Building YAFF: How Three JMC Alumni Gave Young Filmmakers a Stage

Postgrad just got a little less daunting, thanks to three JMC alumni.  

Alexander Dymalovski is the Festival Director of the Young Australian Film Festival (YAFF) A festival he founded back in 2023 alongside fellow alumni Sebastian Catalano and Kellie Palatino, built to give young filmmakers a real shot at being seen. 

This September, YAFF hit the big screen in the biggest way possible, premiering at Melbourne's IMAX, the largest screen in the Southern Hemisphere, before rolling out across 10 days of nationwide screenings in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. 

Saying that we're proud doesn't even scratch the surface. Three JMC alumni built something from nothing that's now making a mark on the Australian film industry, and we couldn't be happier to see it. 

Where It All Began 

Alexander, Sebastian, and Kellie met at JMC Academy, all graduating in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in film and television. This group of filmmakers ran into the same wall almost every young creative hits on the way into the industry: getting seen. With so much talent already out there in the Australian film landscape, landing that first break to get established is no small thing. 

During 2023, the trio responded to a gap in the film awards market and decided to host their own.  

'After being given the opportunity in class to produce and direct the Australian Production Design Guild. We created a mock-awards show called ‘The Stubbies’ that included humorous awards such as ‘Best Continuity Error’ and ‘Best Boom Pole Holding’, to which the evening received a great reception from the JMC audience, notably receiving a famous and rare Matt Kaylor ‘Well Done’. We were then encouraged by Head of Course and friend, Peter George, to continue this post-university.' Alexander Dymalovski

Beyond the Classroom 

All eager graduates spent countless hours submitting their creative work to festivals, across the globe, for example: SKFF, MIFF and Cannes. Many were met ‘with the same success as Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo, none.’ Alexander Dymalovski. Instead of giving up, this struggle sparked something. The group started thinking about what it actually meant for young filmmakers to be sharing a stage with creatives who had years, sometimes decades, more experience behind them. That question is exactly what led them to create YAFF.

Coming Together

Creating a national festival is a lot of work. It's exciting, but it comes with real challenges too. Two of the biggest, according to the group, were outreach and financing. As young filmmakers, they had to work hard to bring sponsors on board and collaborate with other organisations to get the event off the ground. 

‘Our team was purely devised of JMC students, we also made it a goal to make this festival as inclusive to as many different universities as possible, both in Melbourne and nationwide.’ Alexander Dymalovski 

YAFF’s first event was a smashing success, taking place on September 22, 2024, where the festival showcased 60 short films in one day, as well as an awards ceremony. This festival has changed the experience for film graduates across Australia, giving young filmmakers the chance to see their work and their vision on the big screen. YAFF creates opportunities and a platform for the next generation of filmmakers. 

Here are some words Peter George Head of Film and Television at JMC had to say, seeing his past students thrive; 

'Attending the third iteration of YAFF filled me with pride for Alex, Sebastian and Kellie, who've spent three years building this festival and now deliver it with a full national remit. It was a joy seeing so many generations of JMC alumni on the opening night at IMAX, filmmakers, volunteers, sponsors, all in the room. These students and graduates sit at the epicentre of a genuinely exciting filmmaking culture, and it's brilliant to watch that dynamic in action.' Peter George, Head of Film and Television

The Future For YAFF

'We want to conquer Australia. Our hope would be that when students leave university, we are the first festival that they think to submit to, not just because of our affordable entry rates, but because they know the festival is a supportable and inclusive environment that prioritises the importance of platforming young filmmakers.' Alexander Dymalovski