St Kilda Film Festival 2026 follows a huge year in 2025, which attracted a record-breaking number of submissions and the biggest audience in the event's 42-year history.
Festival Director Richard Sowada is excited to see what's ahead for 2026 when SKFF runs from Thursday 4 June to Sunday 14 June.
"We had a massive year in 2025 with a record number of entries and attendance across all our programs and venues - and we can't wait to see what 2026 has in store."
"For us, every year it's a real adventure in cinema and it's incredibly rewarding to be part of the lives of these films and these filmmakers. So if you have a film we invite you to join our family and let us take a look."
The internationally recognised St Kilda Film Festival is proudly presented and produced by the City of Port Phillip and takes place across iconic Port Phillip cinemas and venues.
The short film festival has championed the early works of renowned filmmakers Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet), Jane Campion (The Piano), Richard Lowenstein (Dogs in Space) and many more.
Mayor Louise Crawford said: "Our film festival helps kickstart many careers, and we are so proud to support the Australian film industry year after year."
"This year, we saw theatres and venues packed with cinephiles and we can't wait to do it all again in 2026," she said.
Australia's largest and longest-running short film festival is once again offering a big prize pool of cash and in-kind craft awards, including a $10,000 prize for Best Short Film.
Accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, SKFF offers successful filmmakers a pathway to winning an Academy Award. Award-winning Festival films are eligible for consideration in the Short Film Awards and Documentary Short sections of the Oscars®.
The Festival also boasts Australia's largest free filmmaker development program, "The Big Picture" presented by JMC Academy, which in 2025 included 40+ free events across hands-on workshops, forums, panels, exhibitions, screenings and Q&As.
The Youth Short Film Category - Under the Radar - will again return, providing young filmmakers aged under 21 with an opportunity to showcase their work at an internationally recognised film festival.
The full program will be announced in May 2026.
