About Us
The Veterans Film Foundation is an ACNC-registered charity, delivering a range of high-impact initiatives to benefit Defence Veterans in the film and television industry.
Our organisation presents Screen Warriors – a national film and TV careers development initiative – providing training and job placements in collaboration with our education partner Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
We also host the Red Poppy Film Festival, focusing on recent work by Veterans or films made with Veteran themes. The festival program also includes workshops, exhibitions and special events. The inaugural film festival was staged at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra in 2015 where it was held till 2019. In 2020, we hosted a virtual festival, and in 2022 the festival moved to the Entertainment Quarter and AFTRS at Moore Park in Sydney, NSW. In 2026, the iconic Art Gallery NSW will play host to the festival which is an important platform for promoting artists and filmmakers from Australia and around the world.
Within our festival program, VFF also presents mainstream films, gala premieres, retrospectives, and themed screenings, as well as crowd-pleasing events including workshops, discussions, exhibitions. The festival provides opportunities to meet with veterans, filmmakers and content creators via Q&As, panels and more.
All films submitted in the official competition are eligible to compete for the coveted Red Poppy Awards, inspired by the poem ‘In Flanders Field’.
Foundation Highlights
2025
- The NSW Government continues its partnership with the Veterans Film Foundation and the Red Poppy Film Festival will be staged in the coming year at the Art Gallery of NSW, an iconic cultural venue in the Sydney CBD.
- The Veterans Film Festival is rebranded the Red Poppy Film Festival in recognition of the Red Poppy Awards which were inspired by the poem, In Flanders Field.
2023
- The Screen Warriors program kicked off at AFTRS in Moore Park, Sydney with 46 Veterans and their family members receiving training across four programs.
- We successfully placed a number of Screen Warriors program graduates in paid jobs on film and TV crews.
2022
- The VFF unfolded in Sydney as its new host city, screening films at Hoyts EQ and AFTRS, Moore Park.
- Transfusion, from Australia, directed by Matt Nable, wins the Red Poppy Award for the Best Film.
- Soldier, from USA, directed by Justin Zimmerman, wins the Spectrum Films Award for Best Short Film.
- Award-winning director Bruce Beresford and cinematographer Peter James ACS ASC hold a masterclass.
2020
- The VFF went virtual and presented the first online festival due to the pandemic.
- U311 Cherkasy, from the Ukraine, directed by Tymur Yashchenko wins the Red Poppy Award for Best Feature Film.
- Trust Frank, from Australia, directed by Penny Moore, wins the Red Poppy Award for Best Short Film.
- Award-winning director Kriv Stenders and VFF Chair Warwick Young are in conversation online.
2019
- Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, from Australia, directed by Kriv Stenders, wins the Red Poppy Award presented by Westpac, for Best Feature Film.
- Writer/Director Brenda Strong’s short film #3 Normandy Lane wins the Red Poppy Award presented by Westpac for the Best Short Film.
2018
- Four Australian premieres
- Transmilitary won the Red Poppy Award for Best Feature Film
- 53% of films selected to screen had a female filmmaker in a leading role (Producer, Director, Writer Cinematographer, Editor or Lead Actor)
2017
- Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman, won the Red Poppy Award for Best Feature Film
- 57% of films selected to screen had a female filmmaker in a leading role (Producer, Director, Writer Cinematographer, Editor or Lead Actor).
2016
- Female filmmakers won 67% of all the awards at our Red Poppy Awards Ceremony.
The Team
Veterans Film Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status and a board of directors working alongside the management team.
2025 Board Members
Warwick Young CSC, OAM
Executive Chair
A veteran himself, Warwick is an award-winning filmmaker who continues to serve as a part-time officer in the Australian Army, and was appointed by the Governor General to the Veterans’ Review Board in 2008.
In 2013 Warwick completed his Masters in Directing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). In 2014 he was then enlisted to assist the ADF in the design and delivery of the Australian Defence Force Theatre Project, a joint venture between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Sydney Theatre Company. Then, in 2015 he was instrumental in the design and delivery of the ADF ARRTS program, an arts therapy program for injured and ill members of the ADF, using drama, music, visual arts, and creative writing as mediums for recovery.
Justin Boylson
Mr Boylson is an experienced commodity trader and resource project manager with over 25 years’ experience. He commenced his career in the international trade and commodity markets after time in the Australian Army. He has worked for Brickworks Limited in various managerial positions, run the trade desk for Sinosteel Australia PL, and was the WA and Bulk Commodity General Manager for Tennant Metals. He has been responsible for several high profile off-take transactions and involved in the start-up of several mining and recovery projects in Australia, the USA and Asia.
Mr Boylson co-founded and is currently a Director of ResCap Investments PL and Enfilade Defilade Capital. He was formerly an Executive Director of Riversgold and Director of Manuka Resources and is presently a Director of Mt Boppy Resources Pty Ltd, Davidson Gold Pty Ltd, Stockton Mining Pty Ltd and is the Non-Executive Chairman of Mamba Exploration Limited and Winsome Resource Limited.
Brooke Sporer
Board Director
Brooke is an Assistant Director with the Department of Defence and a dynamic, cross-functional business management professional with over 20 years’ experience leading teams to design and deliver people- and veteran-centric programs. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, military spouse, and lover of the arts, Brooke brings a deep personal connection and passion for supporting ADF members and their families. She firmly believes that caring for those who have served and continue to serve is fundamental to sustaining Defence capability and broader veteran community connectivity.
Dr Marty Murphy
Dr Marty Murphy is Program Convenor (Head) of the Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and has a PhD in comedy studies from the Writing and Society Research Centre at Western Sydney University. He directed the horror film Lost Things (2004) and for several years toured as a comedian with Flacco (Paul Livingston) before moving into Higher Education. He served two years as Staff Board Member of the AFTRS Council and is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Veterans Film Foundation.
Glen Ferrarotto
Glen is Founder and Director of Australia’s Leading Recruitment Agency for veterans, Ironside Recruitment, and is himself a veteran of the Afghanistan War. Glen was honoured as Australia’s Most Outstanding Contributor to Veteran Employment by the then-Prime Minister The Hon Malcolm Turnbull. He has a deep connection with serving and former Defence Force personnel. Glen is a Board Member of the Victorian RSL State Executive and is well regarded across business, defence and government networks.