Disrupt Film Festival By TBWA
2025-winning-films
Kimberlee Wells

KIMBERLEE WELLS
CEO, TBWA Australia

DISRUPT was created to meet a national need: a space for Australia’s creative community to see, test and interrogate the future of filmmaking as it forms. Grounded in TBWA’s Disruption® philosophy, bringing together makers, technologists, academics, and industry to confront a clear reality — AI is advancing faster than our systems and talent pipelines. And while anyone can now make, true creativity still relies on human judgment, taste, and intent. DISRUPT builds the creative infrastructure Australia didn’t yet have, ensuring our storytellers lead rather than follow.

This report captures the early signals from DISRUPT's first year — the work, the patterns, and the emerging shape of Gen AI craft in Australia. It’s evidence, not noise, and a sharper view of where creativity and technology converge next. DISRUPT is both investment and invitation. Growth needs creativity. Creativity needs human hands.

Welcome — and enjoy the report. We hope the insights are as valuable to read as they were to uncover.

REPORT
AND PHOTOS

Download a copy of the report here.

View the photo gallery here.

winner-grand-prix

Black Box
Pete Majarich
WINNER

Disrupt Butterfly

LONG FILM

Erase
Ashanth Phillips
WINNER

Disrupt Butterfly

SHORT FILM

Lens Wide Open
Bruce Hunt
WINNER

BEST STUDENT FILM

Disrupt Butterfly

Unhold
Apoorva Tandon
WINNER

Disrupt Film Festival By TBWA

CREATIVE DISRUPTION MEETS
GENERATIVE STORYTELLING