Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition and Festival
Presented by the City of Wollongong in partnership with Screen Illawarra, the Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition and Festival supports emerging and established filmmakers to develop their skills, collaborate with industry professionals, and share their stories with wider audiences.
Open to local filmmakers of all ages and experience levels, the competition requires filmmakers to feature the same ‘signature item’ and to film locally showcasing local sites.
The best entries from the Short Film Competition are selected for screening at the Festival, with prizes awarded for best films and performances.
Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival winners
This year’s competition attracted the highest number of entries to date, with 35 locally made films submitted across three categories. Sixteen standout finalists across all categories were screened at the Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival held at the UOW Hall on Friday 27 March 2026.
Films had to be new, original, filmed in the local area and incorporate this year’s signature, “birds.
The competition was judged by an acclaimed panel of Australian screen industry representatives:
Vincent Sheehan – Producer (Fisk, Mullet, Jasper Jones)
Yael Stone – Actor (Orange Is the New Black)
Ian Collie – Producer (Colin from Accounts, The Twelve).
The youth category was judged by cinematographer and recent AFTRS graduate Skye Netting (Ace of Spades).
Competition winners shared in more than $5,000 in cash and prizes.
Download the 2026 Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival program.
Best Film
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| Commissioned Films | Winner – Best Film: Bin Day By Jane Fullerton-Smith and India Goss Maher with Moonlander Media Second Place – Best Film: MiMic By Glenn Hanns with Sketchbook TV |
| Open | Winner – Best Film: The Things We Bury By Nicole Stojanovska and Nuno Dias Second Place – Best Film: Bogan Bird By Holly Trenaman & Tyrone McCrystal |
| Ages 12 - 18 years | Winner – Best Film: The Day By Five Islands Secondary College. Supported by Wollongong Youth Services Second Place – Best Film: Queer Bingo Supported by Wollongong Youth Services |
Best Performance
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| Commissioned Film |
Amelia Conway (Faye) Jennifer Gray (MiMic) |
| Open | Adriana Mazevski (The Things We Bury) Jack Tickner (River of Destiny) |
| Ages 12 - 18 years |
Kayden Jackson Sabina Bassi (The Day) |
Additional Prizes
- Emerging Actor Award: Ricky Gamble for Dark Sails on the Horizon
- Screen Illawarra annual memberships awarded to: Aristos Markou (The Black and Blue), Brian Yap (4 the Birds, Sound of Summer), David Willison and Joke Amosun (Processing) and Antra Johri and Alana Holley (Serendipity).
In 2024, the hero item of the competition was 'water'.
The inaugural Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival was held at Lakeside Reserve on 7 September 2024 and featured the "best of" entries from the 2024 competition, hosted in partnership with Screen Illawarra, Shellharbour City Council and the NSW Government.
The winners shared in $6,000 worth of prizes, short courses and equipment hire from Australian Film Television and Radio School, Ten Alphas, Wollongong Camera Hire and SF3.
Best film
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| Ages 12 to 24 |
|
| Ages 25+ |
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| Commissioned films |
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Best performance
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| All ages |
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| Commissioned films |
|
Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition, which was bike-themed to celebrate the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong.
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| 8 to 12 years |
|
| 13 to 19 years |
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| Best performance |
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Thank you to our 2025/2026 supporters
Supported by Sunset Cinema, the Guardians of the Grassy Woodlands project led by the Illawarra Ecosystems and Threatened Species Team, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Coequal, Bus Stop Films, ITeC Academy, TAFE NSW , TEN ALPHAS, Yours & Owls, Illawarra Film Society, Moonlander Films, Relativity Films, Sketchbook TV , Who & Why Media and Eye Candy Film Productions.