Film Festivals AU

Documentary film festivals in Australia

Documentary film festivals in Australia listed here include Antenna and Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, plus Environmental Films Australia, which also accepts other forms of environmental storytelling. This is the documentary-focus shortlist. For a broader search, use the main index’s Documentaries filter. Before entering, check the category’s runtime, subject requirements, premiere conditions and fee currency.

Submission calendar (3)

├─┤ Submissions ▬ Festival ┄ Approximate / recurring dates │ Today: 2026-11-09
Next festival edition and its preceding submission window; closed windows stay visible. Dashed boxes show possible months, not confirmed days. Scroll for all festivals and months; hover a row for dates.

Submission windows and festival dates for the current filters
FestivalDates by month
AntennaSubmissions: opens Apr 2026 (approx.); closes 31 Oct 2026. Opens Apr · Closes late Oct. Festival: 4 Feb 2027 – 14 Feb 2027.
MDFFSubmissions: opens Jun 2026 (approx.); closes May 2027 (approx.). Opens June · Closes May. Festival: Jul 2027 (approx.).
EFFASubmissions: opens Jun 2027 (approx.); closes 31 Aug 2027 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens mid-year · Closes late Aug. Festival: Oct 2027 (approx.).

3 festivals

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  1. Genre, identity & specialised

    Antenna Documentary Film Festival (Antenna)

    Sydney, NSW
    Next: 4 Feb 2027 (in 3 months)

    Entries open Apr 2027

    Festival
    February
    Entries
    Opens Apr · Closes late Oct
    Fees
    Shorts $15–$30 USD · Features $25–$30 USD
    Submit via
    FilmFreeway

    Creative non-fiction from Australia and around the world. Feature documentaries (60 min or longer) compete for a $10,000 cash prize; Australian short documentaries (30 min or less) compete for $5,000. Sydney premiere required.

    • Features
    • Shorts
    • Documentaries
    • Documentary
    • Cash prizes

    Details for Antenna Documentary Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)

  2. Genre, identity & specialised

    Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF)

    Melbourne, VIC · Cinema Nova
    Next: Jul 2027 (in 8 months)

    Open for entries · closes May 2027

    Festival
    July
    Entries
    Opens June · Closes May
    Fees
    ~$10–$62 AUD depending on tier and category
    Submit via
    FilmFreeway & Festhome

    Dedicated Australian documentary showcase presenting local and international non-fiction features and shorts, VR/XR, and pitching competitions across cinema and streaming formats.

    • Features
    • Shorts
    • Documentaries
    • VR / XR
    • Documentary
    • Cash prizes

    Details for Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)

  3. Genre, identity & specialised

    Environmental Films Australia (EFFA)

    Melbourne, VIC · Kino Cinema & Palace Westgarth
    Next: Oct 2027 (in 11 months)

    Entries open Jun 2027

    Festival
    October
    Entries
    Opens mid-year · Closes late Aug
    Fees
    ~$25–$50 AUD depending on category
    Submit via
    FilmFreeway

    Formerly Environmental Film Festival Australia. Volunteer-run Melbourne festival of documentary, narrative, experimental and animated films about climate, environments and the natural world. Features 40+ minutes, shorts 1–39 minutes; Australian, NZ and First Nations work especially welcome.

    • Features
    • Shorts
    • Documentaries
    • Animation
    • Documentary
    • Surf & environment
    • Cash prizes

    Details for Environmental Films Australia Submit (external site) Website (external site)