Flickerfest International Short Film Festival Sydney 2023

Overview

There's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve when it comes to cinema, watching the latest and greatest flicks on the silver screen well before anyone else. And, at Australia's biggest short film festival, you can do just that. The internationally acclaimed Flickerfest is celebrating its 32nd year come January 2023, so you can expect an A-class lineup of cinematic delights over its ten-day run.

The annual event is Australia's leading Academy® Award-qualifying short-film fest, and is backed with BAFTA recognition, too. In January, you can catch screenings under the stars at the festival's beachside home in the northern end of Bondi Beach Park. The outdoor cinema will be set in a palm tree-ringed garden courtyard plus indoor screenings in the revamped Bondi Pavilion cinema, both supported by Waverley Council.

You can choose from a program of over 200 short flicks from Australia and around the world, handpicked as the most inspiring, provocative and entertaining among the whopping 3100 submissions this year. The program is divided into 29 sessions, so you can plan your visit around the genres that interest you most — like comedy, romance, LGBTQIA+ and documentary films.

Want to make a night of it? Drop by the festival's panoramic beachside bar for a pre- or post-show drink and snack. Plus, there'll be an ultra-swish opening-night gala and closing-night event which, for a few extra bucks, you can attend to be part of the action.

After wrapping its Sydney stint, Flickerfest will share the short-film love and pop up at over 45 venues across the country between February and October.

The 32nd Flickerfest International Film Festival will run from Friday, January 20 to Sunday, January 29. Tickets and the full 2023 program are available from Friday, December 16. For more information, head to the website.