St Kilda Film Festival

Overview

It's been true for 40 years now, and it's true again in 2024: you'll find big things in small packages at the St Kilda Film Festival. Australia's oldest short film festival has now spent four decades celebrating bite-sized filmmaking. Shorts couldn't be more crucial to the cinematic cycle of life — they're where directors, writers, actors and more cut their teeth; they make excellent calling cards and stepping stones; and telling a tale in a concise way is a pivotal talent that isn't always put into action in full-length features.

Showcasing all of the above is on the marquee from Thursday, June 6–Sunday, June 16, at an event that's screened works by Adam Elliot (Mary and Max), Matthew Saville (Noise), Kriv Stenders (Red Dog), Cate Shortland (Black Widow) and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) in the past. In 2024, the festival spans 11 huge days of screenings — heroing short flicks of all genres — plus talks, panels, special events and workshops in the oceanside locale.

Jim Lee

It all kicks off with a spectacular opening night at The Astor Theatre, then also hits up JMC Academy's Park Street campus, The Backlot Studios, Victorian Pride Centre, The Espy, South Melbourne Market and Golden Gate Hotel.

As always, the backbone of the festival is Australia's top short films, complete with filmmakers from every corner of the country competing for prizes. Also on the bill at ticketed screenings: programs dedicated to queer, First Nations, documentary, family-friendly animation, Aussie comedy, horror, crime, Aussie drama, experimental, female-directed and Victorian-made shorts.

2024's event is matching shorts to features as well, focusing on Campion (screening Sweetie), Robert Connolly (The Bank), Tony Ayres (Sadness) and Richard Lowenstein (Strikebound).