Adelaide Film Festival
South Australia's most important film festival, held biennially in October in Adelaide, known for commissioning original Australian works and presenting adventurous international cinema in one of Australia's most arts-engaged cities.
Overview
The Adelaide Film Festival is South Australia's most important film festival. Founded in 2003 and held biennially in October in Adelaide, the festival has developed a distinctive and highly regarded model: it commissions original Australian works through the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund (AFFIF), creating world premieres of Australian films that are specifically developed for the festival.
This commissioning model distinguishes Adelaide from all other Australian festivals. By directly funding the creation of new Australian works, the festival ensures that it regularly presents genuine world premieres of original Australian cinema, not just Australian premieres of films already seen elsewhere.
Adelaide's identity as Australia's festival city -- home to the Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide, Fringe, and the OzAsia Festival -- creates an extraordinarily arts-engaged audience for the film festival. The city's culture of genuine cultural adventurousness supports Adelaide's programming of formally ambitious and thematically daring films.
Key Sections
- AFFIF Commissioned Works -- world premieres of Australian films commissioned by the festival
- International Program -- curated international films
- Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
- Short Film Competition -- Australian and international short films
- Australian Screen Industries Awards -- industry honors
What Filmmakers Should Know
Adelaide's commissioning model means Australian filmmakers can apply to the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund for production financing, with the festival as the premiere platform. For international filmmakers, Adelaide's arts-engaged audience and its biennial timing create an unusually focused premiere context.
Major Awards
- AACTA-aligned recognition for commissioned films
- Audience Award -- voted by Adelaide audiences
Festival History
Adelaide Film Festival was founded in 2003 and developed the AFFIF commissioning model, which has funded numerous acclaimed Australian films.
See Also
For Australian cinema, see International Film Markets. For film financing, see Film Financing Guide.
