Welcome
Cr Alex Makin
Mayor, City of Port Phillip
Welcome to the 42nd St Kilda Film Festival, proudly presented by the City of Port Phillip.
From 4–14 June 2026, our city comes alive once again as bold ideas, inventive storytelling and the very best of Australian short-form cinema take centre stage.
As Australia’s longest running short film festival, the St Kilda Film Festival reinforces the City of Port Phillip as a creative powerhouse, championing emerging talent while celebrating the achievements of Australia’s most accomplished filmmakers.
Storytelling has always shaped how we understand each other and the world around us. The Festival’s long standing commitment to First Peoples filmmakers reflects this truth. Their leadership, perspectives and creativity continue to deepen and enrich Australia’s screen culture, and we are proud to support and elevate these voices.
In 2026, the Festival once again finds its home at the iconic St Kilda Town Hall. As our Festival Hub, it brings together audiences, filmmakers and industry professionals together at the heart of the action, right in the centre of one of our most vibrant cultural and hospitality precincts. With Carlisle Street just steps away, you can pair your Festival experience with local cafes, restaurants and businesses.
This year’s program showcases the full spectrum of Australian storytelling, drama, documentary, animation, comedy, genre filmmaking and innovative screen forms, alongside professional development opportunities to support creatives at every stage of their career. The diversity of voices speaks to the strength, ambition and imagination of our short-form screen community.
My sincere thanks go to VicScreen, our Festival sponsors, the Festival team, judges, volunteers, and above all, the filmmakers who share their work with such generosity and courage.
I invite you to explore the program, enjoy our neighbourhood cinemas and public spaces, and immerse yourself in everything the St Kilda Film Festival and the City of Port Phillip has to offer.
On behalf of Council, welcome, and enjoy the St Kilda Film Festival!
Richard Sowada
St Kilda Film Festival Director
Welcome one and all to the 2026 St Kilda Film Festival!
We’re so happy to be back in the heart of St Kilda on Carlisle St with our central venue being the fabulous St Kilda Town Hall. With bars, live music, presentations, and Q&As galore, a massive screen and filmmaker’s lounge, anyone who was here last year will tell you how cool the whole thing was.
On top of that, we’re collaborating with 3PBS on a live broadcast on Friday 5 June and screening at the fabulous Astor which will be massive plus our always sell-out queer program Victorian Pride Centre and of course our famous opening night at iconic Palais Theatre. We’re running wild across the precinct and can’t wait for you to be part of it.
We’re also amped to present our massive professional development day – The Big Picture Presented by JMC Academy in South Melbourne on Saturday June 6th. Featuring 45+ talks, panels, workshops, presentations, and screenings and around 80 speakers across the day, it’s a massive opportunity for screen artists to learn and network. This year we continue our special series designed for high school students and those completely new to the industry… and it’s all FREE!
Finally, we received a record number of entries into this year’s event, so our screening program is the biggest to date with a program bursting at the seams across some of the strongest dramas we’ve seen in years, horror, comedy, sci-fi, experimental, animation, other moving image forms for your viewing pleasure.
I can’t wait to see you there and talk movies!
Go Freo!
