Popcorn Love Wins Best Score at the 2026 Movie Sense Short Film Festival
I’m thrilled to share some exciting news.
My first live-action short film, Popcorn Love, has won Best Score at the inaugural 2026 Movie Sense Short Film Festival, held in Coolangatta, Queensland on Sunday 4 October.
“Winning the first award for Popcorn Love is very exciting,”
Out of 25 finalist films screened at the free family-friendly event at the Kirra Community and Cultural Centre, Popcorn Love was recognised for its music — the heartfelt song that underpins the entire film.
“Winning my first award for Best Score is a great honour.”
The Story Behind the Song
Popcorn Love is a tender reflection on overcoming the odds. I wrote the lyrics in August 2025 while still healing from a 2022 road accident and as a male survivor of domestic abuse. At the time I was living out of the back of a van.
After recovering from completing my multi-award-winning stop-motion short F.O.A., I penned “Popcorn Love”, inspired by the lives of others I’ve been privileged to witness. The song sat on my computer for nearly a year before it was finally brought to life for the film.
The arrangement is deliberately intimate — just keyboard, guitar and bass — giving it a warm, personal feel. The selfless love expressed in the song stands in contrast to the hardship I’ve survived, yet remains something I still hope to experience one day.
“I’m deeply grateful to Marty Dodson and Clay Mills from Song Town, who I’ve learned so much from.”
The Music Video
The official music video by NHAF was released on Odysee and Rumble on the night of the festival. It’s not the same version that screened at the event — rather, it’s an idea that ended up on the cutting room floor during editing.
More Festival Success
The good news doesn’t stop there.
My silent film Melanie’s Story has been selected for the inaugural Altavilla Film Fest – Il Trionfo Cristiano di San Pellegrino, running 15–18 October 2026 in Altavilla Irpina, Italy.
My multi-award-winning stop-motion short F.O.A. has been selected for the Auro International Film and Music Festival (AU-IFMF), taking place 22–25 October 2026 at Auro University in Surat, Gujarat, India.
Popcorn Love was also earlier named a finalist in the 2026 Focus on Ability Short Film Festival and will screen at the Red Carpet Awards Day in Sydney on 18 October.
It’s been an incredible few weeks, and I’m so grateful for the continued support.
