A film which cost $80 to make was the surprise winner at the Tropfest short film festival in Sydney.
Tropfest is the largest short film competition in the world.
Damon Gameau's winning film, Animal Beatbox, was an animated short film consisting of a song made up off different animals' names and cellophane animals.
The Australian film and television performer, who has appeared in Nine Network's Underbelly series and the 2009 movie Balibo, shot the film in his mother's spare room.
"I'm quite new to stop animation, but I find it a quick and versatile way to express any idea that may be lurking in my head," he said at the event.
Judges at the event included Olivia Newtown-John, Twilight actor Xavier Samuel, director Stephan Elliott, producer Liz Watts, last year's Tropfest winner Abe Forsythe and Tropfest founder and director John Polson.
Earlier in the day 15-year-old Victorian Simeon Bain won the Trop Jr prize for his film Imagine.
He also won the Onitsuka Tiger Award for "fearless filmmaking".
His flick was about a seemingly average teenager who turns into a highly-trained special operative.
It was filmed around Melbourne's CBD and cost $100 to make.
The main event was held in Sydney, but film lovers headed to live sites in other capital cities to watch.
The finalists were whittled down from an initial 700 entries, all under the standard seven minutes maximum length.
Fifteen of the finalists were chosen earlier this month, but the 16th film and public's choice was only decided this week.
Damien Freeleagus's film Bird Therapy was created by eight students from the Queensland University of Technology and was the last addition to Tropfest.
"I think it's just such a great avenue for people who are kind of disenfranchised or disenchanted on the of the industry to kind of make something and you can make something that's the thing about a short film," he said.
"You don't need a massive budget, all you really need is a nice script and some great performances."
Mr Freeleagus says Tropfest is also a good stepping stone for young people trying to get into the industry.
"I think if you look at some of the people who come out of Tropfest like Abe Forsythe last year, it's just a great way to learn how to make films as well and once you've got a deadline it makes you be creative," he said.
"It's helping a lot of people and the good things from an actor's point of view is that you can get behind the camera and learn all of these other parts of filmmaking which otherwise I think you would have missed out on."
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