St Kilda Film Festival has thrown open its 2027 entries, with $10,000 waiting for the best short film.
Now in its fifth decade, St Kilda Film Festival stands as the country’s longest-running celebration of the short form, and its Top Short Film Competition sits right at the centre of the action. It’s also an Academy Awards qualifying event, so a win here can put a filmmaker on the road towards an Oscar nomination.
Seasoned directors and total first-timers are both welcome to throw their hats in, across every style from documentary to experimental. There’s also Under the Radar, a category built for creatives aged under 21 who are looking to get a foot in the door.
St Kilda Film Festival 2027
- Festival runs 3 – 13 June 2027
- Held across St Kilda, in the City of Port Phillip
- Entries open now, closing 31 January 2027
- $10,000 cash prize for Best Short Film
- Under the Radar youth category open to filmmakers aged under 21
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
View this post on Instagram
The festival has real form when it comes to spotting talent early. Adam Elliot screened work at St Kilda well before Harvie Krumpet, while Jane Campion (The Piano) and Richard Lowenstein (Dogs in Space) also cut their teeth on its screens.
Submitted shorts need to be Australian-made and run no longer than 40 minutes, with every genre on the table. The strongest picks are curated into a program of more than 100 films that plays to packed houses and a room full of industry decision-makers.
Beyond the competition itself, the 2027 edition will fold in special screenings, one-off events and hands-on workshops across the 11-day run. Anyone keen to be part of it has until 31 January to lock in an entry.
For more information, head here.
