35th International Short Film Festival
Australia’s only Academy Award® & BAFTA qualifying short film festival.
Thur 26 – Sat 28 Feb 2026
Mullumbimby Civic Hall
PROGRAMME & TIMES
Thursday 26 Feb: doors 7pm- Opening Drinks | films start 8pm: Best Of International Shorts programme $30/$25 conc (+bf)
Ticket includes a tasty snacks & a complimentary drink from Rosnay Organic Wine, Gage Roads Beer, Matso’s Ginger Beer or Karma Drinks organic juices/soft drinks.
Friday 27 Feb: 8pm: Best Of Australian Shorts programme, doors 7pm, $18/16 conc (+bf)
Saturday 28 Feb, 2pm to 3.15pm: Filmmaking Workshop ‘Shorts to Long Form Content’, doors 1.30pm, free, register here.
Saturday 28 Feb, 4pm: Byron All Shorts finalist programme & Awards, doors 3pm, $18/16 conc (+bf)
Saturday 28 Feb, 8pm: Short Laughs Comedy programme, doors 7pm, $18/16 conc (+bf)
Season Pass: $65/55 conc (+bf)
Mullumbimby Civic Hall (Cafe/Bar & Air-conditioned)
Run-time: (approx 120min each session)
Classification: (under 15yrs to be w/adult)
(online sales close 1 hour prior to each session)
Tickets also available at the door (for 1hr before session ‘subject to availability’)
Any general or tickets enquires pls call: 0414 779 881
iQ Cafe & Bar
Open daily: 1hr prior to film sessions.
Serving delicious Yaman treats, Bakers & Daughters cakes, Rosnay organic wine, Gage Roads beer, Matso’s ginger beer & Karma Drinks organic juices/soft drinks, coffee, tea, chips & popcorn.
*Cashless transactions for Tickets at door & Cafe preferred!
– Plenty of parking available
Join us for a fabulous weekend of the best short films that the local region, Australia & the world has on offer.
Fundraiser: Flickerfest Mullumbimby & Byron All Shorts 2026 is a fund-raiser for the iQ Inc, Crown Land Managers of the Island Quarry Reserve.
Flickerfest Mullumbimby & Byron All Shorts is presented with iQ Inc.
ABOUT FLiCKERFEST
Celebrating its 35th year, Flickerfest, Australia’s only Academy Award® & BAFTA Qualifying short film festival, and the country’s largest Australian & International short film competition, screens the best of shorts from Australia and around the globe; ensuring the presentation of A-list short film programmes recognised amongst the best in the world.
Flickerfest screens for 10 days under the summer stars at Bondi Beach in late January 2026, now selected highlights of the most entertaining and innovative short films from around the world are touring Australia on a 40+ venue national tour from Feb – Oct 2026; with Byron shire being one of the first screenings after Bondi.
Flickerfest is screening for its 29th year in the Northern Rivers region in 2026 and will celebrate its 35th birthday since the festivals 1st ever screening in Balmain, Sydney back in 1991.
The Flickerfest 2026 tour will take place at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall, screening a smorgasbord of the worlds and Australia’s best shorts over one big weekend handpicked from a record 3,700+ entries received from over 100 countries for Flickerfest Bondi.
Along with the Byron All Shorts finalists screening, audiences will experience the best of short films from the Byron Region, Australia and around the World over 3 cinematic-packed days.
Celebrate amazing independent film-making in Mullumbimby from Thur 26 – Sat 28 Feb 2026.
FLiCKERFEST 2026 PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday 26th February
7pm – Opening Night Party
Join us as we celebrate our 29th year in the Northern Rivers to launch our festival of short films in style with a catered opening night party including complimentary tasty snacks & drinks from our partners Rosnay Organic Wines, Gage Roads Beer and Karma Drinks Organic Juices/Drinks.
…followed by…
8pm – Best Of International Shorts
Following the Opening Party, Flickerfest is thrilled to present its Best Of International Shorts programme, a selection of film gems from our Academy® qualifying and BAFTA recognised competition in Bondi.
Among a host of international highlights enjoying their Australian premieres is the delightful Oscar-nominated A Friend of Dorothy, starring UK acting royalty Miriam Margolyes and Stephen Fry, who take us on a heartwarming journey where wisdom, compassion and friendship are found in the most unexpected places.
Also hot off the Oscar nominations is the powerful and intimate The Singers. Joining them is My Plastic Mother, winner of the Flickerfest 2026 Best International Short Film, a deeply moving work from Indonesian filmmaker Amar Haikal.
