The Australian Writers’ Guild congratulates screenwriters Jesse Laurie and Charlie Milne, who have been announced as the winners of the 2025 John Hinde Award.
Jesse Laurie took home the award in the produced category for his sci-fi feature Zero, a gripping drama in which a wounded astronaut grapples with disorientation, a dwindling air supply, and his inner demons.
The judges described Zero as “a skillfully crafted feature film which takes some of the best-loved elements of sci-fi and uses them to tell a human story with a compelling emotional arc. We found it easy to see this script coming to life on the screen as we read.”
Charlie Milne was awarded in the unproduced category for his feature Tiny Places. Set in small-town South Australia, a complacent man is given the technology to journey into the mind of his wife, where they rekindle their relationship as her dementia worsens.
“This bold and playful feature film manages to combine melancholy with charm. The writing was pacey and considered with a strong emotional impact,” said the judges.
The Awards were announced alongside the AWG Emerging Writers’ Awards in Melbourne, to a packed room of producers, industry and Guild members. Laurie and Milne will both receive $5,000, generously provided by the John Hinde Trust.
The John Hinde Award, first presented in 2008, is funded by a bequest from the late film critic John Hinde. It was Hinde’s wish that future generations of Australian science-fiction screenwriters be nurtured through industry opportunities.
The winning and shortlisted projects are now available to view on AWG’s prestigious Pathways Showcase, joining an outstanding collection of projects available for development.
The John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing will open again for entries in 2026.
PRODUCED CATEGORY
Winner
Zero by Jesse Laurie [Feature Film]
Shortlist
Rock Island Mysteries: ‘An Echo Must Return’ by Rachel Laverty [Children’s Television]
Rock Island Mysteries: ‘To Catch a Ghost’by Matthew Bon [Children’s Television]
War Machine by Patrick Hughes and James Beaufort [Feature Film]
UNPRODUCED CATEGORY
Winner
Tiny Places by Charlie Milne [Feature Film]
In small-town South Australia, a complacent man is given the technology to journey into the mind of his wife, where they rekindle their relationship as her dementia worsens.
Shortlist
Blood Will Have Blood by Vivienne Walshe [Feature Film]
In a world where fifty-year-olds receive teenage blood, extending their life span by fifty years, a man loses his supply and sets out to kidnap a new one.
The Harvest by Darcy Conlan [Feature Film]
When a backpacker takes a job on a remote fruit farm, she discovers that the land thrives under a sinister cosmic force and the farmers will spill blood to keep it that way.
Mine by Noah Jordan [Feature Film]
When shimmering alien goop bonds with grizzled outback miner Tori, a cosmic love affair begins, as does a sinister feud with her neurotic male neighbour, Alex.
The World Michael Made by Peter Redhead [Feature Film]
We did it. We made Utopia. So why is the guy responsible so damn depressed about it?
