Australia's largest short film competition, Flickerfest, has announced its 2026 lineup, featuring over 200 films from around the world. The festival returns to Bondi Beach for its 35th year, running from January 23 to February 1. With a record number of submissions, the event highlights emerging talent through premieres and special showcases.
Flickerfest, Australia's premier short film festival, is set to return to Bondi Pavilion from January 23 to February 1, 2026, marking its 35th anniversary. The ten-day event will present approximately 200 exceptional short films across 23 dedicated programmes, selected from a record-breaking 3,700 entries submitted from over 100 countries. Many of these films will enjoy their world, Australian, or New South Wales premieres, offering audiences a first look at innovative storytelling.
The programme includes 111 shorts in Academy-qualifying competitions, comprising 42 world premieres, 41 Australian premieres, and 19 NSW premieres. Films will compete for prestigious awards such as the Flickerfest Award for Best International Short Film, the Yoram Gross Award for Best International Animation, the Panasonic Lumix Award for Best Australian Short Film, and the Flickerfest Award for Best Documentary—all of which qualify for Academy consideration.
From Australia, 60 films feature in the Best of Australian competition, alongside 36 international entries and 15 documentaries. An additional 100 films will appear in showcase sessions. Highlights include Australian alumni works like Jesse Vogelaar's 'The Suit', starring Kat Stewart, Harvey Zielinski, and Colin Lane; Nina Buxton's 'BUBBA'; and Matt Day's 'Baby Shower' with Hugo Weaving, Contessa Treffone, and Helen Thompson.
Special programmes encompass FlickerUp for youth filmmakers under 18, Rainbow Shorts for LGBTQI stories, a First Nations Showcase, FlickerKids for family-friendly content, LoveBites on relationships, and Short Laughs for comedy.
Festival director Bronwyn Kidd stated: "With a record of over 3,700 entries received, Flickerfest 2026 will again deliver an outstanding programme celebrating our most talented contemporary storytellers, both here in Australia and from around the world. With so many outstanding films to choose from I am so excited to present our audiences with programmes that applaud bold, inspiring, creative & unforgettable short films from talent who are destined to shape the future of cinema."
Following the Sydney run, award winners and highlights will tour to more than 40 venues across Australia from February to October 2026.
