The Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition is on again!
Presented in partnership with Screen Illawarra, the competition provides opportunities for emerging and professional filmmakers to hone and showcase their craft by entering a short film.
Entries are open for 2025/2026!
We're inviting budding film makers and storytellers aged 12 years and over to enter the Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition 2025/2026. This year there are three categories: 12 - 18 years, 19 years +, and Commissioned and pitched films.
Mirroring a Tropfest tradition, all entries are required to hero the same ‘signature item’. In past years, this was a banana, a bike helmet, and water. This year, each entry needs to add the key feature of birds - which can be included as an object, an overall theme, or something else!
The 'best of' films will be screened at the Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival and will be in the running for a range of exciting prizes including cash and industry vouchers.
Entries are open until Friday 30 January 2026.
Important information
The Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition is open to film makers over 12 years old, residing in the Wollongong or Shellharbour Local Government Area. Residents must also be Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Your film must include the key feature of the year, birds - which can be included as an object, an overall theme, or something else. This does not need to be central to the story but must appear at some stage in the film.
Entries into the competition are free, and you can submit as many films as you like.
Make sure to read the full terms and conditions along with the competition guidelines before you enter.
Entries open: Entries are open now!
Entries close: Midnight, Friday 30 January 2026
Winners announced: At the Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival screening, stay tuned for details.
There will be an exciting range of prizes available, including cash prizes and industry training, Film Freeway vouchers, camera hire vouchers, professional mentorship opportunities, event tickets and more.
Stay tuned for more details.
We will invite a local celebrity, a sector expert and a nationally recognised producer to be on the judging panel to select the finalists and winners.
Stay tuned for the announcement of the judging panel!
How to enter
Our supporters
Supported by 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 Media, Relativity, Sketchbook TV and Eye Candy Productions.
Past winners
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+ |
|
| Commissioned films |
|
Best performance
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| All ages |
|
| 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 |
|
| Best performance |
|