Call for Entries 2026
FLiCKERFEST 35th International Short Film Festival
Friday 16 – Sunday 25, January 2026
Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
Flickerfest is an Academy® Award Qualifying and BAFTA Qualifying festival.
FLiCKERFEST, Australia’s premier international short film festival, will be held at the Bondi Pavilion on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach in January 2026. The Festival in 2026 will celebrate 35 years of screening the best short films from Australia and around the world in competitions and special showcases. Following the Festival in Sydney, a selection of films will go on tour to 40+ capital cities and regional centres around Australia.
FLiCKERFEST 2026 Entries
FLiCKERFEST 2026 Official entries for our International, Australian & Documentary (Academy Award® & BAFTA Qualifying) competitions are Now OPEN!
To submit your film you acknowledge & must fulfill the Eligibility Criteria & abide by the Terms & Conditions on the How To Enter page for each category below.
The 2026 Festival will include the following competitions:
Click the Competition below for Eligibility, Online Entry, T&C’s.
International, Australian & Documentary (Academy Award® & BAFTA Qualifying) Competitions
Early Bird Entries deadline: Friday 15th August 2025
Regular Entries deadline: Monday 15th September 2025
Late Entries deadline: Wednesday 15th October 2025
International competition: Open to films from anywhere in the world (outside of Australia); under 35mins, completed in the last 2 years.
Australian competition: Open to films made in Australia or by Australian residents; under 35mins, completed in the last 2 years.
Documentary competition: Open to Australian & International short documentaries; under 35mins, completed in the last 2 years.
FlickerUp Youth Competition
Entries deadline: Saturday 15th November 2025
FlickerUp competition: Australian National Youth Competition – open to films from students enrolled in secondary schools in Australia, & individuals 18 and under. Films to be under 35mins, completed in the last 2 years.
Specsavers TVC Competition
Entries deadline: 4pm Monday 1st December 2025
Specsavers TVC competition: Open to Australian residents only; entrants need to include: a completed 30 second ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ TVC with a supplied branded end frame and must follow the Creative Brief and T&Cs here.
Please email: [email protected] with any enquiries.
We can’t wait to announce our Flickerfest 2026 programme in December 2025 for our Academy Award® Qualifying and BAFTA Qualifying festival.
2026 is promising to be a bumper programme with FLiCKERFEST celebrating our 35th year of screening the best short films from Australia and around the world, across 10 days & nights of our competition and special showcase programmes once again on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.
Join us on the red carpet in Bondi next January!
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
Flickerfest Award for Best Short Film (Academy Award® Qualifying)
Flickerfest Special Jury Award
Yoram Gross Award for Best Short Animation (Academy Award® Qualifying)
Flickerfest Award for Best Short Documentary (Academy Award® Qualifying)
EU In Australia Award for Best EU Short Film
Azure Productions Award for Best Rainbow LGBTQi Short Film
AUSTRALIAN AWARDS
Panasonic Lumix Award for Best Australian Short Film (Academy Award® Qualifying)
Yoram Gross Award for Best Australian Animation
Spectrum Films Award for Best Direction in an Australian Short Film
AFTRS Award for Best Screenplay in an Australian Short Film
John Barry Award for Best Cinematography in an Australian Short Film
Avid Award for Best Editing in an Australian Short Film
Avid Award For Best Original Music In An Australian Short Film
Rebel8 Award for Outstanding Emerging Female Director
Specsavers Award for Best Australian Comedy Short Film
FLiCKERUP AWARDS
AFTRS Award for Best Australian Youth Short Film
Yoram Gross Award for Best Australian Youth Animation
Avid Award for Best Editing in an Australian Youth Short Film
Karma Drinks Award Special Mention for Youth Short Film
Industry and cash prizes will be awarded in the above categories to approx $30,000 AUD in value.
SPECSAVERS TVC COMPETITION PRIZE
Win up to $70k of a $150k prize pool and screen your “Should’ve gone to Specsavers” TVC at Flickerfest 2026
The Flickerfest Awards are Academy Awards® accredited. The 2026 winners of the Best International Short Film, Best Australian Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film and Best International Animation Short Film awards are eligible to submit their films for the 99th Academy Awards® in 2027. (More information here.)
The Flickerfest Shorts programme is also BAFTA Qualifying. Any British film programmed for the 2026 festival is eligible for entry in the British Short Film and British Short Animation categories of the 2027 BAFTA Film Awards. (More information here.)
(please email [email protected] with any enquiries)