Hearing your name called out in a room of hundreds of people when you are up against so many other talented entries is surreal. It’s almost a week later and I’m still having difficulty focusing and concentrating which is why it’s taken me so long to write this post. The excitement of winning after so much hard work, and then the excitement of sharing the news with people still has me buzzing more than a caffeine hit.

It took me a couple of days to clarify that I’d won the NOVA Employment Australian Choice Award. Thank you Nova Employment staff for choosing F.O.A. as one of your favourites this year. Pushing myself so hard I was barely able to stand after I’d submitted it, feels a lot more worth it now.

Sadly I’d missed seeing my film screened with everyone else and hearing their live reactions, as I had issues parking and arrived late. Something else extra special I found out by attending the Melbourne screening is that they have also been showing my film at some of the interstate screenings.

It’s such a special feeling to know something I created is touching so many people. Awards and prizes are nice but knowing an idea I had, that I was able to bring to life, is connecting with people the way I’d dreamed it might, means so much more. It’s my first award for a film and it looks like more could be on their way soon.

In the mean time I’m entering F.O.A. into other film festivals and continuing to plan my first feature film.