The programme also features Radix, winner of Flickerfest 2026 Best International Animation, a visually striking and imaginative animated short that showcases bold storytelling and innovative cinematic craft. view sizzle reel
Friday 27th February
8pm – Best Of Australian Shorts
Flickerfest is thrilled to celebrate a diverse range of stories from across Australia that celebrate our unique identity and culture with our Best Of Australian Shorts programme, selected from 7 programmes in our Academy® Qualifying competition in Bondi.
Catch a collection of stunning shorts supported by big names both in front of and behind the camera. Moving drama Tuesday Tuesday, won best female director at Flickerfest 2026 and stars Peter Phelps (Stingers) in a stellar performance as a man whose world is fading.
Whilst Packed Away gives us the directorial debut of actress Michala Banas (Always Greener, Mcleod’s Daughters) who shines both on and off camera in this personal and intimate drama and actor Matt Day (Rake) writes and directs the comedy Baby Shower starring the legendary Hugo Weaving in a dark comedy about family friendship and unexpected happening at this familiar ritual. view sizzle reel
Saturday 28th February
2pm- to 3.15pm Filmmaking Workshop ‘Shorts To Long Form Content’ (free to register)
Join festival Director Bronwyn Kidd in conversation with leading filmmakers about the journey from Shorts to Long Form Content.
As Flickerfest celebrates 35 years we go behind the scenes with Flickerfest alumni, award winning director and actor Wayne Blair in conversation with Flickerfest director Bronwyn Kidd. On television, Wayne is best known for his AACTA-nominated work in Redfern Now.
Other television credits include Total Control, Mystery Road, Irreverent, Aftertaste, and the upcoming Paramount + series Dalliance. Wayne’s many film credits include Emu Runner, Wish You Were Here opposite Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer, The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg directed by Steven Soderbergh, Extraction with Chris Hemsworth, The New Boy directed by Warwick Thornton, and Ruben Östlund’s upcoming film The Entertainment System Is Down opposite Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst.
Wayne has directed three feature films, The Sapphires, Septembers of Shiraz and Top End Wedding, and has directed for multiple television series, including Mystery Road, Bay of Fires, Total Control, Plum, and Goolagong.
Wayne also won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Documentary for Firestarter, which he co-directed with Nel Minchin.
At the beginning of his career Wayne’s short films Black Talk, Kathy, The Djarn Djarns and Ralph all screened at Flickerfest to much acclaim.
Saturday 28th February
4pm – Byron All Shorts- Northern Rivers Competition Finalists screening
Also returning is Byron All Shorts, for the 21st year presenting the Best Of Northern Rivers Shorts; encouraging audiences to experience the many amazing films & local stories that are produced in the region each year. 11 local short films will screen across this 115-minute programme which will celebrate an incredible range of themes and stories. Byron All Shorts is judged by an esteemed jury of local Northern Rivers industry practitioners. The awards ceremony will be held 15-20mins after the screening (time to allow the Jury to decide the winners) & will conclude by 7pm.
Saturday 28th February
8pm – Short Laughs Comedy
Enjoy an evening of clever comedy from Australia and across the world with the Short Laughs Comedy programme, highlights include Carcassonne-Acapulco, where a chance encounter at 30,000 feet sparks a surprisingly profound and funny existential debate whilst hurtling through the sky; Baby Blues , a sharply observed comedy that hilariously captures the anxieties, paranoia and emotional free-fall of new parenthood; and Shrimp Fried Rice, a warm and witty tale that finds humour in cultural misunderstandings, family expectations and the emotional significance of a humble takeaway meal and so much more! view sizzle reel
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The Flickerfest organisers – Bronwyn Kidd (Festival Director), Shane Rennie (Production & Tour Manager) – Northern Rivers and Mullumbimby residents are always thrilled, after delivering their 10 day Bondi festival to bring the Flickerfest tour home to their local region and to present the 40 venue national tour across Australia.
Don’t miss this one-off chance to see these amazing shorts before they continue their journey around the world; curated from the Flickerfest competition screenings at Bondi; expect to experience the best in short film-making Australia, the world & the region has on offer.
Check out the Flickerfest 2026 Tour trailer
BYRON ALL SHORTS
Northern Rivers Short Film Competition
presented by 
Sat 28 February: Byron All Shorts Finalists Screening – door 3pm | films 4pm $18/16
Sat 28 February: Byron All Shorts Awards – will be held 30mins after the Byron All Shorts screening & will conclude by 7pm.
