by FilmInk Staff
Flickerfest, Sydney’s Academy® qualifying and BAFTA recognised short film festival celebrates a landmark 35 years in 2026, rolling out the red carpet at Bondi Beach from 23rd January – 1st February 2026.
Join Flickerfest this summer for a magical journey through the best short films from at home and guaranteed to inspire and delight. With over 200 shorts screening across 18 competitive programmes and 6 showcase sessions, Flickerfest 2026 features a glittering line-up of cinema stars in an astounding programme, selected from almost 3,600 entries. The Flickerfest programmes of inspiring short films will move, inspire and entertain this year’s audiences with the very best short films Australia and the world has to offer.
The shorts in competition at Flickerfest are vying fiercely for a number of prestigious prizes including the Flickerfest Award for Best International Short Film, the Yoram Gross Award for Best International Animation, Best Australian Short Film and the Flickerfest Award for Best Documentary – all of which are Academy® Qualifying.
Flickerfest Director, Bronwyn Kidd commented: “I’m thrilled to celebrate Flickerfest’s landmark 35th birthday with our passionate audiences whose support, attendance and passion for short films have made our long life possible With a record number of entries received, Flickerfest 2026 will again deliver an outstanding programme celebrating our most talented contemporary storytellers, both here in Australia and from around the world. With so many outstanding films to choose from I am so excited to present our audiences with programmes that applaud bold, inspiring, creative and unforgettable short cinema in our truly magical iconic location at Bondi Beach.”
Audiences will also be delighted with a celebration of amazing LBTQI films in competition from across the globe (Rainbow Shorts) and The Best Of Shorts from the European Union, special showcases of kids and family friendly films (FlickerKids), films about relationships (Love Bites), and hilarious comedy films (Short Laughs) will also star.
Flickerfest hits Bondi Beach from the 23rd January – 1st February 2026 before touring nationally to 45+ venues. The full 2026 programme will be announced, and tickets will be on sale from mid-December at: flickerfest.com.au.
