This list features many of the best film festivals for young people and emerging filmmakers in Australia.
Film festivals are an important part of the film industry ecosystem, showcasing diverse and fresh content that cannot be easily accessed elsewhere, building a community of film-lovers and supporting their local film industry. They often feature interesting industry development activities (talent labs, panel discussions, masterclasses etc) and networking opportunities, where key relationships can be formed. They are an excellent platform for launching a career in film, providing marketing opportunities and potential distribution deals, and highly engaged audiences.
If you are looking to submit your film to any of the below festivals, please note this list is not exhaustive, and timings and prices are indicative. We highly recommended you visit each festival’s own website and submissions pages directly for details and any special entry requirements.
It is also helpful to visit sites such as FilmFreeway.com and Festhome.com and filter by relevant categories to your content such as genre, length, or even cultural and diversity considerations. There are also many international film festivals listed on these sites that have strands specifically for student or emerging filmmakers, and many that offer free submission for those categories.
Some general advice:
- Be sure to research festivals prior to submitting to them, to see if their previous programming includes films that are similar to yours in tone, genre and length, and how many films are programmed. Some of the largest international festivals don’t program many short films, while others only showcase shorts or have a specific genre they are seeking.
- Some festivals also require a certain premiere status, for example their festival must be the first time the film is screened to the public (world premiere) or the first time it has screened outside of its own home country (international premiere). A strong film may have the premiere status waived if the programming team really want it in the festival.
- You will increase your chances of selection if you can leverage any connections you might have to the festival, such as ties to its geographical location, connections to previous films or filmmakers showcased, or relationships with the programming team.
- Additional materials requested by festivals at submission stage or shortly after might include a selection of high quality film stills, poster, press kit and short trailer, to help market the film. Ideally you should have these materials ready to go ahead of your submission.
Adelaide Film Festival
Submissions open:
November
Festival date:
October
Fees:
$40-$75
Website:
Submissions:
Adelaide Film Festival Youth
Submissions open:
November
Festival date:
October
Fees:
$10
Website:
Submissions:
AFIN International Film Festival
Submissions open:
November
Festival date:
October
Fees:
Standard: $36, Student: $32
Website:
Submissions:
Australia Independent Film Festival
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
October
Fees:
Standard: $30, Student: $25
Website:
Submissions:
Australia Youth Film Festival
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
July
Fees:
Free
Website:
Submissions:
Bond University Film & Television Awards
Submissions open:
May
Festival date:
November
Fees:
Website:
Submissions:
Brisbane Backyard Film Festival
Submissions open:
October
Festival date:
March
Fees:
Standard: $30, Student: $15
Website:
Submissions:
Brisbane International Film Festival
Submissions open:
March
Festival date:
October
Fees:
Website:
Submissions:
Byron Bay International Film Festival
Submissions open:
May
Festival date:
October
Fees:
$30-$60
Website:
Submissions:
Canberra Short Film Festival
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
November
Fees:
Standard: $40, Under 18s: $20
Website:
Submissions:
Capricorn Film Festival
Submissions open:
May
Festival date:
July
Fees:
$20
Website:
Submissions:
CinefestOZ Film Festival
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
September
Fees:
$30
Website:
Submissions:
Darwin International Film Festival
Submissions open:
March
Festival date:
September
Fees:
$10
Website:
Submissions:
Far South Film Festival
Submissions open:
March
Festival date:
August
Fees:
$10-$40
Website:
Submissions:
Fleurieu Film Festival
Submissions open:
March
Festival date:
February
Fees:
$20-$33
Website:
Submissions:
Flickerfest
Submissions open:
June
Festival date:
January
Fees:
Website:
Submissions:
Gold Coast Film Festival
Submissions open:
November
Festival date:
April
Fees:
$25
Website:
Submissions:
Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival
Submissions open:
March
Festival date:
October
Fees:
Website:
Submissions:
Ipswich Film Festival for Youth
Submissions open:
July
Festival date:
October
Fees:
Website:
Melbourne International Film Festival
Submissions open:
October
Festival date:
August
Fees:
$35-$80
Website:
Submissions:
Melbourne Short Film Festival
Submissions open:
November
Festival date:
February
Fees:
$25
Website:
Submissions:
Melbourne Underground Film Festival
Submissions open:
December
Festival date:
December
Fees:
$25-$40
Website:
Submissions:
Melbourne Women in Film Festival
Submissions open:
June
Festival date:
March
Fees:
$14 Students
Website:
Submissions:
Nextwave Youth Film Festival
Submissions open:
June
Festival date:
April
Fees:
Free
Website:
Submissions:
Port Shorts Film Festival
Submissions open:
March
Festival date:
October
Fees:
Website:
Submissions:
ReelGood Film Festival
Submissions open:
June
Festival date:
April
Fees:
$25-$47
Website:
Submissions:
REELise Film Festival
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
August
Fees:
Free
Website:
Submissions:
Revelation Perth Film Festival
Submissions open:
September
Festival date:
July
Fees:
Standard: $60
Website:
Submissions:
Screen It International Film Festival
Submissions open:
July
Festival date:
August
Fees:
$14-$35
Website:
Submissions:
SF3 – the SmartFone Flick Fest
Submissions open:
October
Festival date:
November
Fees:
Standard: $20.48, Student: $15.36
Website:
Submissions:
Show Me Shorts
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
October
Fees:
$50
Website:
Submissions:
St Kilda Film Festival
Submissions open:
September
Festival date:
June
Fees:
$48
Website:
Submissions:
St Kilda Film Festival – Under the Radar
Submissions open:
September
Festival date:
June
Fees:
$10 Under 21s
Website:
Submissions:
STUFFit Student Film Festival
Submissions open:
February
Festival date:
October
Fees:
$20
Website:
Submissions:
Sunny Coast Showdown
Submissions open:
January
Festival date:
June
Fees:
$50
Website:
Submissions:
Sydney Film Festival
Submissions open:
October
Festival date:
June
Fees:
$40
Website:
Submissions:
Sydney Underground Film Festival
Submissions open:
August
Festival date:
September
Fees:
$25
Website:
Submissions:
Tiny Mountains International Film Festival
Submissions open:
November
Festival date:
June
Fees:
Free
Website:
Submissions:
Underdog Film Fest
Submissions open:
February
Festival date:
September
Fees:
Standard: $15, Student: $10
Website:
Submissions:
Understory Film Festival & Understory High
Submissions open:
June
Festival date:
January
Fees:
Website:
Videos for Change
Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival
Submissions open:
August
Festival date:
June
Fees:
Standard: $45, Student: $35
Website:
Submissions: