Armed with an award-winning short film set in regional NSW, two Charles Sturt University (CSU) students are heading to Sydney in search of employment.

Acting student Ms Samantha Invernon and television production student Mr Tim Moran from the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga are the creative minds behind the film, Secret Friends.

They won the inaugural Charles Sturt University Prize at the Wagga Waggafest short film competition in October for their film about how a new girl discovers the truth about her bully on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.

In the Tropfest-inspired annual competition, entrants were required to include a theme from Wagga Wagga's 'winter bubble' – a collection of winter experiences familiar to Riverina residents.

Ms Invernon said, "Secret Friends is a story inspired by a phrase in the bubble, 'Yes, it's frosty, but isn't it pretty', which presents the notion that there is always more than one way of looking at things."

The pair from Port Macquarie has entered the Waggafest short film competition every year of their three-year degrees at CSU.

"We are grateful to have won Waggfest's Charles Sturt University Prize during our final year. It provides us with great encouragement as we head to Sydney to begin our careers," Ms Invernon said.

Secret Friends is written by Ms Invernon who also stars as the bully, Tash. It was filmed and edited by Mr Moran.

Mr Moran said, "When we moved from Port Macquarie in 2012 to study at Charles Sturt University in Wagga, it was exciting to discover the Waggafest competition and the opportunity it provided us to show out talents to the community.

"The annual short film event allowed us to challenge ourselves and expand on what we have learnt in our in acting and television production degrees."

Lecturer in television production Mr Matt Olsen said, "The competition is another great opportunity for our students to demonstrate their creative minds and skills to the wider community.

"It was great to see that seven of the 23 entries in this year's competition were from Charles Sturt University students."

Mr Moran is in the process of looking for work in the television industry, while Ms Invernon will be travelling to Sydney on Wednesday 5 November with her fellow students for their Showcase performance to display their talents to acting agents.

The pair is due to graduate from CSU in Wagga Wagga on Monday 15 December.

Another CSU winner at the Waggafest short film competition was Winter's Light which won the Best Visual category. It was the work of final year animation and visual effects students Mr Cameron Pappas, Mr John Bortolazzo and Mr Aaron Murdoch.

Voting for the 2014 Waggafest People's Choice Award is open here.