Canberra Short Film Festival

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Canberra Short Film Festival Showcasing the best of Short Film from home and around the globe. Submissions are now open for the 2026 program.

https://www.csff.com.au/about

https://filmfreeway.com/CanbShrtFilmFest Now in our 31st year, the Canberra Short Film Festival has earned a reputation for quality and respectability, and is recognised as one of Australia’s oldest and best film competitions. It attracts an audience from all over Australia and is known for selling out every session. The CSFF represents the boundless talent that make

s up Australia’s film industry, and exposes our guests to the best of short cinema from all over the world. We are particularly proud of our local cohort of filmmakers here on Ngunnawal and Ngambri countries.

COMING SOON ...Canberra Short Film Festival announces our selected films for 2026! 📽🍿- Sept 5th!Who'll be in? 🙏We can't...
01/09/2026

COMING SOON ...
Canberra Short Film Festival announces
our selected films for 2026! 📽🍿
- Sept 5th!
Who'll be in? 🙏
We can't wait to find out ✨🎬

This year: 18 JUDGES - 7 local, 8 interstate, and 3 international.
They're all 'filmies' working, training, creating, or teaching in the industry. 🎬✨💪
Our Judges cover a broad range of demographics (age, gender, cultural, and abilities backgrounds) and they are currently working across our detailed
assessing platform to select their top films for 2026! 🍿📽

https://filmfreeway.com/CanbShrtFilmFest
#

24/08/2026

*With only 6 WEEKS TO GO, here's a fond nostalgic look back at last year's trailer...🌻
We're all looking forward to this year!!🤞👌
(trailer released once we've finalised all films)

FYI this year we have 18 JUDGES - 7 local, 8 interstate, and 3 international.
All filmies working, training, creating, or teaching in the industry. 🎬✨💪

Our Judges cover a broad range of demographics (age, gender, cultural, and abilities backgrounds) and are currently working across our detailed assessing platform to select their top films for 2026! 🍿📽

🎞️Video Trailer: Adam Lynch
🎨 2026 Poster design: Nic Mason

We are delighted to announce...a NEW partnership in 2026! Yes, Canberra's own innovators in print; Instant Colour Press ...
18/08/2026

We are delighted to announce...
a NEW partnership in 2026!
Yes, Canberra's own innovators in print; Instant Colour Press (ICP) are now CSFF's new Event Sponsor!🎉

We're trying to contain our excitement with new posters, flyers, and a few other surprises, in the hands of these local experts in print, on show only at Dendy Cinemas Canberra!🙌
Supported by Events ACT

THE FINAL DAY TODAY...Filmmakers! Last chance to enter the 2026 SPIRITUS SHORT FILM AWARDS as part of the Canberra Short...
31/07/2026

THE FINAL DAY TODAY...
Filmmakers! Last chance to enter the 2026 SPIRITUS SHORT FILM AWARDS as part of the Canberra Short Film Festival which will screen Wed 14th Oct at Dendy Cinemas Canberra

The Latin word SPIRITUS means 'breath' or 'spirit', and the purpose of the Spiritus Short Film Awards is to encourage the production and dissemination of short films that 'engage a spiritual' dimension and feel.

----- Could this be YOUR film?------

PRIZES are generously funded by donors, and supported by Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture

***To enter the SPIRITUS AWARDS, see the FilmFreeway site:
https://filmfreeway.com/SpiritusShortFilmPrize

Today is the last day to enter for the 2026 Spiritus Short Film Awards as part of the Canberra Short Film Festival! We h...
31/07/2026

Today is the last day to enter for the 2026 Spiritus Short Film Awards as part of the Canberra Short Film Festival! We hope to see of your new films soon, but in the meantime let's meet our judges.

* Genevieve Jacobs brings more than 35 years experience working in media as journalist and radio presenter. She holds positions on several boards and has been judging the Spiritus entries since 2019.
* Maximo Gowland is a passionate film viewer bringing experience to the panel from his position as the Ambassador for the Republic of Argentina. Maximo has many interests, a few being the Antarctic and its environment, world affairs and sport. He has been a judge since 2023.
* New to Spiritus for 2026 is Dr Jamie Dunk from the St James St James' Institute in Sydney. An award-winning historian, his research explores environmental history and the history of health and medicine, particularly focusing on the human impacts of rapid planetary change.

To enter, see our FilmFreeway site https://filmfreeway.com/SpiritusShortFilmPrize

Canberra Short Film Festival Submissions are now CLOSED.A huge thank you to all the filmmakers getting their creative pr...
22/07/2026

Canberra Short Film Festival Submissions are now CLOSED.

A huge thank you to all the filmmakers getting their creative products over the line this year - what a great response!!

Our panel of Judges will be very busy over the next 6 weeks indeed!
(stay tuned for notifications Sept 5th FilmFreeway)

- Full Program to be released and Tickets available soon! https://www.csff.com.au/

Next Submissions will open early 2027 https://filmfreeway.com/CanbShrtFilmFest

CSFF is proudly supported by Events ACT and ACT Government

⏰ 4 days left! ⏰FINAL CALLS FOR ENTRIES! 🧨🔊All STUDENTS 🎓 Under 18s 🎬🌏 Canberrans & ACT Regional 🚴🙌 First Nations 👣Dendy...
16/07/2026

⏰ 4 days left! ⏰
FINAL CALLS FOR ENTRIES! 🧨

🔊All STUDENTS 🎓 Under 18s 🎬
🌏 Canberrans & ACT Regional 🚴
🙌 First Nations 👣

Dendy Cinemas Canberra Events ACT Smith's Alternative FilmFreeway


🎟 🍿 👀 📽 🏆
https://www.csff.com.au

12/07/2026

✨As we say goodbye to NAIDOC Week 🖤❤️💛 we reflect on our 'Best First Nations Short Film winner of 2025'!🏆 'Ngarridurndeng Kured' (We Going Home Now), directed by Emma Masters and Dean Munuggullumurr Yibarbuk in collab with Nia Tero Wayfinders Circle and Warddeken Land Management

✨ FIRST NATIONS SUBMISSIONS ARE STILL OPEN
- extended deadline now Sunday 20 July. We want to see YOUR stories.

🎬 Submit your film to Canberra Short Film Festival FilmFreeway
https://filmfreeway.com/CanbShrtFilmFest🍿

📽️trailer courtesy Wayfinders Circle

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