A Diversity-Focused Short Film Festival Is Coming to SBS On Demand Next Month

Viewing overload may be a thoroughly modern dilemma, but it's one that we can all relate to. And, it doesn't just apply to the sheer volume of options these days — across cinema releases, film festivals, regular television, pay TV and the growing number of streaming platforms, for example — but also to the types of stories told.

If you're feeling a little like you've seen every superhero flick, upbeat rom-com tale, cop procedural and bromance buddy comedy ever made, then the SBS Short Film Festival is here to deliver a huge dose of diversity. The new three-day event's main aim: to showcase not only different subjects, topics and formats, but work made by creators who are typically underrepresented in the screen industry.

Dropping on SBS On Demand across Friday, September 13 and Sunday, September 15, the festival will feature 14 shorts, all from Australian talents — including folks from multicultural and Indigenous backgrounds, members of the LGBTIQ+ community and those living with disabilities. Different shorts will hit the free platform each day, recreating the real-world film festival experience. Of course, to enjoy this event, you just need a TV, laptop or smartphone.

Highlights include the Aaron Pedersen-starring Out of Range, which sees the acclaimed actor plays a father trying to reconnect with his estranged son on the road; Amar, about the groom-less wedding of a Muslim woman with Down syndrome; and Bananas and Flavour Swap, each exploring the bonds of food and culture. On the documentary front, Limited Surrender focuses on an artist's plight after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, while Lost Daylight examines the stolen generation from a personal perspective, through the tale of a woman who was placed in the Sisters of Mercy convent at Brisbane's All Hallows' school in 1950s and 60s.

Other titles include The Loop, hailing from Lorcan Hopper, a first-time television director with Down syndrome; Deafinition, which crafts its sights and sounds through the perspective of someone who is profoundly deaf; and the three-part Monsters of Many Worlds, a combination of live-action and animation on the topic of mythical creatures.

The SBS Short Film Festival stems from the Short-Form Content Initiative, which is committed to increasing opportunities for Australian creatives from diverse communities. The 14 films were shot across Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, with funding assistance from Film Victoria, Screen Queensland, Screenwest, South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Tasmania.

Check out the festival trailer below:

The SBS Short Film Festival hits SBS On Demand between Friday, September 13 and Sunday, September 15.

Images: The Small Town Drifter, Michael O'Neill, Blur Films / Out of Range, Ryan Alexander Lloyd / Amar,  Zahra Habibullah / Deafinition / Flavour Swap, Amy Brown / Lives In Action, Jurban Botany.