by FilmInk Staff
The St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) has announced the nominees for its 2026 Top Shorts Program, recognising the outstanding achievements of short filmmakers across directing, screenwriting, cinematography, documentary, animation, acting and more.
The competition carries a prize valued at over $40,000, including a $10,000 prize for Best Short Film. The winners will be revealed at the festival’s free Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Party on Sunday 14 June at St Kilda Town Hall.
The top nominees include darker comedies Writers in Love [pictured] directed by Joan Wischusen Giles’ (nominated seven times) and Question 57 directed by Ben Bouvier-Farrell (nominated four times). With six nominations is previous Best Director award winner David Robinson-Smith’s The Shirt Off Your Back: a dark fairy-tale where two brothers retell the same encounter through very different eyes. Robin Kalus’ Fracture and Annelise Hickey’s Stranger, Brother, both dramas, each received four nominations.
This year, the competition received a record-breaking 960 submissions from across Australia, seven per cent more than the previous year. Following assessment by a panel of industry professionals, the shortlisted films were selected for competition and screened throughout the festival, before being judged by a jury of festival alumni and screen industry experts. The winners of the Best Documentary and Best Short Film will receive Academy Awards® accreditation.
Winners of Australia’s Top Shorts Program and youth program Under the Radar will be announced at the St Kilda Film Festival Award Ceremony on Sunday 14 June, 7 pm at the St Kilda Town Hall, hosted by Brian Nankervis and followed by the Closing Party.
For full program details and bookings, visit: stkildafilmfestival.com.au
Full list of award nominees:
Best Original Score – Sponsored by AKG and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers
Alex Olijnyk – Pulp
James Mountain – Feral
Kenneth King – Fracture
Johnny Mackay – Question 57
Best Achievement in Sound Post-production – Sponsored by JBL and the Australian Screen Sound Guild
Kevin Chan, Liam Dennis – Fracture
Wade Keighran – The Shirt Off Your Back
Noah Kiely, Gus Threlfall, Keith Thomas – Headphones
Emma Bortignon – Writers In Love
Best Achievement in Editing – Sponsored by Roar Digital and Adobe
Christine Cheung – Writers In Love
Rob Draper – Australian Made
Sarah Panzetta – Question 57
Phoebe Taylor – The Shirt Off Your Back
Best Achievement in Screenplay – Sponsored by Cinema Nova and the Australian Writers’ Guild
Rob Draper – Australian Made
Ben Bouvier-Farrell, Hugh Delaney – Question 57
Annelise Hickey – Stranger, Brother
Grace Malouf – Writers In Love
Best Achievement in Indigenous Filmmaking – Sponsored by CitiPower
Faceless
Bringing His Spirit Home
See Saw
Bush Boots
Best Achievement in Cinematography – Sponsored by Panavision and the Australian Cinematographers Society
T. Oxford – Fracture
Devamanikandan Kannaya Somu – Interview With A Hero
Aaron McLisky – Feral
Jaclyn Paterson – The Shirt Off Your Back
Best Young Actor – Sponsored by City of Port Phillip
Eden Wendt – The Shirt Off Your Back
Blye Hawk – The Shirt Off Your Back
Samson Uili – Stranger, Brother
Conor Wier – VANDALS
Tobias Chichero – VANDALS
Tamaki Simpson – Hafu
Sara Sekiya – Hafu
Best Actor – Sponsored by Chameleon Casting
Hattie Hook – Safe Hands
Brandon McClelland – Writers in Love
Roxie Mohebbi – Writers in Love
Will McDonald – Boy on Fire
Nat Damena – Question 57
Best Animation – Sponsored by Deakin University
Trading Cards
The Fling
The Fractured
Mission: WASH DISHES DON’T DIE
Best Documentary – Sponsored by Shaun Miller Lawyers
Bringing His Spirit Home
While We Still Have Time
River Town People
Dark Matter
Best Director – Sponsored by the Australian Directors’ Guild and the Australian Film Television & Radio School
David Robinson-Smith – The Shirt Off Your Back
Annelise Hickey – Stranger, Brother
Celeste Diep – Interview With A Hero
Sarah Giles – Writers In Love
Innovation Award – Sponsored by VicScreen
Dark Matter
The Fling
INFINIT3
Parasomnia
Best Achievement in Production Design – Sponsored by City of Port Phillip
Cloe Jouin – Transcendence
Nathan Evans – Interview With A Hero
Elena Lyons-Dawson – The Fling
Imogen Walsh – Headphones
Best Youth Short Film – Sponsored by JMC Academy and City of Port Phillip
Senescence – Isabella Theophanous-Maddison
Manca – Emile Burford
Print-Friendly – Mitchell George Netes
Best Short Film – Sponsored by City of Port Phillip
Trading Cards
Writers In Love
Feral
Fracture
Stranger, Brother
For full program details and bookings, visit: stkildafilmfestival.com.au
