How to Enter & Plain English Guide

Tropfest 2026

Tropfest is a not-for-profit organisation whose sole focus is to discover and help launch emerging filmmaking talent.

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!

Below you’ll find a step by step guide on how to enter as well as an explanation on what the T&Cs mean:

1. How to Enter

  • ● Fill out the entry form at tropfest.com/filmmakersubmissions

  • ● Upload your film to your own YouTube channel (either your existing one or a new one you can set up easily with a few simple steps, see HERE. (Note: Gmail users can create a YouTube channel using the same login). Important: Make sure your film is set to “unlisted.”

  • ● The Entry Form will ask for your unlisted link, along with any other required materials, (e.g. BTS footage and production stills). Submit with Tropfest by 6:00 pm (AEDT), Thursday 8 January 2026.

This keeps everything consistent, ensures films are submitted the same way, and allows us to start reviewing right away.

2. How Films Are Selected

  • ● Tropfest will select 16 Finalist Films to screen at the Main Event on Sunday 22 February 2026 in Centennial Park, Sydney, Australia.

  • ● 15 of those finalists will be chosen by our preselection panel, made up of industry professionals and others Tropfest believes know how to judge a great short film.

  • ● 1 finalist (the Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Competition ) will be chosen from the next 10 short-listed films. These 10 films will be hosted on Tropfest’s YouTube channel for 10 days as part of the Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Competition. This is to ensure our audience gets a say in the Tropfest Finalists. At the end of those 10 days on our channel, Tropfest will look at votes, engagement, and other factors to determine the 16th Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Competition Finalist.

This gives filmmakers two pathways to the finals (jury and public) and gives our audience a voice in shaping the line-up.

3. What You Promise as a Filmmaker

When you enter, you’re confirming that:

  • ● Your film was made specifically for Tropfest.

  • ● It hasn’t been shown publicly (online or otherwise).

  • ● You’ve included the Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) in your film/s.

  • ● You have the rights and permissions for all material — music, performances, scripts, images, etc.

  • ● No one else holds rights that would prevent Tropfest from showing your film.

This ensures your film can reach the widest audience possible.

4. Rights You Give Tropfest

By entering, you grant Tropfest:

  • ● Exclusive rights for a short period to judge your film and, if selected, show it exclusively at Tropfest and across our official channels.

  • ● If your film isn’t shortlisted, those rights end as soon as you’re officially notified, and all rights revert to you immediately.

  • ● If your film is selected as a finalist, you agree as a condition of entry to grant us a non-exclusive licence (from 1 April 2026) so we can share it as part of the Tropfest library, online, at future events and elsewhere. Note: Tropfest has no ownership in your film; you are still able to do whatever you want with it.

  • ● If your film is shortlisted but not subsequently selected as a finalist, we ask (but don’t require) that you grant us a non-exclusive licence from 1 April 2026. Again, this allows you to do whatever you want with your film, whilst also allowing us to keep celebrating and showcasing your work through our channels. Tropfest has no ownership in your film.

The above means, whether you’re a finalist or simply shortlisted, Tropfest can continue celebrating your work through our channels — but you always remain the owner.

5. Editing and Promotion

  • ● We may need to make small edits (for classification rules or trailers).

  • ● We may use short excerpts in teasers, trailers, or ads.

  • ● You and your contributors agree to help with reasonable publicity requests.

All of this is designed to get your film (and you) in front of the largest audience possible.

6. Standards

  • ● Films should be suitable for an M classification based on the Australian Classification Government Guidelines (Contains no extreme violence or explicit sexual content).

  • ● Tropfest reserves the right to disqualify films if rules are broken.

This ensures films remain suitable for a wide audience, including younger viewers, and keeps the competition fair.

7. Legal Bits

  • ● By entering Tropfest, you agree we can use your name, image, and likeness to promote the Festival.

  • ● You confirm all submitted details are true and correct.

  • ● The Festival is governed by New South Wales law.

In Short

You keep ownership of your film. We just ask for the rights we need to screen it, promote it, and share it with the world — both now and in the future. That’s how Tropfest continues to help launch filmmakers’ careers and celebrate their work beyond Festival night.