Australian film festivals, sorted by what's next

71 festivals and their submission windows, from the major international festivals to short film, genre and identity-focused events. Every listing links straight to the festival's official website and submission page.

Submission calendar (9)

├─┤ Submissions ▬ Festival ┄ Approximate / recurring dates │ Today: 2026-11-09
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Festival
Bauhaus Bendigo Short Film Festival
CCFF
NiSFF
MUFF
CFF
MNFF
Rev
SUFF
Fraser Shorts Film Festival

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Includes festival dates for all current matches. Approximate dates cover the possible months and are marked tentative. This is a one-time import; changes here will not sync automatically.

Festival type All Major Short film Genre, identity & specialised

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State / territory NSW (22) VIC (20) QLD (16) WA (7) SA (4) TAS (3) ACT (5) NT (2)

Accepts Features (36) Shorts (70) Documentaries (55) Animation (45) Series & web series (14) Music videos (19) VR / XR (7) Screenplays (7)

Focus Genre (sci-fi, fantasy, cult) (11) Horror (7) Comedy (1) Science (2) Documentary (3) Experimental & underground (9) Independent cinema (30) LGBTQIA+ (7) Women & gender-diverse (3) First Nations (8) Disability (3) Multicultural & diaspora (2) Regional filmmakers (18) Local / state-made (15) Youth & students (18) Smartphone filmmaking (4) Surf & environment (5) Uplifting stories (4)

Awards & qualifying Academy Award® qualifying (4) BAFTA qualifying (2) AACTA qualifying (3) Cash prizes (44)

Premiere rules Premiere required (17) Premiere preferred (9) No premiere requirement (25)

Entry fees Free entry (14) Fee waivers available (8) Student rates (34)

Submit via FilmFreeway (65) Festhome (3) Festival website (8)

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9 of 71 festivals · sorted by next festival date · Clear filters

Bauhaus Bendigo Short Film Festival
Genre, identity & specialised

Bauhaus Bendigo Short Film Festival

Bendigo, VIC · La Trobe Art Institute and Hargreaves Mall Civic Screen
On now

Entries open Apr 2027

Festival
8–15 Nov 2026

Entries
Opens Apr · Closing dates conflict between Sept and Oct

Fees
$10–$50 across student and standard categories; currency unconfirmed

Submit via
FilmFreeway

International shorts exploring Bauhaus design, architecture and experimental film, with a Greater Bendigo residents' category. Selected films screen at a launch event and on the outdoor civic screen. Films must be suitable for a general audience.
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Experimental & underground
- Local / state-made
Details for Bauhaus Bendigo Short Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
CCFF
Genre, identity & specialised

Central Coast Film Festival (CCFF)

Ettalong Beach, NSW · Cinema Paradiso
Next: 14 Nov 2026 (in 5 days)

Entries open Mar 2027

Festival
14–21 Nov 2026

Entries
Opens Mar · Closes early Sept

Fees
$10–$115 AUD across categories · Student and local rates available

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Australian and international features, mid-length films and shorts, with documentary, animation, music video and experimental categories. Dedicated categories recognise Central Coast productions, students, under-18 filmmakers and First Nations work.
- Features
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Music videos
- Experimental & underground
- First Nations
- Local / state-made
- Youth & students
Details for Central Coast Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
NiSFF
Short film

Newcastle International Short Film Festival (NiSFF)

Newcastle, NSW · The Royal Exchange Hybrid Performance Space & Cinema
Next: 20 Nov 2026 (in 11 days)

Closing soon · entries close 10 Nov

Festival
November

Entries
Opens Dec · Closes early Nov

Fees
~$7–$24 AUD ($6–$22 student)

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Short film festival held at The Royal Exchange in Newcastle celebrating Australian, regional NSW, and international short films up to 20 minutes across drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi, documentary, animation, and phone films. Newcastle premiere status strictly required.
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Genre (sci-fi, fantasy, cult)
- Experimental & underground
- Independent cinema
- Regional filmmakers
- Smartphone filmmaking
Details for Newcastle International Short Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
MUFF
Genre, identity & specialised

Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF)

Melbourne, VIC
Next: 26 Nov 2026 (in 17 days)

Entries open Dec

Festival
November

Entries
Opens Dec · Closes late Oct

Fees
~$35–$55 AUD

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Long-running independent festival showcasing cutting-edge, cult, experimental, transgressive, and alternative Australian and international cinema across feature, short, and documentary formats. Submissions via FilmFreeway with no premiere requirement; selected films are bound by an irrevocable screening agreement.
- Features
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Genre (sci-fi, fantasy, cult)
- Horror
- Experimental & underground
- Independent cinema
Details for Melbourne Underground Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
CFF
Genre, identity & specialised

