St Kilda Film Festival

Overview

The St Kilda Film Festival is Australia's longest-running short film festival, founded in 1982 and presented by the City of Port Phillip. The 42nd edition runs June 4 to 14, 2026, screening 190+ short films across 10 days and 5 venues in the St Kilda precinct of Melbourne. The festival received a record 960 submissions in 2026, a 7% increase over the previous year.

St Kilda is an Academy Awards qualifying festival. Winners of Best Short Film and Best Documentary receive Academy Awards accreditation, making them eligible for consideration in the Short Film Awards and Documentary Short sections of the Oscars. This makes St Kilda one of the most strategically important short film festivals in the Southern Hemisphere.

The competition only accepts Australian-made short films. International filmmakers cannot submit to the main competition, though an "Australian Expats" category exists for Australian producers or directors whose films do not meet co-production criteria. Films are judged by a jury of festival alumni and screen industry experts.

Submission Details

Submissions are made via FilmFreeway. Key details for the 2026 edition:

Submission fees are listed on the FilmFreeway page. The festival offers submission waivers for filmmakers who require financial assistance or who live, work, or study within the City of Port Phillip. Contact the festival office at filmfest@portphillip.vic.gov.au to request a waiver.

Under the Radar (Youth Competition)

A separate submission category exists for filmmakers under 21 years old. Under the Radar films must be no longer than 15 minutes inclusive of credits. Submissions are made via a separate FilmFreeway page.

Technical Requirements

The festival screens content at 25p. Files supplied in 23.98, 24p, 29.97, or other frame rates may not screen correctly. If possible, supply a 25p version of your screener.

Competition Sections

• Top Shorts Competition - the main competition for Australian short films, judged by a jury of festival alumni and industry experts. More than 100 films are selected for competition each year
• Under the Radar - youth short film competition for filmmakers under 21, max 15 minutes
• Australian Expats - out-of-competition category for Australian producers/directors whose films do not meet Australian co-production criteria. If programmed, the film appears out of competition and is not eligible for awards or Academy accreditation

The festival accepts all fiction and non-fiction genres including music video and experimental works. As per Academy guidelines, films must be no longer than 40 minutes inclusive of credits.

Awards and Prizes

The 2026 award ceremony took place on June 14 at St Kilda Town Hall, hosted by Brian Nankervis. The prize pool is valued at over $40,000, including a $10,000 cash prize for Best Short Film. 15 award categories were presented:

• Best Short Film - $10,000, sponsored by City of Port Phillip (Academy Award qualifying)
• Best Documentary - sponsored by Shaun Miller Lawyers (Academy Award qualifying)
• Best Director - sponsored by Australian Directors' Guild and AFTRS
• Best Achievement in Screenplay
• Best Achievement in Cinematography - sponsored by Panavision and Australian Cinematographers Society
• Best Achievement in Production Design - sponsored by City of Port Phillip
• Best Achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking - sponsored by CitiPower
• Best Animation - sponsored by Deakin University
• Best Actor - sponsored by Chameleon Casting
• Best Young Actor
• Best Youth Short Film - sponsored by JMC Academy and City of Port Phillip
• Innovation Award - sponsored by VicScreen
• Additional craft and achievement awards

The 2026 Best Short Film winner was Writers in Love and Best Documentary was While We Still Have Time, both receiving Academy Awards accreditation.

Venues

The 2026 festival used 5 venues across the St Kilda precinct:

• Palais Theatre - opening night
• St Kilda Town Hall - awards ceremony and closing night
• Astor Theatre - special screenings
• Victorian Pride Centre - queer program screenings
• JMC Academy South Melbourne - professional development day

The festival also collaborated with 3PBS on a live broadcast on June 5, 2026.

Professional Development

The Big Picture, presented by JMC Academy on June 6, 2026, is a professional development day featuring 45+ talks, panels, workshops, presentations, and screenings with approximately 80 speakers. The event is free to attend and includes a special series designed for high school students and those new to the industry.

Festival History

St Kilda Film Festival was founded in 1982 by the City of Port Phillip and has operated continuously for 42 editions, making it Australia's longest-running short film festival. The festival has been central to Australian short film culture for over four decades.

The festival's Academy Awards qualifying status was granted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, providing Australian short filmmakers with a direct pathway to Oscar consideration. This accreditation applies to the Short Film Awards and Documentary Short sections.

Festival Director Richard Sowada leads the current programming team. The 2026 edition received 960 submissions, a record high and a 7% increase over the previous year.

What Filmmakers Should Know

St Kilda only accepts Australian-made short films. If you are an international filmmaker, you cannot submit to the main competition. The festival does accept Australian co-productions where a significant proportion of key crew are Australian, significant pre and post-production occurred in Australia, or the film received significant Australian funding. Co-production eligibility must be detailed at the time of submission.

The Academy Award qualifying status is the single most important strategic reason to submit. If you win Best Short Film or Best Documentary, your film becomes eligible for Oscar consideration. No other Australian short film festival offers this pathway at this prize level.

The 40-minute maximum runtime (inclusive of credits) is an Academy requirement, not a festival preference. Films exceeding 40 minutes are not eligible. The festival screens at 25p - if your film is in 24p or 23.98, convert it to 25p before submitting your screener to avoid playback issues.

Entries cannot be withdrawn after March 1, 2026. By submitting, you waive the right to withdraw your film after this date. Notification of selection comes by April 12, 2026, giving selected filmmakers approximately 8 weeks to prepare for the June 4 opening.

The $10,000 Best Short Film prize is the largest single cash award for short film in Australia. The total prize pool of $40,000+ includes cash and in-kind craft awards across 15 categories.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For Australian film industry context, see International Film Markets. Submit through the St Kilda FilmFreeway page.