Since the announcement of the Open Filmmakers category, Port Shorts Young Filmmakers and Local finalists have been selected and set to hit the big screen at this weekends festival on 23-24 October.

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Local and Open Filmmakers categories will be shown on the Saturday and the inaugural Young Filmmakers will have their very own screening on the Friday evening with “20 films, from 19 under 18’s, all under four minutes… make sense?”

Newsport took the time to catch up with some of the Young Filmmakers finalists from Mossman High School to find out what makes their creative minds tick.

Year 12 student Nina Dalton from Cow Bay said she has her mind set on going to Griffith University in Brisbane to study film and photography.

“It is my passion, I will have to move to Brisbane to study though,” said Ms Dalton.

“I’ve entered a documentary about buskers in Port Douglas. I chose this topic because I am also into music.  I play guitar, drums, base and flute and have also done busking myself,” she said.

The theme for her documentary centres on how busking has progressed in Port Douglas and what it use to be like in the area and whether Port Douglas is busker friendly.

The documentary is entirely her own production receiving some technical support from Mossman State High School teacher Elliott Davidson.

William Mason, year 10 student from Wonga has been making films since he was ten years old because, “I just like making films,” he said.

“My film is about a soldier who uses food as a weapon to take a terrorist king,” he said, after discussing some ideas with his dad.

“I also have a friend in New Zealand who is a film maker and got some help from him too,” he said.

Working solely on the production, it took nine hours to edit in his spare time. He also used willing participants from his film class as actors. William has his mind set on a future in filmmaking or video games and said filmmaking is his favourite subject at school and will continue his film studies in Year 11 and 12.

Two of the youngest entries are Year seven students Ethan Pedemay and Vasco Gonsalves who have collaborated as director and co director to produce their film Forgot Mum’s Birthday.

“Our film is about tricking and parkour.  We did the whole thing on an iPad even the editing,” said the enthusiastic young filmmakers.

With their hearts set on becoming either directors or actors, one thing is certain, they both want to be “big stars”.

With the calibre of films received this year in all categories, Port Shorts Film Festival director, Alison George said there were at least another 20 worthy films that could have been selected for screening at the festival, “it’s a tribute to the quality of filmmakers around the country and in Far North Queensland,” she said.

Port Shorts Festival tickets are on sale now: Port Shorts Festival

Below, Mossman State High School students set up a scene to demonstrate their filmmaking skills they have developed under the guidance of film teacher Mr Elliott Davidson.