by FilmInk Staff
SF3 set for Opera House ‘encore’
The 12th annual Smart Fone Flick Fest (SF3) is open for entries. The Sydney-founded – now international – hit film fest that puts movie-making in the hands of everyone and every age, will again take place at the Sydney Opera House on Nov 1.
Last year, over 450 entries came from every corner of the globe, with the best of them facing off in front of a full house of industry A-listers, festival ambassadors and celebrity and industry judges for a share of more than $50,000 in prizes.
South African filmmaker SJ van Breda scooped 5 major prizes for her documentary Squashbox. Three more went to French film Umami by Aida Bahrami. However, Australian films from Randwick, Bondi, Caringbah, Crestmeadow, Kyle Bay, Georges Hall, Unanderra (all NSW), Braybrook and South Yarra (VIC) won 11 awards in the Gala Finals. And Best SF3 Kids awards went to Dylan Quick of Caulfield in the High School section and Aria, Frankie and Pina Macedone of Alexandria (NSW) in the Primary School section. Other awards included local young filmmakers from Ashbury, Rouse Hill, Frenchs Forest, Earlwood Rosemeadow, Port Kembla, Jesmond (all NSW), Waurn Ponds and Melbourne (VIC).
James Demitri of Lewisham won Best Feature Film while other special awards including Best Mini, Best Adaptation, Best Australian Mini, Community and First Nations Awards went to locals of Denham Court, Wollongong, Erskineville (NSW), Korumburra (VIC) and Coomera (QLD).
This year’s 1 November live screenings at the Opera House will feature SF3 Kids Finals and 12th Annual Gala Finals as well as the announcement of the Feature Film winner. That film together with the ‘Mini’ finalists will have a separate screening.
All rules are the same as last season:
• Gala films must be 20 mins or less;
• Sf3 Kids films are for filmmakers 18 and under and must be 10 minutes or less;
• SF3 Mini films must be 3 minutes or less and the word to be inspired by is “GO”;
• SF3 Feature Films are a minimum of 30 mins and no maximum;
• SF3 AI is for films written by a human and made using generative AI.
Blackmagic is back as SF3 Major Sponsor, with Melodie and Try & Byte Silver Sponsors. Chicken & Chips Casting, Røde Microphones and Rubber Monkey are back as SF3 Bronze Sponsors. There is already a pool of $50,000 worth of prizes with more being locked in every day.
Australian international filmmaker Phillip Noyce heads the Ambassadors list with a judging panel that includes Louis Nowra, Serhat Caradee, Ros Gentle, Joe Ochman, Yolandi Franken and Megan Riakos.
SF3 Festival Director and co-founder Angela Blake said she was hugely proud to launch the 12th straight season of this runaway success. “Smartphone filmmaking is the filmmaking of 2026. Whether you’re a first time filmmaker or a seasoned movie-maker, we encourage you to pick up your phones or tablets and make that film. Who knows? You might just end up with us at the Sydney Opera house!”
Philippe Klaus, Best First-time Filmmaker, said SF3 was genuinely driven by a love for filmmakers. “It manages to attract first-timers as well as veterans at the top of their game, and Angela and her team went above and beyond in terms of their support; they secured the Sydney Opera House as a venue, got me television exposure, organised networking events and – though it seems a small thing – limited award speeches in favour of screening as many films as they could. It shows where their values lie.”
Phillip Noyce said he was honoured to support SF3 and that the platform represented a significant leap forward in making filmmaking accessible, empowering storytellers, leveraging technology, and supporting independent voices. “As a filmmaker, I am immensely inspired by the festival’s impact and its contribution to the evolution of cinema. SF3 is more than just a festival; it is a movement, a testament to the power of storytelling, and a beacon for aspiring filmmakers worldwide.”
SF3 Kids Award Winner Zac Deren said the SF3 Film Festival was a big part of his life. “By entering films each year it has helped me grow and improve my acting and filmmaking skills. The festival at The Sydney Opera House was amazing. Having my film screen at such a famous place was a dream come true.” It was a thought echoed by mother of Dylan Quick, who won successive awards in Primary and Middle School: “It is such a fantastic platform which looks after and supports the creativity of the young filmmakers on their phones. Angela totally advocates and respects the children’s films; and what a bonus for them to be screened at Sydney Opera House!”
“The days of waiting for permission to start “being” a filmmaker are over,” said RØDE Head of Content Kade Robinson. “At RØDE, we’ve always designed tools that break down barriers for creatives and put the power of quality sound recording into the hands of emerging filmmakers across Australia and around the world. Mobile filmmaking strips cinema right back to its essence: story, perspective, creativity and voice… and we love that SF3 celebrates this and platforms mobile filmmakers on the world stage. It’s an honour to play a small but vital role in bringing this recognition to life year after year.”
SF3 Entries are now open at www.sf3.com.au Full details of categories, prizes and competition rules on the website. Entries close 1 September.
