Student film-maker's parody wins comedy gong

A 17-year-old Bunbury student’s take on film noir detective movies was named best comedy in a national student film competition.

Tom Kerrigan, a Year 12 student from Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, won the Bond University Film and Television Awards Best Comedy Award for a short film he created for a school assignment.

He was awarded the prize at a gala awards night in Brisbane on Saturday night.

The prize included a scholarship for a film unit at Bond University and a trophy.

His six-minute entry Ode to the Detective, a film noir parody, secured Tom a place as one of three finalists in the best comedy category.

“It’s a bit of a comedic take on the old detective movies of the 1940s, ” he said.

Tom watched old movies and other parodies while researching his comedy detective film.

“I copied some shots I saw in the old movies, but added in comedic aspects like a detective DVD on his desk, ” he said.

When his film made the top 30 Tom said he was surprised and never expected to be shortlisted to the top three for his category, or to win the Best Comedy Award.

Tom, his main actor and fellow student Rory Richardson and Tom’s mother flew to Brisbane for the ceremony at the weekend.

Click here to go mobile with iNFOGO - local everywhere