The theme for the 2015 WU Short Film Competition was Equality: reflecting the overall theme of the festival, and IFFM’s desire for a more inclusive cinema.

With a strong body of entries, the judges faced the difficult task of sifting through the entries: and picking the best – with a winner each from India and Australia.

Road to Grand Final (Aus), directed by Mark Hellinger and Jesse Maskell, was awarded the best Australian Short: and Mark collected the award at the IFFM Awards Night (plus a trip to India!) The documentary short which captures the Williamstown Seagulls FIDA team on their path to the 2014 Grand Final, competing in an Australian Rules league for people with an intellectual disability.

Rape: It’s Your Fault (India), directed by edgy Indian comedy collective All India Bakchod, won the award for best Indian short. The pseudo-educational video intelligently explores rape culture and victim blaming in India, facetiously listing the reasons often given to women why rape is their fault – “Women who wear skirts are the leading cause of rape” – and addressing the systemic institutional problems that face women who seek justice, sending a sharp and powerful message through comedy.

And The winners of the IFFM Awards, decided by a jury comprised of Simi Garewal, Rajeev Masand, Andrew Anastasios, Jill Bilcock, and Nikhil Advani, were announced to great fanfare, and a special award; the IFFM Award for Cinematic Excellence, was awarded to the charismatic ANIL KAPOOR.