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FAQs for Filmmakers
Interested in submitting your short film into the St Kilda Film Festival but not sure you are eligible? You can find the answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) below.
For information on submitting your film, as well as the terms and conditions, see submit your film.
The St Kilda Film Festival screens Australian-made films. The Festival also accepts Australian co-productions where:
- a significant proportion of key crew are Australian
- significant pre and post production occurred in Australia
- the film received significant funding from Australia (eg: private or public investment including state or federal funding, crowd funding and private donors
Australian co-production eligibility details must be provided at the time of submission and the Festival has final decisions on eligibility. If you are unsure of eligibility, please contact the Festival office on 03 9209 6490 or email filmfest@portphillip.vic.gov.au
All films submitted must be no longer than 40 minutes, inclusive of credits.
St Kilda Film Festival accepts all fiction and non-fiction film genres.
Works in progress may be entered. Please indicate work in progress status clearly on the preview file, advise of expected completion date and proposed changes to the film on your entry form. Films must be completed before submitting a screening copy.
The Festival strongly requests that selected films are removed from public viewing for the duration of the Festival campaign (1-29 May 2021). This does not apply to existing agreements with other Festivals and online platforms.
All productions screened at 2021 St Kilda Film Festival must have been completed within 2 years of the entry closing date.
If your film is selected for the Festival, you will be sent an email confirmation by March 2021.
Entries cannot be withdrawn after Friday 5 March 2021. By submitting your film to the St Kilda Film Festival for consideration, you acknowledge this condition of entry and waive your right to withdraw your film from the Festival after this date.
Please submit your film via a link and password to an online screening platform. Entries are accepted through Film Freeway.
The Short Film Competition has a huge prize pool of cash and in-kind craft awards, including a $10,000 prize for Best Short Film. Other awards include Best Director, Best Achievement in Screenplay, Best Documentary and Best Achievement in Cinematography.
Accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the St Kilda Film Festival is an Academy Awards® qualifying event, with award-winning films from the Festival eligible for consideration in the Short Film Awards AND Documentary Short sections of the Oscars®.
Please review the Festival Terms and Conditions to ensure the format of your film complies to our requirements: St Kilda Film Festival Terms & Conditions
If your film is accepted into the Festival, you will be asked to provide a screener version of your film.
Following a successful virtual festival in 2020, St Kilda Film Festival's 2021 program will have both online and live screening event components.
- The Festival will screen limited content to a physical audience in a programmed session dependent on COVID conditions. Screening locations are to be determined but are likely to include both traditional and non-traditional screening venues.
- The challenges of managing live events amidst changing public health measures mean it is likely that most of the content will be exclusively screened online.
- As part of the online presentation of the event, the St Kilda Film Festival will make online content available to a national audience. All online festival content will be under a strict geo-blocked restriction limited to Australia only.
