Cinephiles, get ready: Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, celebrating homegrown talent for more than three decades, is returning to Sydney this summer after a six-year break.
The Aussie-born festival, started by John Polson in 1993 with a screening for 200 people at Tropicana Caffé in Darlinghurst, will return to its roots with filmmakers challenged to create a brand-new short, seven-minute-or-less film. Each entry must feature the Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) – and this year’s TSI is an Hourglass. Finalists will be selected from hundreds of entries and will have their world premiere at the free live event on Sunday, February 22, where winners will be announced – and everyone’s invited.
Speaking on the return of Tropfest, renowned American filmmaker Martin Scorsese said, “For more than 30 years, Tropfest has been finding, discovering, launching new voices, and really being able to offer filmmakers a level playing field. Short films are where so many of us begin. That’s where you get to take risks, try different things… and importantly, tell the stories you want to tell.”
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Since its inception, Tropfest has kickstarted the careers of hundreds of filmmakers, staging 29 main events in Sydney as well as international events in the USA, China, Africa, South East Asia, Japan, New Zealand and more. Big-name stars including Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Simon Baker, Rebecca Gibney, Baz Luhrmann, Keanu Reeves, Ewan McGregor, Rose Byrne, Naomi Watts and Sam Neill have judged and supported past Tropfests. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2026 judging line-up, which will be announced soon.
Beyond bragging rights, there’s a host of massive prizes to be won, with first, second and third place taking home $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Tropfest founder John Polson said, “It’s been my dream for six long years to bring Tropfest back. Now, thanks to some key players, we're able to put the event right back where it belongs, in the heart of Sydney and in the hearts of Australians everywhere. Our number one priority is to give Australia’s most talented, emerging filmmakers a level playing field, and get them out making films for this unique event. This could be your shot, and we can’t wait to see how you run with ‘Hourglass’ as the TSI – the ingenuity around the TSI always surprises me.
The Tropfest Main Event is free for anyone who wants to come along and celebrate unique, ground-breaking stories from some of the newest and brightest creative minds around Australia and the world. Come February, grab your picnic blanket and take part in the Tropfest story once again.”
Tropfest Foundation chair Sarah Murdoch added, “The relaunch of Tropfest marks the beginning of a new chapter, a cultural movement that won’t just see a new generation of Australian stories come to life but will also support career pathways for the next generation of Australian filmmaking. I can’t wait!”
Think you’ve got what it takes? Filmmaker submissions open on Monday, December 1 2025. You can find out more here. Good luck!
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