"It was a big surprise to be honest, I didn't expect to win anything after I found out how many entries they received," she said.

"But it's so good to know that I'm making films that are inspiring and putting such an important message out there - and that I can make a quality film and be recognised for that."

The Out from the Mist Awards - awarded on World Mental Health Day - are open to photographers, audio producers and short film makers exploring their own, or someone close to theirs, experience of living with a mental illness.

Dubbo College graduate, from NSW's Central West, one minute video Sincerely, Anxiety took out first place in the competition's Short Film category, beating entries from 23 countries around the world.

"Sincerely, Anxiety is a short film exploring the thoughts and feelings that a person with anxiety may feel," she said.

"In a time where we are all connected via emails, text messages and everything in between it felt only right to use this as an opportunity to connect to those who may not know what it is like to live with anxiety."

In her film, Ms Fuller uses the constant 'ding' of text messages to give a picture of the out-of-the-blue and overwhelming thoughts someone with anxiety may experience.

"When you have anxiety, it's not just one thought - you're getting hit with a lot of different thoughts and possibilities that are most often not true. So the text messages seemed like a good way to put it into experience for people who may not have experience with anxiety," she said.

"Some people I've known for a lot of my life watched the movie and realised 'is that really how you feel' and stuff like that. I've had a lot of messages from people congratulating me and saying how brave it was to post something like that.

"Everyone's been very supportive and positive."

This isn't the first time Ms Fuller has entered the Brisbane-based competition. In 2020, while still a student at Dubbo College Senior Campus, Ms Fuller was announced as a finalist in the Out from the Mist awards with a video created as part of her Year 12 Visual Arts body-of-work.

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Ms Fuller said she was inspired to enter the competition to spread awareness about mental health, give people an insight into what living with anxiety is like and show others they are not alone in their battle.

"We're getting there slowly, but it's still hard for people to come forward and talk about their experiences with mental ill-health, and also reducing the stigma that surrounds it," she said.

"I used to be really afraid to take that step further in films because I used to only make films which were comedy-based. But I was really encouraged by my teacher at the time who showed me it was okay to express those feelings through art."

Since graduating, Ms Fuller has started working as a community coach and mentor with John Moriarty Football, delivering a soccer and wellbeing program to young Indigenous people from Dubbo and surrounding areas like Warren, Gilgandra and Peak Hill.

"That's been for the past month. It's still fresh, but I really would like to see the foundation take off more in the mental health side of things so I would like to study more in depth about mental health, and implement it into my role," she said.

"I've also completed my national first aid certificate for mental health, so I'm hoping to go further down that road as well."

Her work will be on display alongside work from the other winners and finalists at the 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace on the Gold Coast until Saturday, October 15.