Melbourne writer-director Jake James Whitford has been named the 2026 Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year at the Byron Bay International Film Festival (BBFF), for his short film The Squatters and the Fairy Princess.
The award, sponsored by Mercato and judged by Paul Wiegard, CEO of Madman, recognises emerging Australian filmmaking talent as BBFF celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The award itself is a beautifully crafted crystal piece, specially designed for the occasion by the Northern Rivers’ own Crystal Castle.
The Squatters and the Fairy Princess follows a self-identified Fairy Princess who, on her tenth birthday, recalls her previous birthdays spent living in a house among eccentric squatters.
Shot on 16mm, the film approaches childhood, identity and belonging through an unconventional perspective.
An AACTA Award-nominated writer and director based in Melbourne, Whitford creates stories about distinctive characters and raw experiences, often exploring isolation and self-discovery with an emphasis on their humanity.
‘Jake is exactly the kind of filmmaker this award was created to celebrate,’ said J’aimee Skippon-Volke, BBFF Festival Director.
‘He has a distinctive storytelling voice and the confidence to explore unconventional characters and experiences. Recognition at this stage of a filmmaker’s career can be enormously valuable, bringing their work to wider attention and helping create opportunities for what comes next.’
Ambitious, distinctive
Paul Wiegard, CEO of Madman and award judge described The Squatters and the Fairy Princess as a creatively ambitious film with a distinctive vision.
‘Shooting on 16mm was especially effective, evoking feelings of childhood memories, isolation and self-discovery, while constructing a clear point of view and inviting us to experience the world through it.
‘There is a real sense of potential here.’
Mercato’s sponsorship of the award helps BBFF spotlight the next generation of Australian storytellers.
The Byron Bay International Film Festival runs from 16–25 October 2026 across the Northern Rivers.
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