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Finalists for the 2025 AACTA Young Stars National Youth Casting Call

AACTA Announce the Finalists for the 2025 AACTA Young Stars National Youth Casting Call

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), in collaboration with Casting Networks® and the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA), today announce the top 50 finalists for AACTA Young Stars: National Youth Casting Call. The Australian-wide initiative aims to uncover the next acting talent and provide tangible opportunities to help the next generation of performers realise their dream. 

In its second year, the initiative received thousands of submissions, showcasing an exceptional calibre of talent that made the selection process highly competitive. After careful consideration, the AACTA Young Stars judging panel has selected the top 50 finalists, each demonstrating remarkable potential and promise in their self-tapes. The finalists were chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, including leading international Casting Directors Thea McLeod, Anousha Zarkesh, and Nikki Barrett.

 

AACTA Young Stars Top 50 Finalists

Aadhya Karthik

Cooper Browne

Jayden Pope

Neha Jimmy  

Aimee Bah

Daisy Axon

Jesse Grant

Nyah Le

Allegra Di Lallo

Eadan McGuinness

Joe Bird

Riley Max Stiles

Asha O’Connell

Elaine King

Johnathon Montgomery 

Sarah Muyunga

Audrey Salinas

Eloise Rothfield

Kai Baker

Tahlia Clohessy

Ava Caryofyllis

Eva (A) Grados

Knox Gibson

Taya Porter

Beau-Mana

Finnian James

Kyra Harlan 

Taylan Gogan

Benjamin Narkle

Franklin Osita-Nwankwo

Liv Jacobson 

Uma Dumais

Carla Castriotta

Hannah Stirling

Logan Harlan

Vincent Miller

Charlie Vitoli

Heidi Taylor

Maia Grgic

Willow Speers

Charlotte Gray

Imi Mbedla

Max Roth

Zoë Min O'Callaghan

Chloe Delle-Vedove

Jacob Denzil Narkle

Mia Le Vieux

 

Chloe Johnston

Jake Neale  

Mischa Heywood

 

 

 The finalists are invited to join the Australian Academy on the Gold Coast in 2025 for the upcoming AACTA Festival, taking place from February 5–9. Held alongside the AACTA Industry Awards Gala and the AACTA Awards Ceremony presented by Foxtel Group, the festival will provide finalists with the opportunity to showcase their skills and participate in invaluable workshops and mentorship sessions.

This event will be part of a program featuring more than 80 other events, including dynamic panels, meet-and-greets, and screenings. The AACTA Festival will be hosted at Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast, a stunning destination celebrated for its natural beauty and vibrant cultural scene.

A winner will be selected by a judging panel consisting of Australia’s top Casting Directors, led by Thea McLeod (Neighbours, Better Man, Measure For Measure, Pawno), Anousha Zarkesh (The New Boy, Mystery Road, Total Control, Preppers), Nikki Barrett (Elvis, Mad Max: Fury Road, Talk to Me, The Power of the Dog, The Babadook), and international Casting Director Nina Gold (The Crown, Baby Reindeer).

The winner will receive a $10,000 Flight Centre voucher and $2,500 in cash travel support to fly to the United States. There, they will have the unique opportunity to meet with a renowned international Casting Director, network with key industry professionals, and participate in a weeklong workshop at the prestigious American Arts Film TV Academy Additionally, the winner will gain access to The Studio by Casting Networks in Sydney for one year, with opportunities to meet with Australian-based Casting Directors and Agents.

AACTA Awards and Industry Development Manager, Ivan Vukusic said Really great to see another amazing line up of young actors, who all show such incredible promise and talent. I’m always impressed by the skills and confidence shown by Australia’s young creative talent discovered through this initiative guided by the expertise of the CGA and Casting networks, and I’d encourage producers and casting directors to seriously take note of this year’s cohort. We look forward to welcoming them all to the AACTA Festival for a once in a lifetime experience and opportunity, and to discovering the 2025 AACTA Young Star. Good luck to you all!"

Casting Networks Senior Manager (Business Development)  Ryan Hicks, said “Casting Networks is proud to support this inspiring initiative for aspiring young actors in Australia. This year has once again highlighted the exceptional and undeniable level of talent across the country. A heartfelt thank you to our partners, AACTA and the Casting Guild of Australia, for helping to bring this initiative to life and helping to discover such remarkable actors.  

The level of submissions was astounding. A big thank you to the judges for their time and effort that went into the immense process of selecting a top 50. Congratulations to the top 50! Being selected by this calibre of judges amongst such an immensely talented group of peers is an outstanding achievement. “

Thea McLeod, President of the CGA (Casting Guild of Australia) said, “Huge congratulations to this year’s phenomenal top 50 finalists! We had thousands of entries, and the judging was incredibly tough because the standard was, once again, so high this year. To make it into the top 50 is a huge achievement, and every single one of you should be so proud.

It’s been such an honour to witness the incredible talent on display. Watching so many fresh and amazingly talented young actors from all corners of the country has been truly inspiring and fills us with excitement for the future of our entertainment industry.

To those who didn’t make the top 50 this year—keep going! Perseverance is everything, and this platform is a fantastic way to showcase your ability. We’re so excited to see what’s next for you and can’t wait to follow the journeys of so many exceptional young actors who applied for the AACTA Young Stars program this year.”

 

 

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