AACTA Young Stars Opens Casting Call for Australian Teens

The AACTA Young Stars program is opening applications for its second year, seeking the next generation of Australian acting talent. The National Youth Casting Call invites residents aged 13 to 18 to submit performance videos for review by some of Australia's most respected casting directors and leading industry figures from overseas.

The initiative, delivered through a collaboration between AACTA, Casting Networks, and the Casting Guild of Australia, built momentum from a successful inaugural year. That cohort's winner, Mia Foran, has already begun charting the path that awaits this year's successful applicants. After winning the first competition, Foran travelled to Los Angeles in June, completing a two-week intensive course at the American Arts Film & Television Academy in West Hollywood. While there, she networked with prominent Hollywood casting directors including Sarah Finn, known for work on Marvel films and Spider-Man productions, and Leslie Litt, who has cast Friends and Rules of Engagement.

For Foran, the education extended beyond performance technique. "I got more insights into how to market yourself as an actor, identifying your niche in the film industry, and how to create your brand," she reflected on the experience. The prize pathway, she discovered, teaches emerging talent the business side of an acting career—strategic self-promotion and positioning that extends well beyond audition room skills.

This year's finalists will gather on the Gold Coast for intensive workshops led by casting directors with international credentials. Thea McLeod brings credits including Neighbours and Better Man; Anousha Zarkesh has cast Mystery Road and Total Control; Nikki Barrett worked on Elvis, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Talk to Me; and Nina Gold brings her reputation from casting Baby Reindeer, The Crown, and Game of Thrones. The judging panel includes actresses Chloe Hayden and Ngali Shaw.

All finalists receive immediate professional support: six months of complimentary Casting Networks Premium membership and professional headshots taken during the AACTA Festival at HOTA on the Gold Coast. This positions emerging actors within Australia's professional casting ecosystem immediately, not just through competition victory.

The overall winner receives a comprehensive prize package designed to accelerate career development: a $10,000 Flight Centre travel voucher and $2,500 in additional travel support to pursue an acting course at the American Arts Film & Television Academy in Los Angeles. They also gain year-long membership to The Studio by Casting Networks in Sydney, placing them in direct contact with Australia's leading casting professionals.

Foran has since secured a six-month scholarship for extended study at AAFTA, which she intends to pursue in coming years. Her advice to prospective applicants reflects hard-won insight: "The people there want you to succeed and want to find the right person. If you go in there, give it your best shot, and stay true to yourself, you'll do great." She also offered perspective on the reality of audition life: "As an actor, you can't be defined by every audition you do. You get a lot of failed auditions—that's just how it is—so it's about understanding who you are."

Applications are now open for the second year, with finalists selected to attend the AACTA Festival in February. Those aged 13 to 18 with Australian residency can apply through the AACTA website.