Mullumbimby Civic Hall
ABOUT BYRON ALL SHORTS
Also being presented is the Best of Northern Rivers Shorts at the Byron All Shorts finalist’s screening, selected from around 50 entries each year, showcasing a wonderful new collection of creative shorts from our very talented local filmmakers on a range of themes that reflect Northern Rivers life including drama, environment, surfing, music, comedy, love and everything in between.
The Byron All Shorts screens on Saturday 28th February, 4pm, with finalists from the Northern Rivers region being celebrated & awarded for excellence in short film making.
Support our regions local stories & see the best of our local filmmakers, alongside the best in the world.
*The awards presentation is on Saturday 28th Feb, 30mins after the Byron All Shorts screening & will conclude by 7pm.
BYRON ALL SHORTS 2026 – Northern Rivers Short Film Finalists Programme
Runtime: 96 mins
Ngalingaa Gala Jagun | 4min 17sec | Ballina | 2025
Wri: Ballina Public School Students & OVP | Dir: Mark Robertson | Prod: One Vision Productions
Ngalingaa Gala Jagun – Jingee Wala, my sisters and brothers of all different colours. Check this deadly mic drop from Nyangbul Country Ballina Public Mob. They’re singing it together, and gunna change the world; their passion is flowing in their blood and in the way they move. Ballina- where the rivers all come together to meet the sea.
Cool People Who Have Done Amazing Things | 11min | Upper Main Arm | 2025
Wri: Years 4, 5 & 6 Main Arm Upper Primary School | Dir: Sharon Shostak | Prod: Virginia Pavlovich
Welcome to the life story of a Mindreader. Each year the older students of Upper Main Arm Public School devise, write, act in, edit & design their own film under the guidance of local filmmaker Sharon Shostak. Their quirky films are known for their creativity & humour, & this year’s production is an exceptional example of this.
The Slow Melt | 4min 46sec | Myocum | 2025
Wri/Dir/Prod: Lucia Murray
After stopping for some ice on their way to a party, Charlie & Cherry run into car troubles & decide to finish the rest of their journey on foot. As teenagers often do, the two 17yo’s get a little carried away, eventually meeting 2 young girls who change their perspective on the journey. The film explores the beauty of female friendship during adolescence & a yearning to go back & enjoy youth one more time.
Light In Dark Places | 15min 5sec | Mullumbimby | 2025
Wri/Dir/Prod: Sam Clarke
Surf teacher, Beau has a near fatal accident, triggering an out of body experience where he is forced to confront what he has been running from his entire life. In order to come back to earth, he has to surrender into the darkest places within himself. In that process of surrender, he discovers that the light he was searching for had always been within him – he just needed to confront the darkness to find it.
River Town People | 18min 45sec | Wardell| 2025
Dir/Prod: Michelle Kaldy | Prod: Jemma Craig
After catastrophic flood waters destroys her home, a mother struggles against adversity to rebuild her life and raise her children.
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Alchemy Of Eucalyptus | 3min 15sec | Suffolk Park, Alstonville | 2026
Dir/Prod: Andy Bambach, Suzanne Whiteman, Susan Fell
In the Blackwall Range of Ballina, textiles are colored with plant dyes made from eucalyptus leaves and dancing with nature.
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Intermission.
Balls On Fire | 4min 20sec | New Brighton | 2026
Wri/Dir/Prod: Bodhi Neylan
A mock movie trailer about an epic tennis rivalry between two fellas. A story about revenge and victory. Love, Rage, Deuce
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Lizzie | 10min 12sec | Lennox Head | 2025
Wri/Dir: Emily Hutchison | Prod: Jackson Hayat
When two housemates ask their third bat shit housemate to move out – the tables are turned in a diabolical way.
The Art Of Trying | 5min 28sec | Mullumbimby | 2026
Wri/Prod: Anastasia Gurova | Dir: Dimitri Gurova
We spend so much of our time doing invisible work behind the scenes that we often lose the grounding connection of working with our hands. This films is a journey through my own creative recovery. If you are feeling burnt out, overwhelmed by perfectionism, or simply looking for a mental health reset, I hope these reflections help your embrace your own ‘imperfect seasons’.
My Friend Artemis | 9min 4sec | Palmwoods| 2025
Wri/Dir/Prod: Stanley Cook
Coming from the heart of emerging filmmaker Stanley Cook, Artemis is a poignant story of friendship reunited and a tribute to the persistence of nature to endure in an ever-changing world.
