Free film festivals to enter in Australia listed here offer fee-free submissions for some or all eligible entrants. A free category may depend on age, residency, format or another condition; it does not make every entry free. Compare the fee notes and category rules before submitting, and check whether you need approval or a waiver code to access the free option.
Submission calendar (14)
├─┤ 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.
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Festival
Dates by month
FOASubmissions: opens Feb 2026 (approx.); closes Jul 2026 (approx.). Opens Feb · Closes Jul. Festival: Oct 2026 – Nov 2026 (approx.).
MQFFSubmissions: opens May 2026 (approx.); closes 3 Aug 2026 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens May · Closes early Aug. Festival: Nov 2026 (approx.).
MFFSubmissions: opening TBC; closing TBC. Current entries closed · Next window TBC. Festival: Jun 2026 – Nov 2026 (approx.).
SF3Submissions: opens Nov 2025 (approx.); closes 1 Sep 2026 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens Nov · Closes early Sep. Festival: Oct 2026 – Nov 2026 (approx.).
Understory Film FestivalSubmissions: opens Jun 2026 (approx.); closes 12 Oct 2026. Opens June · Closes Oct. Festival: 21 Nov 2026 – 21 Nov 2026.
Trop JrSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 23 Oct 2026. Opens Aug · Closes Oct. Festival: 4 Dec 2026 – 4 Dec 2026.
BFFSubmissions: opens Jul 2026 (approx.); closes 29 Oct 2026. Opens Jul · Closes late Oct. Festival: 25 Feb 2027 – 6 Mar 2027.
GIFFSubmissions: opens Mar 2026 (approx.); closes 13 Jan 2027. Opens Mar · Closes Jan. Festival: 12 Mar 2027 – 19 Mar 2027.
SWIFF / NextwaveSubmissions: opens Jun 2026 (approx.); closes 25 Oct 2026 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens mid-year · Closes late Oct. Festival: Apr 2027 (approx.).
SKFFSubmissions: opens Sep 2026 (approx.); closes 15 Jan 2027 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens Sep · Closes mid-Jan. Festival: 3 Jun 2027 – 13 Jun 2027.
SFCSubmissions: opens Sep 2026 (approx.); closes 1 Jun 2027. Opens Sept · Closes early June. Festival: 13 Aug 2027 – 14 Aug 2027.
VSFFSubmissions: opens Feb 2027 (approx.); closes 7 May 2027. Opens Feb · Closes early May. Festival: 3 Sep 2027 – 5 Sep 2027.
AIFFSubmissions: opens Jan 2027 (approx.); closes Jun 2027 (approx.). Opens Jan · Closes June. Festival: Oct 2027 (approx.).
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.
International short film festival organised by NOVA Employment celebrating the achievements and abilities of people with disability. Free to enter for films up to 5 minutes across school, open, and international short film and documentary categories, competing for substantial cash and mentoring prizes alongside online public voting.
Melbourne, VIC · ACMI & Village Jam Factory This month
Entries open May 2027
Festival
November
Entries
Opens May · Closes early Aug
Fees
Free for Australian entrants (waiver code by email); fees apply to international entries
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Australia's oldest and largest LGBTQIA+ film festival, screening more than 140 features, shorts and documentaries across Melbourne. Entry is free for Australian filmmakers.
June premiere · Tour to Nov · Online season from Nov
Entries
Current entries closed · Next window TBC
Fees
Free
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Short films exploring multiculturalism, cultural diversity and social cohesion, with Victorian, national and international eligibility varying by award. Includes fiction, documentary, animation and music video. The 2026 program premiered at ACMI, tours Victoria and has an SBS On Demand season.
Australia's international smartphone film festival dedicated to films shot entirely on mobile phones and tablets. Features competitions for Gala Shorts (under 20 mins), Feature Films, SF3 Kids, and SF3 Mini.
Cairns, QLD · Tank 5, Tanks Arts Centre Next: 21 Nov 2026 (in 12 days)
Entries open Jun 2027
Festival
21 Nov 2026
Entries
Opens June · Closes Oct
Fees
Free
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Short films by North and Far North Queensland filmmakers, including residents from Townsville through Cape York, the Gulf and Torres Strait Islands. Accepts documentary, animation, drama, experimental work and music videos; Best Film and People's Choice each receive a $2,500 cash prize.
Melbourne, VIC · RMIT - The Capitol Next: 25 Feb 2027 (in 3 months)
Entries open Jul 2027
Festival
Feb / Mar
Entries
Opens Jul · Closes late Oct
Fees
Free to $10 AUD (Shorts) · $10–$25 AUD (Features)
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Australia's premier Indigenous-led biennial film festival celebrating First Nations storytelling through cinema. Features, documentaries, shorts, animations, and VR/XR works, requiring the director or writer/producer to be Indigenous. No premiere status required.
International and Australian shorts, including regional and Gippsland categories, with features considered by arrangement. Previously screened and publicly available films can be considered without a premiere requirement. Student rates and a free local youth category are available.
Presented by SWIFF (Screenwave International Film Festival), Nextwave is Australia's largest regional youth short film festival open to filmmakers aged 10-25 with films up to 5 minutes.
St Kilda, Melbourne, VIC · The Astor Theatre & Alex Theatre Next: 3 Jun 2027 (in 7 months)
Open for entries · closes 15 Jan 2027
Festival
June
Entries
Opens Sep · Closes mid-Jan
Fees
Top Shorts ~$35–$60 AUD · Free for Under the Radar (youth)
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Australia's longest-running short film festival, produced by the City of Port Phillip and accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar® qualifying). Showcases Australia's Top Short Films competition. Victorian premiere required.
Accepts shorts, documentaries, animation and music videos from Australia-based filmmakers aged 15–24, including students and non-students of any nationality. Entries must have been completed within two years of the deadline; previously published films are accepted.
Canberra, ACT · Tuggeranong Arts Centre Next: 13 Aug 2027 (in 9 months)
Open for entries · closes 1 Jun 2027
Festival
13–14 Aug 2027
Entries
Opens Sept · Closes early June
Fees
Shorts $15–$50 · Features $50–$90 · Student rates and free workshop category; currency unconfirmed
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Science-grounded, optimistic narratives, documentaries and animation, with shorts up to 30 minutes and a selected feature premiere. Features require Canberra premiere status; shorts have no prior-screening restriction. The workshop-participant category is free.
Hobart, TAS · State Cinema Next: 3 Sep 2027 (in 10 months)
Entries open Feb 2027
Festival
September
Entries
Opens Feb · Closes early May
Fees
Free entry
Submit via
FilmFreeway
National short film festival premiering 2 to 5 minute Australian stories in Hobart before a nationwide tour. Competition films must incorporate the annual signature theme ('TURN' for 2027) and premiere at the festival. Free to enter across 18 & Under and 19 & Over categories.
Australian and international short films in any genre, completed in any year, with no strict premiere requirement. Includes animation, documentary, student, South Australian and First Nations categories, plus a screenplay program. Student films have a shorter 20-minute limit.
Does free submission mean a free screening ticket?
Free submission describes the cost of entering your film for consideration. It does not establish the cost of attending a screening or guarantee selection. Check the festival’s separate entry conditions, ticket information and filmmaker access arrangements.
