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[title]Now entering its landmark 35th year, Flickerfest showcases the best short films from home and across the world. In January 2026, the Academy Awards-accredited and BAFTA-recognised short film festival will return to the popular Bondi Pavilion for ten incredible days and nights before touring the nation.
A record-breaking 3,700 of entries were received this year and whittled down to the top 200, which are set to inspire and entertain audiences with fresh and innovative stories across 24 dedicated festival sessions from January 23 to February 1.
Grab some popcorn and a drink from the palm-fringed Flickerfest Bar, then settle in under the stars (or beat the heat indoors) and enjoy a showcase of handpicked short films at Australia’s largest short film festival.
With so many shorts on offer, it’s hard to know where to start – here are Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd’s top five picks:
1. Help! Everything is Fine
This pitch-black comedy follows a man who’d rather ask his mum to help dispose of a body than talk about his feelings. From Sydney-based director Isaac Brown and starring Australian actor Susie Porter (Paradise Road, Welcome to Woop Woop, Two Hands), and Sean Keenan (Pubert Blues, Strangerland), this sharply observed short tackles the human impulse to insist ‘everything’s fine’ long after it isn’t.
2. THEY
Oscar-winner Renée Zellweger (Chicago, Cold Mountain, Bridget Jones’s Diary) makes her highly anticipated directorial debut with this charming and profound animated tale that follows a man and his dog as they attempt to lift a town out of a negative spiral.
3. The Suit
Flickerfest alumni Jesse Vogelaar directs a standout cast in this comedic and quietly unnerving short about a couple entangled in a legal battle who are forced to confront the true source of their woes. Starring Colin Lane (Lano & Woodley) and Harvey Zielinski (My First Summer, Don't Look Deeper), this imaginative and off-beat story has all the makings of another hit from one of Melbourne’s top rising talents.
4. Baby Shower
Heidi’s big day takes a turn when her estranged father, played by screen legend Hugo Weaving (The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix), walks through the door. What follows is a cascade of family tension, awkwardness and darkly comic chaos, as one unexpected interruption cracks open years of unspoken conflict. Award-winning filmmaker Matt Day (Rake) draws on his acting pedigree and industry insight to deliver a sharp, actor-driven drama.
5. Bubba
Making its world premiere at Flickerfest, this emotionally charged short from acclaimed Australian film and TV director Nina Buxton delivers a sharp, emphatic look at a woman determined to leave an abusive relationship. Bubba traces the aftermath of that decision, as her escape plan grows complicated when she realises it may mean giving up the one source of unconditional love she has left: her dog.
Tickets for Flickerfest start from $22 per session. Grab yours here.