Best Of Documentary Shorts 2 – 2026
The 2nd of two programmes featuring the best of International & Australian Documentary short films in competition. International & Australian filmmakers vying for the prestigious Flickerfest Award for Best Documentary (Academy® Qualifying).
Screening: Sun 25 Jan, 6.30pm | Runtime: 120 min | Classification: under 15 yrs to be w/adult
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Good Luck To You All
An animated film created from interviews with key players in the artificial intelligence field. The animation weaves together their positive and negative views of our future with AI—this new, burgeoning, worrisome “thing”!
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 8min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Canada
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Anna & Alfonso
Anna & Alfonso is a heartfelt documentary short that tells the story of a young woman who moves from her small hometown of Newcastle to New York City. Amid the excitement of a new chapter, she finds herself feeling homesick until she meets Alfonso, a spirited dachshund who becomes her loyal companion. Spanning two countries and over a decade, this deeply personal film blends animation with 13 years of archival photos and videos to explore the profound bond between Anna and Alfonso, and the joy and comfort he brought during her most challenging moments. Anna & Alfonso is a poignant tribute to the transformative power of love, companionship, and the lasting impact our pets have on our lives.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 10min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Australia
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Ramon Who Speaks To Ghosts
After a volcanic eruption, Ramón walks the island of La Palma with his microphone, looking for ghosts.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 7min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Canada
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Beneath Which Rivers Flow
In the marshlands of Southern Iraq, Ibrahim and his family live in solitude as strangers to the outside world, their lives tethered to the river, the reeds, and the buffalo they tend. Silent and withdrawn, Ibrahim finds comfort only in his buffalo, his sole companion. But as the rivers dry and the landscape withers, Ibrahim faces unrelenting forces threatening the only life he has ever known, and the only creature he has ever understood.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 16min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Iraq
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Winter In March
A young Russian couple, feeling helplessness and sadness over the war, decides to leave their home for good. Their journey to Georgia becomes a surrealist nightmare. Their greatest fear—being separated at the border—catches up with them from an unexpected angle.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 16min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Armenia, Estonia
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No Two Ways
Biggy struggles to maintain his late father’s allotment while grappling with his troubled past. As he tends to the neglected plots, he discovers an opportunity to honour his father’s legacy. Can Biggie save his father’s allotment and find redemption in the process?
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 25min
- Year: 2025
- Country: UK
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Return Of The Champ
A documentary-hybrid about Will Power—a world champion and Indy 500 winner—and his comedian brother Damien, who must finally face the rivalry that has shaped their lives in order to reconnect before it breaks them apart.
WORLD PREMIERE- Runtime: 20min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Australia
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Asparagus Bear
In the small, sleepy Mediterranean town of Umag, the unusual appearance of a bear in the midst of wild asparagus season sparks a conflict, dividing the community into skeptics and those who believe the bear truly exists. Following a small local event that spirals wildly out of proportion, the film explores the blurry lines between truth and lies in the age of social media.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE- Runtime: 18min
- Year: 2025
- Country: Croatia