Gunnedah film lovers will get a taste of Australian and international screen talent when Flickerfest, Australia’s only Academy Qualifying and BAFTA Recognised Short Film Festival, arrives at The Civic Theatre on Sunday, 2 August.
For 35 years, Flickerfest has brought “The Cream of Short Films”, outstanding Australian and international short films, to towns and cities across the country, and organisers say 2026 is shaping up to be a great year.
The Best of Australian Shorts session runs from 12pm to 2pm across 113 minutes, featuring a mix of comedy, drama and heartfelt storytelling from some of the country’s most exciting filmmakers. Familiar faces including Hugo Weaving, Kat Stewart, Colin Lane, Peter Phelps and Michala Banas will feature on screen.
Audiences can enjoy complimentary between-show appetisers before returning to their seats for the 116-minute International Shorts session, running from 3pm to 5pm, showcasing the next generation of the world’s most talented filmmakers.
Gunnedah Shire Council’s Manager Economy and Growth Susan Frater said it was exciting to once again host the festival.
“Flickerfest is known for exceptional storytelling, innovative ideas and original voices, so if you’ve never experienced it, I encourage you to step into the realm of independent cinema at The Civic Theatre,” she said.
Six of the eight Australian films are having their world premiere at this year’s festival. Among them is Baby Shower, directed by Matt Day, in which Heidi’s baby shower descends into chaos when her estranged father crashes the party, and Alfredo, directed by Michael Chrisoulakis, following retirees Frank and Marlene, whose beloved dog Alfredo is more than just a pet, he is the unwitting therapist holding their fractured relationship together.
Also premiering is Tuesday Tuesday, directed by Lianne Mackessy, about a young support worker spending one final shift with her longtime client living with younger-onset dementia, and Trading Cards, directed by Radheya Jang, in which a man journeys back in time to find his younger self through a haunting exploration of identity and childhood innocence.
Actor Michala Banas, one of the familiar faces on the bill, also directed and co-wrote Packed Away, in which a woman and her father must pack away her late mother’s belongings, a simple task that proves far from easy. Rounding out the session are The Scan, Nothing And The Sun and the comedy Writers In Love.
The International Shorts session spans six countries. A Friend Of Dorothy, a UK production directed by Lee Knight, follows a lonely widow whose quiet life is upended when a teenage boy’s football lands in her garden, while Katti, an India-US co-production directed by Kanishka Aggarwal, follows eight-year-old Bittoo as she is sidelined after the birth of her baby brother.
The Singers, a US production adapting a 19th century short story by Ivan Turgenev, brings together a cast of first-time actors discovered on TikTok and YouTube for a tale of downtrodden men connecting through an impromptu pub sing-off. Renée Zellweger directed and co-wrote the UK production They, while Germany’s Radix, Sweden’s Dancing Sober, the UK’s A Sisyphean Task and Indonesia’s My Plastic Mother complete the line-up.
Flickerfest contains mature themes and is not recommended for children under 15. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets are $15 per session or $25 for both sessions, and can be booked at www.thecivic.com.au.
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