RMIT Animation graduate projects accepted into prestigious film festivals

RMIT Animation graduate projects accepted into prestigious film festivals

Chris Aubery and Clarence Fennessy – both RMIT Bachelor of Design graduates specialising in Animation and Interactive Media – have their graduate projects accepted into national and international animation festivals.

Fennessy’s production, Oldies of the Coast, is a two-and-a-half minute 3D and stop-motion hybrid animated film inspired by Australian coastal communities and the humour and personality of older generations. 

“The film explores ageing, staying youthful in spirit, and not turning into old grumpy bastards!” he explained.  

claymation figures depict a beach with lots of very tanned old looking characters walking down some beach stairs A still from Fennessy’s production Oldies of the Coast

The film has been selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. Established in 1960, the world's oldest and largest animation festival held annually in Annecy, France attracts entries from over 100 nations.  

Dr Gina Moore, Program Manager for Animation and Interactive Media in the School of Design at RMIT University, said that it was an amazing achievement for a student to have their work selected for screening at the festival. 

“Annecy is widely regarded as the most prestigious animation festival in the world and is attended by filmmakers and film lovers from across the globe,” she said.   

“In the animation world, a credit at Annecy opens doors in a way few other festivals can. For a student film to be selected there is a wonderful achievement.” 

Building a world worthy of adventure

Aubery’s film, Liver, follows an older lady named Mildred who wakes up in the middle of a river to the sounds of a screaming goat and embarks on an epic journey with her new companion.  

A character rides a white goat in a dark field. A still from Aubery’s production Liver

“The short was inspired by this idea around enjoying the journey and not getting too caught up in the outcome of things,” said Aubery. 

“This idea is heavily illustrated by the emphasis of the world-building within the film, as it shifts the focus away from the purposely less definitive ending, and pushes it back onto the surrounding landscape: the true focal point of the story.” 

Aubery’s film was accepted into the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), the premier animation event in Australia and one of the most significant in the Asia-Pacific. 

“The opportunity to get your work outside of your computer and onto the big screen is a really amazing feeling,” said Aubery.  

“Knowing that people have taken the time to go and watch something that you have put a lot of time and effort into, and getting to see in person reactions, is always something that’s really special.” 

An unprecedented success

Moore said the quality of the students’ films were a testament to their talent, and a culmination of the skills and experiences they had built over the preceding years at university.   

“Making a short, animated film by yourself or in a small team is a huge undertaking,” she said. 

“What sets students like Chris and Clarence apart is their ability to handle the whole animation pipeline independently, and their capacity to develop a distinctive personal voice.” 

“Festival selection at this level is not a common occurrence. Making it past a high-quality festival selection panel requires a film that is not just technically accomplished but is also conceptually and/or aesthetically distinctive.” 

"The fact that we have a student selected for Annecy and many selected for MIAF this year speaks to the strength of the current cohort.” 

Fennessy is currently developing a pitch to expand Oldies of the Coast into a children’s animated series that brings classic Australian poetry to younger audiences through animation and comedy. 

He said that in the long term, he sees children’s TV and animation as his career. 

“I’d love to create a children’s television series and continue working on Australian animated productions, especially feature films and projects that experiment with hybrid animation techniques,” he said. 

Aubery said he will continue working as a background artist and animator at various studios and has a philosophical outlook on his long-term future.  

“I would just like to continue making awesome stuff that people enjoy watching, creating stunning backgrounds, and working with people who share the same commonality of creating high-quality entertainment,” he said.  

27 May 2026

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27 May 2026

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