guild Awards.
Natalie’s latest film is APARTMENT 7A, a horror-thriller for Paramount Pictures, starring Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest and Jim Sturgess.
Bradley Slabe
Bradley is an Annie Award-nominated and Oscar® shortlisted writer and director based in Melbourne. In 2018, his short film LOST & FOUND premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won an Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts Award (AACTA), two AWGIE Awards including the Major Award, and an ADG Award. With over seven million views online, it also took home a Webby and two Kidscreen awards.
In 2019, Bradley was a staff writer on the Kidscreen-nominated KITTY IS NOT A CAT on the Disney Channel and was listed as one of "25 Screenwriters to Watch" by Austin Film Festival and Moviemaker Magazine.
In 2020, he was funded by Scripted Ink to write DAMIEN, an original adult animated comedy. And in 2021, Bradley took part in Imagine Impact Australia 2, where he developed OWNER'S MANUAL, a hybrid feature animation, which recently secured funding from Screen Australia for further development.
Currently, he is in active development on original animated projects that are optioned with See-Saw Films (THE POWER OF THE DOG, THE KING'S SPEECH) and Easy Tiger Productions (SAVING MR. BANKS, RAKE).
Master of Ceremonies
Scott Major
Scott Major is a highly respected and award-winning director, writer, actor, and producer who has worked extensively in film, television, and theatre around the world for over 30 years.
Scott's experience in helming a vast spectrum of projects has made him one of Australia's go-to directors. His feature film directorial debut, DARKLANDS was nominated for an AACTA award for Best Indie Film. In 2019 he won the Australian Directors Guild award for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial and he was nominated again in the same category in 2021.
In long form, Scott's resourcefulness and creativity earned him the role of set-up director for Season 2 of noted drama series PLAYING FOR KEEPS, and his calm efficiency kept him very busy on the iconic Australian series NEIGHBOURS, where he directed over 200 episodes, including the honour of directing the “finale” in July 2022.
Scott’s work is so highly prized by Fremantle that they engaged him to direct the high rating four-part mini series, LIE WITH ME (sold to over 90 territories around the world) and the soon to be released four-part mini series RIPTIDE. Both won him strong praise from the producers for his preparation, commitment and passion.
Scott’s acting credits include the iconic series HEARTBREAK HIGH (1994 and 2022), ALWAYS GREENER, NEIGHBOURS, DOCTORS (UK), LOVE SOUP (UK, WILDSIDE, BLUE HEELERS, CITY HOMICIDE, and LATE FOR SCHOOL to name a few. His feature film credits include HE DIED WITH A FALAFEL IN HIS HAND, NED, TRENCH, and ENVY.
Scott’s diverse experience on both sides of the camera enables him to get the best from the cast and crew, and his abiding interest in finding fresh and compelling ways through the drama makes him one to watch.
