The 15-year-old Daramalan College student won second place in the annual short film competition for children and teenagers with his entry Penelope's Penguin.

Oliver's win, announced before simultaneous screenings in cities across the country on Sunday evening, was the sole prize for ACT entrants in both the junior and adult Tropfest competitions.

Coming in at two seconds shy of the seven-minute limit, the film is one of self-discovery for the title character Penelope.

Oliver, one of 16 Tropjunior finalists across the country, said the entry took 4½ months to complete. "It's about a girl who is growing up in a quirky, different world," he said.

Starring Oliver's classmate Megan Stewart, the film depicts a world where people are followed around by animal doppelgangers when they come of age. Filmed across campus and at Oliver's Hackett home, the clip features various onesies all edited to fit within the Tropjunior Signature Item - "monster".

The film is one of two entries Oliver has made in the Tropjunior competitions, having previously made the finals in February with his entry I Know I'm a Sensation.

He said his prizes, including an $1800 film school course and a master class with an audio expert, would help him work towards his goal of breaking into the film industry. "I would love it to be my career in the future," he said.

A Canberra winner wasn't the only change in this year's line-up following a shift in location to Exhibition Park.

Tropfest Canberra event manager Amber Alge said the evening, usually held at Stage 88 near Lake Burley Griffin, changed sites at the direction of management.

"The theme for Tropfest this year is 'Change'," she said. "In essence, we are embracing that."

While the event was free, attendees were charged $10 for parking onsite.