Major film festivals in Australia listed here include Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and Adelaide Film Festival. Use this list to compare entries for your film format across the index’s major-festival category. Check the specific competition rules, premiere requirements and online availability restrictions before planning your submissions; eligibility for one section does not establish eligibility for another.
Submission calendar (8)
├─┤ 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
Festival
Dates by month
GCFFSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 22 Jan 2027. Opens mid-Aug · Closes late Jan. Festival: 28 Apr 2027 – 9 May 2027.
SFFSubmissions: opens Oct 2026 (approx.); closes 26 Feb 2027. Opens Oct · Closes late Feb. Festival: 9 Jun 2027 – 20 Jun 2027.
RevSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 28 Feb 2027. Opens late Aug · Closes late Feb. Festival: 7 Jul 2027 – 18 Jul 2027.
CinefestOZSubmissions: opens Feb 2027 (approx.); closes 1 Jun 2027 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens Feb · Closes June 1. Festival: Aug 2027 – Sep 2027 (approx.).
MIFFSubmissions: opens Oct 2026 (approx.); closes 16 Feb 2027. Opens mid-Oct · Closes mid-Feb. Festival: 5 Aug 2027 – 22 Aug 2027.
DIFFSubmissions: opens Mar 2027 (approx.); closes 18 Jun 2027. Opens Mar · Closes mid-Jun. Festival: 9 Sep 2027 – 19 Sep 2027.
AFFSubmissions: opens Nov 2026 (approx.); closes 8 Jun 2027. Opens Nov · Closes early Jun. Festival: 20 Oct 2027 – 31 Oct 2027.
BBFFSubmissions: opens Nov 2026 (approx.); closes 31 Aug 2027. Opens Nov · Closes late Aug. Festival: 22 Oct 2027 – 31 Oct 2027.
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.
Gold Coast, QLD · HOTA (Home of the Arts) Next: 28 Apr 2027 (in 5 months)
Open for entries · closes 22 Jan 2027
Festival
April / May
Entries
Opens mid-Aug · Closes late Jan
Fees
Scripts & Web Series $20–$40 AUD · Shorts & Features $40–$70 AUD
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Queensland festival held at HOTA celebrating features, SIPFEST short films, web series, and screenplays. Queensland premiere strictly required for feature and short film competition entries. AACTA Award-qualifying for features.
Sydney, NSW · State Theatre & Dendy Newtown Next: 9 Jun 2027 (in 7 months)
Open for entries · closes 26 Feb 2027
Festival
June
Entries
Opens Oct · Closes late Feb
Fees
~$45 AUD flat fee (free for First Nations & Screenability)
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Features, documentaries and shorts (under 40 min). NSW premiere strictly required for features. Home of the Academy-qualifying Dendy Awards, Sustainable Future Award, and the $20,000 Documentary Australia Award.
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.
Busselton / Margaret River, WA Next: Aug 2027 (in 9 months)
Entries open Feb 2027
Festival
August / September
Entries
Opens Feb · Closes June 1
Fees
~$50–$100 AUD depending on category
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Premieres Australian and French-Australian features, documentaries, and shorts across regional WA. Home of the prestigious $100,000 AUD CinefestOZ Film Prize; Western Australian premiere required.
Melbourne, VIC · ACMI, The Capitol, Forum Melbourne Next: 5 Aug 2027 (in 9 months)
Open for entries · closes 16 Feb 2027
Festival
August
Entries
Opens mid-Oct · Closes mid-Feb
Fees
Shorts $50–$95 AUD · Features $90–$145 AUD
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Australia's largest and most significant film festival and home of the MIFF Shorts Awards (Academy Award®, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Award qualifying). Victoria premiere required for all selections.
Darwin, NT · Deckchair Cinema Next: 9 Sep 2027 (in 10 months)
Entries open Mar 2027
Festival
September
Entries
Opens Mar · Closes mid-Jun
Fees
$15 AUD flat fee ($10 student)
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Iconic outdoor cinema festival held at the waterfront Deckchair Cinema in Darwin. Features international, Australian, and Southeast Asian cinema; selected shorts receive a $100 screening fee.
Adelaide, SA · Adelaide Studios Next: 20 Oct 2027 (in 11 months)
Open for entries · closes 8 Jun 2027
Festival
October
Entries
Opens Nov · Closes early Jun
Fees
Shorts $40–$75 AUD · Features $80–$130 AUD
Submit via
FilmFreeway
South Australia's premier screen event showcasing Australian and international narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and series. Competitive festival requiring South Australian premieres for feature-length films.
Byron Bay, NSW · Palace Byron Bay Next: 22 Oct 2027 (in 11 months)
Open for entries · closes 31 Aug 2027
Festival
October
Entries
Opens Nov · Closes late Aug
Fees
$30–$75 AUD depending on category and tier
Submit via
FilmFreeway
Celebrates independent cinema across dramatic features, documentaries, shorts, animations, surf/environmental films, and VR/XR. Prefers NSW premieres for major titles and awards cash prizes.
