Web series festivals in Australia listed here accept series or episodic work within their stated categories. They include broader film festivals rather than only dedicated web series events. Check whether the entry calls for an episode, pilot or another selection of material, along with runtime, prior release and production requirements. Confirm that the festival accepts your particular type of series before submitting.
├─┤ 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.
| Festival | Dates by month |
|---|---|
| Made in the West Film FestivalSubmissions: opens Mar 2026 (approx.); closes 9 Oct 2026 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens Mar · Closes early Oct. Festival: Nov 2026 (approx.). | |
| MGFFSubmissions: opens Sep 2026 (approx.); closes 8 Dec 2026. Opens mid-Sep · Closes early Dec. Festival: 18 Feb 2027 – 4 Mar 2027. | |
| WAMFFSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 1 Dec 2026. Opens Aug · Closes early Dec. Festival: 18 Feb 2027 – 28 Feb 2027. | |
| MWFFSubmissions: opens May 2026 (approx.); closes 2 Oct 2026. Opens May · Closes early Oct. Festival: 18 Mar 2027 – 21 Mar 2027. | |
| SWIFFSubmissions: opens Jan 2026 (approx.); closes 30 Nov 2026. Opens Jan · Closes Nov. Festival: 11 Apr 2027 – 17 Apr 2027. | |
| GPFFSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 29 Jan 2027. Opens Aug · Closes late Jan. Festival: 15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027. | |
| GCFFSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 22 Jan 2027. Opens mid-Aug · Closes late Jan. Festival: 28 Apr 2027 – 9 May 2027. | |
| CinefestOZSubmissions: opens Feb 2027 (approx.); closes 1 Jun 2027 (typical; unconfirmed). Opens Feb · Closes June 1. Festival: Aug 2027 – Sep 2027 (approx.). | |
| SLSFFSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 31 May 2027. Opens Aug · Closes late May. Festival: 6 Aug 2027 – 7 Aug 2027. | |
| SCINEMA International Science Film FestivalSubmissions: opens Aug 2026 (approx.); closes 31 May 2027. Opens Aug · Closes May. Festival: 14 Aug 2027 – 22 Aug 2027. | |
| Dark Nights Film FestSubmissions: opening TBC; closing TBC. Opening TBC · Closes Aug. Festival: Oct 2027 (approx.). | |
| AFINSubmissions: opens Oct 2026 (approx.); closes 27 Jun 2027. Opens late Oct · Closes late Jun. Festival: 10 Oct 2027 – 23 Oct 2027. | |
| AFFSubmissions: opens Nov 2026 (approx.); closes 8 Jun 2027. Opens Nov · Closes early Jun. Festival: 20 Oct 2027 – 31 Oct 2027. | |
| Cinematic Horror Film FestivalSubmissions: opens Apr 2027 (approx.); closes 31 Aug 2027. Opens Apr · Closes Aug. Festival: 31 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.
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Short film
Entries open Mar 2027
Western Sydney's flagship short film festival, screening finalists at Event Cinemas Liverpool. Films must be under 30 minutes and have cast, crew or locations from Western Sydney.
Details for Made in the West Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Closing soon · entries close 8 Dec
Organised by Queer Screen, MGFF is one of the world's largest LGBTQIA+ film festivals. Home of the 'My Queer Career' Australian short film competition with over $16,000 AUD in prizes and no Sydney premiere requirement.
Details for Mardi Gras Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Closing soon · entries close 1 Dec
Western Australia's largest celebration of exclusively WA-made screen content, showcasing features, documentaries, shorts, web series, and the 'Get Smart!' smartphone film competition.
Details for WA Made Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Entries open May 2027
Short films (up to 20 min including credits) and web series with a woman or gender-diverse filmmaker in a key creative role, from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Moana Oceania. Narrative, documentary, animation, music video and experimental work; no features. Generative AI banned.
Details for Melbourne Women in Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Closing soon · entries close 30 Nov
Features, shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos, web series and screenplays supporting women and non-binary filmmakers. Film entries require both an eligible key creative and protagonist. NSW cinematic release and online availability restrictions apply, with exceptions for web series and music videos.
Details for Sydney Women’s International Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Open for entries · closes 29 Jan 2027
Regional Victoria's premier LGBTQIA+ film festival celebrating queer cinema from Australia and around the world. Accepts narrative features, shorts, documentaries, animation, and web series.
Details for Geelong Pride Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Major
Open for entries · closes 22 Jan 2027
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.
Details for Gold Coast Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Major
Entries open Feb 2027
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.
Details for CinefestOZ Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Short film
Open for entries · closes 31 May 2027
Independent short film festival held at PIP Theatre in Milton, Brisbane, dedicated to unique, heartfelt short films up to 20 minutes. Accepts drama, comedy, horror, queer, animation, student, music video, and documentary works. No premiere requirements.
Details for Sparrowland Short Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Open for entries · closes 31 May 2027
Science-themed features, shorts, documentaries, animation, experimental films and television series. Films are considered for jury awards and a separate online/community screening program during National Science Week. Student fee waivers can be requested; awards are trophies rather than cash.
Details for SCINEMA International Science Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Submission dates TBC
Horror and dark-genre short films, webisodes, narrative music videos and unproduced screenplays. Film submissions must be under 30 minutes, retain NSW premiere status and meet public-availability restrictions. The festival reserves most short-film slots for its open call.
Details for Dark Nights Film Fest Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Open for entries · closes 27 Jun 2027
Brisbane-based international festival celebrating independent cinema across features, shorts, documentaries, animations, series, and screenplays. Features 22 award categories with crystal trophies and memberships, plus free entry for Australian First Nations filmmakers. No strict premiere required, though premieres are prioritised.
Details for AFIN International Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Major
Open for entries · closes 8 Jun 2027
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.
Details for Adelaide Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
Genre, identity & specialised
Entries open Apr 2027
Horror features, shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos and television pilots. No premiere requirement; recent work is prioritised. Student entries have a separate category and discretionary fee waivers are available.
Details for Cinematic Horror Film Festival Submit (external site) Website (external site)
