South Melbourne Short Film Festival — September 2026
Melbourne’s first festival dedicated to AI in short film
The South Melbourne Short Film Festival returns for its second edition, and this time we’re turning our lens toward the most talked-about shift in modern filmmaking: artificial intelligence.
The festival was born from a simple belief — that short cinema deserves a real audience. Our inaugural edition brought a programme of international films to a sold-out room in South Melbourne. This year we’re asking a bigger question. As AI reshapes how stories are made, what does it mean to create, to author, and to move an audience?
What we programmed
We called for short films made with, shaped by, or made in response to artificial intelligence. Fully AI-generated films, hybrid human and AI works, and traditional films that explore AI as a theme were all welcome. We cared about one thing above all: a story that stays with you.
The screening
Selected films screen at Crown Visual Studio in the heart of South Melbourne, in front of a live audience and an international judging panel of award-winning filmmakers.
The evening also features a panel conversation on the future of storytelling in the age of AI — a chance to hear directly from the people making work at the edge of this shift, and to join the argument yourself.
Friday 11 September 2026
Crown Visual Studio, Unit 320/87 Gladstone St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Our judges
Every film is assessed by an international panel of award-winning filmmakers
Recognition
Selected filmmakers receive an Official Festival Selection certificate and public acknowledgement across our festival platforms and promotional channels — lasting credit that travels with the film.
Submissions
Submissions for the 2026 edition closed on 3 August. Selections will be announced to filmmakers on 31 August 2026.
Films were submitted through FilmFreeway, the world’s leading festival submission platform, and reviewed directly by our programming team.
Want to be part of the next edition? Follow the festival on FilmFreeway to be notified as soon as submissions open.
Attend
Tickets for the 11 September screening will be announced here and on our social channels. If you’d like first access, email us and we’ll add you to the list.
Contact
Festival Director: Amir Mahboud
info@crownvisualstudio.com.au
+61 414 790 598