Capricorn Film Festival (CFF)

Yeppoon, QLD · Yeppoon Town Hall
Next: Jan 2027 (in 2 months)

Entries open Feb 2027

Festival
January

Entries
Opens Feb · Closes early Nov

Fees
Shorts $10–$30 AUD · Features $50–$65 AUD

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Central Queensland festival screening features, documentaries, shorts (under 30 min), and experimental video art. Offers over $4,000 AUD in cash prizes across world-open and dedicated Central Queensland (CQ) categories. No premiere required for short films.
- Features
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Music videos
- Experimental & underground
- Independent cinema
- Regional filmmakers
- Cash prizes
Details for Capricorn Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
MNFF
Short film

Melbourne Nocturnal Film Festival (MNFF)

Collingwood, Melbourne, VIC · Eclipse Cinema
Next: 1 May 2027 (in 6 months)

Open for entries · closes 31 Mar 2027

Festival
1–2 May 2027

Entries
Opens Aug · Closes Mar

Fees
$16–$40 standard entries · First Nations waivers; currency unconfirmed

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Australian-made narrative, documentary, animated and experimental shorts with an offbeat emphasis. Films must be strictly under 30 minutes. Premiere status is preferred but not required, and First Nations filmmakers can request a fee waiver.
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Experimental & underground
- Local / state-made
Details for Melbourne Nocturnal Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Rev
Major

Revelation Perth International Film Festival (Rev)

Perth, WA · Luna Cinemas Leederville
Next: 7 Jul 2027 (in 8 months)

Open for entries · closes 28 Feb 2027

Festival
July

Entries
Opens late Aug · Closes late Feb

Fees
$40–$60 AUD flat fee across categories

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Western Australia's champion of independent, underground, documentary, and experimental screen culture. Western Australian premieres required for all feature-length projects.
- Features
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- VR / XR
- Genre (sci-fi, fantasy, cult)
- Experimental & underground
- Independent cinema
- Local / state-made
- Cash prizes
Details for Revelation Perth International Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
SUFF
Genre, identity & specialised

Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF)

Marrickville, Sydney, NSW · The Factory Theatre
Next: Sep 2027 (in 10 months)

Entries open Feb 2027

Festival
September

Entries
Opens Feb · Closes mid-Jul

Fees
Shorts $30–$55 AUD · Features $45–$75 AUD

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Dedicated to provocative, independent, counter-culture, and boundary-pushing cinema. Staged at The Factory Theatre in Marrickville across features, shorts, documentaries, and animation.
- Features
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Genre (sci-fi, fantasy, cult)
- Experimental & underground
- Independent cinema
- Cash prizes
Details for Sydney Underground Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Fraser Shorts Film Festival
Short film

Fraser Shorts Film Festival

Maryborough / Hervey Bay, QLD · Brolga Theatre and Big Screen Cinema
Next: Oct 2027 (in 11 months)

Open for entries · closes Sep 2027

Festival
October

Entries
Opens Oct · Closes Sept

Fees
$30 flat fee · Previous-cycle rate; currency unconfirmed

Submit via
FilmFreeway

Short films across fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, environmental, First Nations, music video and student categories. Screenings take place in Maryborough and Hervey Bay. Only films made in the Fraser Coast region qualify for the local category.
- Shorts
- Documentaries
- Animation
- Music videos
- Experimental & underground
- First Nations
- Regional filmmakers
- Local / state-made
- Youth & students
- Surf & environment
Details for Fraser Shorts Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)

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Submissions

Open for entries now

Festival type

Short film festivals
Major festivals
Short films in Victoria
Short films in NSW
Short films in Queensland

State / territory

New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Canberra & ACT
Northern Territory

Accepts

Feature films
Animation
Screenplays
Music videos
Web series & TV
VR / XR

Focus

Horror
Sci-fi, fantasy & genre
Documentary
LGBTQIA+ & queer
First Nations
Youth & students
Experimental & underground
Regional
Smartphone filmmaking
Surf & environment
Women & gender-diverse
Disability
Independent cinema

Awards & qualifying

Oscar, BAFTA & AACTA qualifying

Entry fees

Free to enter

Australian film festivals, sorted by what's next

Submission calendar (9)

Bauhaus Bendigo Short Film Festival

Central Coast Film Festival (CCFF)

Newcastle International Short Film Festival (NiSFF)

Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF)

Capricorn Film Festival (CFF)

Melbourne Nocturnal Film Festival (MNFF)

Revelation Perth International Film Festival (Rev)

Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF)

Fraser Shorts Film Festival