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Things That Matter | 28min 6sec | Lismore | 2025
Dir/Prod: Karenza Ebejer
Filmed in the aftermath of the 2022 Lismore floods, this documentary captures intimate stories of loss, resilience, and self-discovery as community members reflect on what they saved, what they grieved, and the values revealed through crisis.
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BYRON ALL SHORTS 2026 Awards
The Byron All Shorts screening is on Sat 28 Feb, 4pm, shortly followed by the Byron All Shorts Awards presentation which will be held 30mins after the Byron All Shorts screening & will conclude by 7pm.
These amazing local films screen to a packed house each year, with finalists from the Northern Rivers region hotly contesting for prizes, that recognise excellence in short film making from the Northern Rivers region.
THE JURY: Byron All Shorts will be judged at the screening by an esteemed jury of film practitioners.
(The awards presentation is held 30mins after the Byron All Shorts screening & will conclude by 7pm).
David Lowe is known for his work with Cloudcatcher Media and the Echo, David Lowe is a graduate of AFTRS. His student films as writer/director competed at Flickerfest in the 1990s, as well as many overseas festivals. More recently, together with Eve Jeffery, David made numerous films with an activist focus, including Rock the Gate, Undermining Australia, Welcome to the Machine and Confusing Them With Our Joy.
His short documentary Behind the Mask: Benny Zable Speaks About His Art and the animation Citizen to Activist are both previous winners at Byron All Shorts.
Sylvia Wilczynski has spent over 25 years in the film/TV industry. She has produced and co-written award-winning drama short films (including Mongrel’s Ghost, Sydney Film Festival) and long-form documentaries for ABC and SBS TV, including Speed City and the highly acclaimed feature-length documentary Bomb Harvest, about a bomb disposal team in Laos. Bomb Harvest was invited to over a dozen international film festivals, released in cinemas around Australia to 4-star reviews, screened on ABC TV and sold to over 35 countries.
She produced and script-edited drama feature film The Rocket (writer/director Kim Mordaunt), which won fifty awards, including the Crystal Bear and Best Debut Feature at the Berlin Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals, and sold to forty-five countries. She has also worked at broadcasters, film funding agencies and taught Producing at AFTRS (Australian Film, TV & Radio School). She is currently consulting on a number of screen projects with writer/director Kim Mordaunt and writing her debut novel, The Bullet.
Jahvis Loveday is an award-winning 25-year-old filmmaker from the Northern Rivers of NSW, his mob are the Bundjalung people of Northern NSW and BAMA mob of Far North QLD. He completed his bachelor of film in 2020, and has since been working within the film industry focused on Indigenous community.
His short films have won many awards across Australia including the Best Young Australian Filmmaker of 2020 and best film at Sony Film Festival 2023. Jahvis’ film BAMA was selected by Flickerfest to represent Australian cinema at the Dubai 2021 world expo.
Through something deadly, Jahvis’ first nations focused production company, he has created many online video series as well as short films funded by Create NSW and Regional Arts Australia. His short film Bangay Lore premiered at the 2023 Flickerfest in Bondi receiving the special mention award for Best Australian short film, and his latest film Djalbuyan Nahra, was nominated for best Indigenous film at CinefestOz 2023. Jahvis was selected for the First Nations creators program by Screen Australia and Meta, a segment director for ABC’s Fizzy and Suds, and attachment on Netflix’s Heart Break High.
Jahvis has grown up in community and is an up and coming cultural educator under the guidance of Uncle Lewis Walker of the Whalubul people within the Bundjalung nation, as well as the Goodjinburra people of Fingal Head.
With many connections across the community he bridges the film industry to help support their growth and their stories. Jahvis has recently been funded by Screen NSW and Screen Australia to develop a feature film focused on his Indigenous community.
FLiCKERFEST MULLUMBIMBY & BYRON ALL SHORTS – PARTNERS
Thank you to our partners, your support enhances our regions creative industries & is greatly appreciated.
Flickerfest & Byron All Shorts is presented with iQ, and is a fund-raiser for the iQ Arts & Eco Reserve.
MAJOR PARTNERS & PRIZE PARTNERS
and 
iQ & Flickerfest – Festival Creators and Cash Prize Partners (Jury Award for Best Short Film & Jury Award for Emerging Talent)
INDUSTRY PRIZE PARTNERS
BEVERAGE SUPPORTERS
Inc.
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