St Kilda Film Festival 2026: A Celebration of Australian Cinema
The curtain is set to rise for the 2026 St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF), with a record number of nearly 200 short films curated from submissions. From 4 to 14 June, film lovers will be treated to an array of screenings, special presentations, and industry events across iconic venues such as the Palais Theatre, the Astor Theatre, and St Kilda Town Hall.
The festival promises to showcase the depth, diversity, and originality of Australian cinema, offering something for every audience. From local stories and comedy to horror and experimental works, the program features a wide range of genres and styles. Notably, the lineup includes films starring and created by major Australian talent, including Hugo Weaving, Kat Stewart, Colin Lane, and Sophie Wilde, alongside new work from filmmaker and performer Ed Oxenbould and animator Michael Cusack in his live-action debut.
Key Events and Highlights
One of the standout events is the red-carpet opening gala at the Palais Theatre on 4 June, followed by a special night at the Astor Theatre on Friday 5 June, where PBS brings its cult radio show Stone Love to the stage for a live broadcast. This is followed by St Kilda Rocks, featuring two documentaries on seminal St Kilda venues: Last Drinks (1996), about the Prince of Wales Hotel, and Punkline (1980), about the Crystal Ballroom.
Other highlights include the Live Cinema Experience, where films are created in real time before an audience, along with filmmaker Q&As and one-off screenings. The festival’s youth competition, Under the Radar, continues to champion filmmakers aged 21 and under, with 135 submissions this year, showcasing the strength of Australia’s next generation of storytellers.
Session Highlights
First Peoples Showcase: Black As (7 June)
Join acclaimed filmmaker David Batty for a special First Peoples screening and conversation event. Black As takes audiences off track and into the wilds of Arnhem Land, following a group of hunters navigating country, culture, and connection in the face of unexpected challenges. SKFF First Peoples program is proudly presented by CitiPower.
St Kilda Rocks (5 June)
At the Astor Theatre, St Kilda Rocks brings together two documentaries on seminal St Kilda music venues in one special event. The session features Punkline (1980), capturing the legendary Crystal Ballroom, an iconic venue that helped shape Melbourne’s live music scene in the 70s and 80s, hosting artists such as Nick Cave, The Cure, New Order, and the Dead Kennedys, alongside Last Drinks (1996), a rare screening marking its 30th anniversary and only its second public showing, chronicling the final days before the first renovation of the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Australian Comedy Showcase (5 June)
One of the festival’s fastest-selling sessions, the Australian Comedy Showcase delivers a laugh-out-loud start to the long weekend. This sharp and chaotic line-up dives into the absurdities of modern life, from relationship misfires and family dysfunction to social slip-ups and internet-age anxieties. Followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
Tales of Mystery & Imagination: System Error (6 June)
Exploring humanity’s relationship with technology, this genre-blending session dives into AI, digital worlds, and the blurred boundaries between human and machine. Mixing sci-fi, comedy, horror, drama, and fantasy.
The Big Picture (6 June)
The festival’s free filmmaker development day presented by JMC Academy. Featuring 42 panels, workshops, and networking events, the initiative offers a full day of hands-on learning, industry insight, and connection for creatives at all stages of their careers.
Live Cinema Experience (8 June)
A unique, real-time filmmaking event led by award-winning director Michael Beets. Watch as four teams create, edit, and score short films live in front of an audience, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the filmmaking process as it unfolds.
Pride Without Prejudice: LGBTIQ+ Showcase (13 June)
This quick-to-sell-out showcase celebrates the sparkling diversity of Australia’s LGBTIQ+ creative community. Expect a mix of comedy, horror, animation, and deeply personal storytelling, followed by drinks and networking at the Victorian Pride Centre.
Shifting the Gaze presented by WIFT Vic (13 June)
A standout program of films by women and gender-diverse filmmakers, highlighting some of the most exciting voices in Australian screen culture. The session concludes with a filmmaker Q&A and industry networking opportunities.
Made in VIC Part 1 & 2 (14–15 June)
A celebration of Victoria’s thriving screen industry, these popular sessions showcase a dynamic mix of comedy, animation, drama, and genre filmmaking. A fitting close to the festival, spotlighting the future of Australian cinema.
Short Film Highlights
Faceless, directed by William Jaka
An award-winning First Peoples film, Faceless follows an Indigenous man navigating three parallel lives along the Birrarung-Ga in Naarm. Moving between life on the margins, the arts, and the corporate world, the film offers a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and what it means to exist within contemporary Australia.
Baby Shower, directed by Matt Day
Starring Hugo Weaving alongside a stellar ensemble cast. Heidi’s baby shower descends into chaos when her estranged father crashes the party. You can escape your past, but you can never really escape your family.
Stranger, Brother, directed by Annelise Hickey
When Adam, a self-absorbed and lonely millennial, wakes to find his estranged half-brother on his doorstep one morning, he must face the family he’s been running away from.
THE CEO, directed by Michael Cusack
From acclaimed animator Michael Cusack (Smiling Friends, YOLO) comes his new live-action film. A successful CEO becomes a billionaire and uses this milestone effect to tell the girl who broke his heart decades ago that he finally succeeded in life … or has he?
While We Still Have Time directed by Ava Grimshaw-Hall
A woman embarks on a journey to connect with her sperm donor father, John, as he battles aggressive cancer. Together they explore their unique bond, seeking understanding and closure amid life’s uncertainties.
The Shirt Off Your Back, directed by David Robinson-Smith
Directed by previous Best Director Award winner David Robinson-Smith. Two brothers recount their perspectives on a real encounter with a stranger who stopped them to buy one of their shirts on Christmas Day. As their retellings unfold, the man’s identity shifts and morphs, filtered through childhood memory, fear, and the subconscious ways we process the unknowable.
The Dysphoria, directed by Kylie Aoibheann
A trans woman performs a Satanic ritual to get a vagina but unwittingly invites a demonic presence into her home that demands a terrible sacrifice. Working within the mould of classic demonic horror, the film explores the very real sacrifices trans people must make in order to be who they are.
Calm the F**k Down, directed by Helen Gaynor
A powerful and confronting documentary, this session explores the psychology of family violence through a role-reversal experiment. Followed by a live discussion with director Helen Gaynor and the participants.
Looking Ahead
SKFF Director Richard Sowada said:
‘In spending so much time with this great selection, I have a feeling that 2026 marks a turning point for the short film format in Australia to my eye. We know that some filmmakers who have featured in the last couple of years of St Kilda Film Festival are now in preproduction with features or embarking on massive cinematic adventures, and that momentum has some serious presence in this year’s program. So much confidence. So much risk. So much ambition. It’s just great.’
The St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) runs from Thursday 4 June to Sunday 14 June 2026. For full program details and bookings, visit the St Kilda Film Festival website.
Discover more screen, games & arts news and reviews on ArtsHub and ArtsHub. Sign up for our free ArtsHub and newsletters.
