Fifteen-year-old Indigenous filmmaker Charli Fletcher is making waves in the film industry with her supernatural short 'Don't Ignore Me', which has gained international acclaim.

The film recently won Best Film at the SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3) and has collected multiple awards across Australia and overseas, including Inner West Film Festival, Tuesday of Horror Festival (Germany), and the Inner West Youth Film Festival.

It has also earned prizes for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing and screened at Flickerfest, Peninsula Film Festival, and events in Japan, New York, and San Diego.

Charli's work has now reached a new milestone with 'Don't Ignore Me' nominated for the 2026 AACTA Awards, where she is one of the youngest directors in the short film category and the only Indigenous filmmaker represented.

It also marks the first time in the AACTA's 68-year history that a mobile-shot film has been recognised at this level.

"When I got told I was the first in 68 years that a short mobile film was in AACTA, I was like 'you're lying'," Charli told National Indigenous Times.

"It does not feel real. It's crazy. It's rewarding and feels like I've actually done something - like I've made it somewhere."

Charli directed 'Don't Ignore Me' at age 15, collaborating with a team of young creatives, including her 13-year-old sister Neave Fletcher, who plays "Jody".

The film follows a young woman addicted to social media who becomes trapped inside her phone by a supernatural deity.

"The story came from wanting to explore how social media, especially for people our age, can become really encompassing," Charli said.

"You can lose yourself in your phone scrolling for hours and hours, so we wanted to showcase that and put a dark twist on it."

Charli said she chose to shoot the film on an iPhone out of both practicality and creativity.

"As a 15-year-old, buying a big camera and all the attachments just wasn't possible," she said.

"Using a phone made it easy and accessible, but it still gave us a similar effect to a real camera."

The film's eerie atmosphere was achieved through strong sound and visual design.

"Watching it back, we realised how important sound was in creating suspense and tension," she said.

"We wanted it to feel unsettling without relying on big effects."

Behind the camera, Charli assembled a majority-female, multicultural crew, including neurodivergent creatives, to ensure diversity and authentic collaboration.

"Working with a lot of women is nice," she said.

"It feels like you all flow and connect - it's easy. I don't feel any pressure."

Neave said the experience of working alongside her sister and seeing the film's success has been unforgettable.

"It's really cool that we've made it this far," she said.

"We didn't expect this at all. This was something we've always had a passion for as kids, and to actually create something and see it go this far, it's just a really good feeling."

As 'Don't Ignore Me' heads into the AACTA Awards, Charli hopes the film's journey continues to inspire other young creatives.

Voting opens December 6 on the AACTA website, where audiences can support the film.

"It'd be really nice if people would give us a vote and give it a watch," she said.