Short film entries for the 39th St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) open today, ahead of the curtain rising in 2022 for Australia’s largest and longest-running publicly owned short film festival.
Produced and presented by Port Phillip Council, the SKFF will again see live events complementing a significant online presence from 26 May – 5 June.
Mayor Louise Crawford said despite the continuing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the SKFF has adapted and thrived with the added benefit of now reaching a national online audience.
“The new format really does offer the best of both worlds—allowing film-lovers across Australia to experience the Festival, while also providing opportunities to enjoy the magic of film at fantastic venues in our City,” Cr Crawford said. “Port Phillip is known and loved as a creative hub and terrific filming location, so we are delighted to continue our proud history of supporting members of the local – and Australian – film industries and showcasing their work for the wider community,” she said. “This is more important than ever with so many talented creatives struggling financially from the pandemic.”
Cr Crawford thanked Government funding partner Screen Australia for their continued support in 2022.
SKFF Director Richard Sowada, now in his third year of curating the event, is excited to see the latest submissions.
“The great thing about a short film program is the diversity of narratives, genres and creative direction we can accommodate. St Kilda Film Festival consistently attracts a high calibre of entries from both established and emerging creatives and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this year,” he said.
SKFF provides the most comprehensive overview of the national short film industry, screening the top 100 short film entries received each year alongside a rich program of special events and a popular free filmmaker development program.
Accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, SKFF also offers successful filmmakers a pathway to winning an Academy Award. Award-winning SKFF films are eligible for consideration in the Short Film Awards and Documentary Short sections of the Oscars®.
Entries close on 31 January 2022. For information about how to submit entries, go to
https://www.stkildafilmfestival.com.au
The full program will be announced in May 2022.