Australian Film Festivals and Events
There are some fantastic film festivals and events in Australia each year, here are a few!
Film Festivals
January: Flickerfest is an Australian and international short film festival that presents screen works at venues across Australia.
April-May: Screenwave International Film Festival, based in Coffs Harbour, curates new films and events and offers networking opportunities.
June: Sydney Film Festival is perhaps the best-known Australian film festival, with twelve days of premieres, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, talks, and parties across Sydney.
June: St Kilda Film Festival showcases the work of emerging and established Australian talent, running "Australia’s Top Short Film Competition", as well as a diverse program of international showcases, special screenings, and events.
June-July: Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival is set against the backdrop of the Australian outback in Winton QLD, featuring a selection of films over the nine-day festival. It also offers a range of events including masterclasses and a short film competition.
July: Revelation Perth International Film Festival screens over 200 films in and around Perth during its program. It also showcases moving image art collaborations, games, and VR.
August: Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is one of the world’s oldest film festivals, having launched in 1952! MIFF runs a Film Competition, Shorts Awards, as well as offering funding opportunities.
August-September: CinefestOz Film Festival, held in Busselton and the Margaret River in WA, screens premiere feature films over a six-day event. It also offers a significant prize of $100,000 to one film.
September: Darwin International Film Festival (DIFF), run by the not-for-profit Darwin Film Society, showcases a range of experimental and independent films.
October: Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) screens a selection of Australian and international feature films, documentaries, short films, and virtual reality productions. AFF also has an investment fund and has made a significant contribution to a range of screen works over the last 20 years.
October-November: Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) showcases a diverse selection of films over the course of an 11-day event.
Events:
Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC, Melbourne) is an event dedicated to showcasing nonfiction storytelling through its conference program, with access to the event also available internationally online.
MCX Screenmakers is an annual series of events (including a conference) for new and emerging content creators, offering mentoring opportunities, an opportunity to pitch your idea, and industry panels.
Screen Forever is an event offering fantastic networking opportunities for screen industry professionals, running workshops and roundtables, as well as the SPA Screen Awards.