Calling all Sydney-based cinephiles. Flickerfest – Australia’s biggest competitive short film festival – is returning to Bondi Beach for 2026, taking over Bondi Pavilion from January 23 to February 1. Now celebrating its 35th year, the iconic festival will once again deliver a ten-day program of short films, screened both under the stars and inside the Pavilion’s theatre.
The 2026 program showcases around 200 short films across 23 curated festival sessions – each handpicked from a record-breaking 3,700-plus entries submitted from more than 100 countries.
At the centre of the festival are Flickerfest’s prestigious (Academy Qualifying) competitions, with 111 short films competing for major awards – including Best International Short Film, Best International Animation, Best Australian Short Film and Best Documentary.
As you’d expect, Australian cinema features big on the 2026 lineup, with 60 local films selected for the Best of Australian Competition. The homegrown picks will screen alongside 36 international films in the Best of International Competition and 15 thought-provoking works in the Best of Documentary Competition. A further 100 shorts will also screen across various showcase sessions, with many films premiering at the event.
Alongside the main competitions, Flickerfest’s popular themed programs are also back. These include FlickerUp, celebrating youth filmmaking from creatives aged 18 and under; Rainbow Shorts, spotlighting LGBTQI stories from around the world; a First Nations Showcase honouring First Nations voices and perspectives; FlickerKids, dedicated to kids and family-friendly viewing; LoveBites, exploring the highs and lows of relationships; and Short Laughs, a curated collection of comedy shorts.
Following the Bondi-based festival, Flickerfest will once again hit the road, touring a selection of festival highlights and award winners to more than 40 venues across Australia between February and October 2026.
You can check out the full program and book tickets over here.
