FILMMAKER SUBMISSION PACK 2026

ENTRY FORM

TERMS & CONDITIONS

PLAIN ENGLISH GUIDE

DEED OF RELEASE

TWELVE TROP TIPS

Under 16 Year Old ENTRY FORM

THE WORLD'S LARGEST SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

KEY
DATES

Submissions Open
December 1, 2025

Submissions Close
January 8, 2026 (6pm AEDT)

Tropfest Main Event Screening
Sunday, February 22, 2026

TROPFEST SUBMISSION RULES

Duration

Your film must be 7 minutes or less including titles and credits

Premiere Status

Your film must be a World Premiere at Tropfest (ie. it must not have been screened publicly elsewhere, including online). Additionally, films that make the finals must not be screened anywhere outside of Tropfest before 31 March 2026.

Tropfest Signature Item (TSI)

Your film must incorporate the 2026 TSI which is: "Hourglass." Note: The TSI can be included however you like — front and center or tucked into the background — as long as it’s identifiable.

TROPFEST SUBMISSION RULES

Duration

Your film must be 7 minutes or less including titles and credits

Premiere Status

Tropfest Signature Item (TSI)

Your film must incorporate the 2026 TSI which is: "Hourglass." Note: The TSI can be included however you like — front and center or tucked into the background — as long as it’s identifiable.

FILM ELIGIBILITY

To be part of the Tropfest Competition, your director must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. However, international entries are also very welcome "Out of Competition". If you’re selected as a finalist (for either Competition or Out of Competition) Tropfest will provide flights from your home city to Sydney and accommodation for two people from each film for the duration of the festival weekend.

Please note: Your film must be submitted via an unlisted YouTube link. Public and private links will result in an ineligible entry.

BEHIND
THE SCENES (BTS)

We’d love a peek behind the scenes into your creative process! So along with your submission, we ask you to include at least 3-4 minutes of BTS footage from your Tropfest filmmaking journey. This could be an interview with you, your cast and crew, moments from the set, and / or a chat with your mum or anyone else involved in your entry! Make it personal, make it fun—we’re here for it! If your film is selected as a finalist or even short-listed, we may want to screen this footage as part of the event and / or on our YouTube Channel.

FINALIST GRANT

If your film is selected as a Finalist, Tropfest will provide a $1,000 AUD grant as a way of saying congratulations and to support you on your filmmaking journey!

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