Flickerfest

File:Isabel Cornish (8370418478).jpg at the festival's opening night with Bondi Beach in the background.]]

The festival originated as a small, local festival at Balmain High School in 1991. It has premiered an increasingly broader range of international short films since its establishment.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/history/|title={{!}} History|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-10-19}}

In 2003, Flickerfest was recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to qualify for Best Animation and Best Short Film categories of the Academy Awards.

In 2010, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recognised that if a film from the UK won a category at Flickerfest, the film then became eligible for a BAFTA nomination.

In 2013, Flickerfest received Academy accreditation for the Australian competition and in 2014 the Documentary section of the festival received Academy accreditation.

Since 1991, Flickerfest has grown substantially. By 2018, the festival had grown to include 22 programmes shown, over 2,500 entries and 100 international shorts being showcased at the event.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/directorswelcome/|title={{!}} Directors Welcome|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}}

In 2020 Flickerfest was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Flickerfest Canberra was due to run in April but was postponed.{{cite web |title=Flickerfest postponed until later in the year |url=https://bmamag.com/2020/03/17/flickerfest-postponed-until-later-in-the-year/ |website=bmamag.com |publisher=BMA Magazine |access-date=14 January 2021 |language=en-AU |date=17 March 2020}}

Bondi Flickerfest 2021, the 30th anniversary event is scheduled for 22–31 January.{{cite web |title=Programme 2021 |url=https://flickerfest.com.au/programme-2021/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |website=flickerfest.com.au |publisher=Flickerfest |date=December 2020}} It will be run in a COVID-19 safe manner.{{cite web |title=COVID-Safe |url=https://flickerfest.com.au/covid-safe/ |website=flickerfest.com.au |publisher=Flickerfest Pty Ltd |access-date=14 January 2021}}

Bronwyn Kidd is the festival's director as of 2018. Kidd curates several hundred short films for the annual event, and the following national tour. She has also contributed to the curation of international film festivals such as the former London Australian Film Festival at The Barbican.{{Cite web |url=https://afcarchive.screenaustralia.gov.au/newsandevents/afcnews/fest_awards/barbican/newspage_176.aspx |title= The London Australian Film Festival At The Barbican |publisher=Screen Australia| website= Australian Film Commission (archived)|access-date=2018-09-30| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321074216/https://afcarchive.screenaustralia.gov.au/newsandevents/afcnews/fest_awards/barbican/newspage_176.aspx| archive-date= 21 March 2019}}

Flickerfest's production and tour manager is Shane Rennie, who has been involved in the production of Flickerfest since 2000. Rennie is involved in web population, technical presentation, festival production, and festival photography, and is also a member of the Flickerfest selection committee. Since 2005, he has organised the Flickerfest National Tour, working directly with venues that the tour will be held at to establish dates, media and online strategies, programme suggestions, and logistics.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/tour/|title={{!}} Tour|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-09-30}}

Leigh Russell is the Industry Liaison and primary coordinator of the 2018 Flickerfest jury and FlickerUp, a nationwide competition for primary and high school students.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/flickerup/|title={{!}} FlickerUp|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-09-30}}

For films to be eligible to be shown in Flickerfest they must meet the entry requirements are:

• All short films should not exceed 35 minutes.
• The film must be completed within two years of the closure of the entry date.
• Films must either be in English or be provided with English subtitles.
• All films must be compatible with the H.264 or ProRes format.
• With exception to other Australian festivals that are Academy qualifying, Flickerfest favours Australian films that are Australian premieres.
• International short films are favoured if it is their Australian premiere.
• Before the beginning of the competition, all films must not be available to access on the internet or broadcast throughout Australia.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/how-to-enter/|title={{!}} How To Enter 2019|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-10-16}}

Throughout the duration of the festival, short films are showcased that are of a competitive and non-competitive nature. These films are presented in eight different categories.

• Best of Australian – The category showcases the films short listed for the Academy accredited award "Best Australian Short Film". In 2018, there were seven separate screenings of the competition, ranging between seven and nine individual films every screening.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/best-of-australian-1-2018/|title={{!}} Best Of Australian 1 – 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}}
• Best of International – The category shows international films in competition for the awards; Best Short Animation and Best Short Drama which are both Academy accredited awards. In 2018, the programme was separated into five parts, premiering seven films in each screening.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/best-of-international-1-2018/|title={{!}} Best Of International 1 – 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}}
• FlickerKids – This section of the festival is non-competitive. It showcases films that are "delightfully entertaining" and that will "appeal to the kid in everyone”.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/flickerkids-2018/|title={{!}} FlickerKids 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}} In 2018, 11 films were shown in this category with only one screening.
• Best of Documentary – The category showcases the films short listed for the Academy accredited award "Best Documentary Short Film". In 2018, there were two separate screening of the competition, with seven films being shown in each individual screening.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/best-of-documentary-1-2018/|title={{!}} