Under the summer stars at Bondi Beach, Flickerfest was born scrappy, tactile, and analogue. Film prints only. Limited access. Small numbers.
35 years on, the festival has exploded into one of Australia’s most influential short film platforms, and its 2026 Queensland tour feels like both a victory lap and a reminder of why Flickerfest still matters.
“In my first year as Festival Director, 29 years ago, we had just over 200 entries,” says Bronwyn Kidd, who’s been at the helm for nearly three decades. “This year, we had 3,700.”
The jump isn’t just about scale. It’s about access. Digital filmmaking dismantled the gatekeeping of film stock and labs, opening the door to voices that once couldn’t afford to enter the room. What’s remained constant is the festival’s appetite for discovery.
That ethos underpins Flickerfest’s Queensland tour, rolling through the likes of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Noosa, Nambour, Toowoomba and more between March and September. Kidd is adamant that touring isn’t an afterthought, it’s the point. Short films rarely get wide theatrical runs, especially outside capital cities. Flickerfest fills that gap, turning each screening into a shared event rather than a passive watch.
'Mooncake'
“There’s a real community connection,” she says. “You’re not just sitting through a feature and leaving. You watch nine or ten films, then you talk about them. That festival vibe is really important.”
This year’s Queensland highlights lean hard into local stories. 'Flame', a tense and enigmatic drama by Brisbane filmmaker Katrina Channells, stood out for its restraint and slow-burn power. Kidd describes it as “intriguing” and deliberately withholding, with a resolution that lands quietly but decisively. The film also took out Best Music Composition at Flickerfest, an accolade that speaks to how finely crafted it is.
Alongside it is 'Half Past Midnight', a Gold Coast–made love story with a twist, and 'Mooncake', a musical coming-out story set during a Moon Festival celebration that unearths family secrets through song. 'Writers In Love' rounds out the Queensland-led line-up, foregrounding intimacy, creativity and connection.
That tonal spread isn’t accidental. “It’s critical,” Kidd says. “We want audiences to laugh, cry, be moved, be uplifted. Flickerfest is very audience-facing. You go on a journey, but you leave feeling good.”
The programme balances that emotional accessibility with serious industry clout. Flickerfest remains Australia’s only Academy Award-qualifying and BAFTA-recognised short film festival, with winners eligible for Oscar consideration. This year’s international programme includes Oscar nominees like 'A Friend Of Dorothy', starring Miriam Margolyes and Stephen Fry, alongside the intimate ensemble piece 'The Singers'.
'A Friend Of Dorothy'
Still, Kidd insists prestige has never been the end goal. “We believe our audience is curious and intelligent,” she says. “They want different world views. Different perspectives.”
That belief has paid off before. Flickerfest alumni include Warwick Thornton, the Edgerton brothers, Rachel Griffiths, and Joe Brumm, whose early animations screened at the festival long before 'Bluey' became a global phenomenon.
For first-time attendees on the Queensland tour, Kidd hopes the takeaway is simple: discovery. “You realise how much talent exists in short film,” she says. “You see the next generation and think, I remember when I saw their first short.”
35 years in, Flickerfest still runs on that spark, the thrill of seeing something small, sharp and unforgettable before the rest of the world catches up.
Flickerfest hits Nambour Cinema 25-26 March, HOTA Gold Coast 26 March, Palace James Street (Brisbane) 9 April, The J Noosa 23 April, and Empire Theatre (Toowoomba) 16 May.
