by FilmInk Staff
LOGAN, QLD – 12-13 September 2026
A new generation of Australian filmmakers takes centre stage.
This September, Underdog Film Festival (UDFF) returns to Kingston Butter Factory for its biggest weekend yet, bringing filmmakers, industry leaders, emerging talent and film lovers from across Australia to Logan City for a celebration of independent short films, professional development and connection.
Now in its third year, Underdog is built on a simple belief: great stories can come from anywhere, and everyone’s story deserves a place on the screen.
Across two days, audiences can experience short film screenings, industry panels, hands-on workshops, masterclasses, networking opportunities and special screenings. The festival creates a space where Australia’s next generation of storytellers can not only have their work seen, but meet the people, learn the skills and build the relationships that can help take their careers to the next level.
“What an incredible day. The standout above all was the incredible selection of films on display. The taste level of what was curated was off the charts… A very relevant panel discussion and some of the most useful prizes on offer with a real focus on the next step of your career. A great venue for meeting and talking to other local filmmakers… very slickly run and a great time!” — David Lawrence, director of Say No to Craft and winner of Best LGBTQIA+ Film at the 2025 Underdog Film Festival.
Underdog’s 2026 program reflects the festival’s ambition to make Logan a destination for independent filmmaking and screen culture, while celebrating the talent already creating work in the city.
A highlight of the festival is the screening of Kung Fu Western [pictured], a proof-of-concept short that demonstrates what can happen when Logan’s emerging creative talent, local support and ambitious filmmaking come together.
Produced and shot in Logan with the help of Underdog Film Festival and Logan City Council, the action-packed film comes from emerging filmmakers Tin Pham Huyen and Kailani D’Amour.
Set during the Australian gold rush, Kung Fu Western follows a Chinese traveller who enters an isolated bar and is refused service by a familiar face, setting him on a path of vengeance. Blending anime-inspired characters, the practical stunts and fast-paced action of Hong Kong cinema, and the visual language of the Spaghetti Western, the film is the opening scene of a planned feature, Journey to the West.
For its creators, the project represents more than a short film – it’s proof of what emerging Australian filmmakers can achieve when given the opportunity, support and platform to dream bigger.
A major focus of this year’s festival is giving emerging filmmakers access to the knowledge, equipment and people that can help them build sustainable careers.
Behind the Lens, an exclusive professional development workshop series presented by Panavision Australia, will be led by National Sales and Marketing Manager Nic Godoy, drawing on his 26 years of industry experience.
Designed for emerging and mid-career directors, producers, creatives and cinematographers, the workshops explore everything from the creative foundations of optics and visual storytelling to advanced technical approaches for filmmakers working behind the camera.
With live cameras and Panavision lenses on stage, participants will see firsthand how choices around perspective, depth and atmosphere can transform the way a story is told.
Dianna La Grassa, Head of Screen at Bus Stop Films, will also bring two free and accessible sessions to the festival: How to Make the Perfect Short Film in a Day and Future Proofing Your Production.
An award-winning producer with more than 65 short films to her name, as well as producing credits on Bus Stop Films’ first feature, Boss Cat, La Grassa brings a wealth of practical experience to filmmakers working with limited time and resources.
In How to Make the Perfect Short Film in a Day, she’ll unpack what actually makes a short film work – from story, structure and character to the practical realities of shooting with a skeleton crew and almost no budget. The session will include screenings of shorts made under the same conditions, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how filmmakers make bold creative decisions when time and resources are tight.
Future Proofing Your Production takes a broader look at the future of Australia’s screen industry, exploring why meaningful inclusion needs to be built into filmmaking practice from the beginning. The panel brings together female creatives leading advocacy for inclusion across the sector to discuss what that looks like on set, in the writers’ room and across a filmmaking career.
At its heart, Underdog is about people.
It is for the filmmaker making their first short in their bedroom. The cinematographer looking for their next collaborator. The director searching for industry mentors. The local film lover who wants to discover a story they have never seen before. And the audiences who simply want to experience something new, daring and bloody great.
Underdog Film Festival runs 12-13 September 2026 at Kingston Butter Factory, Logan City.
For the full 2026 program and more information, visit www.underdogfilmfest.com.au.
About Underdog Film Festival
Underdog Film Festival is Logan City’s first independent short film festival, dedicated to discovering and elevating the next generation of Australian storytellers.
Through short-film screenings, workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions, networking, and professional development opportunities, UDFF celebrates bold independent cinema while fostering industry connections and community engagement across Australia’s screen sector.
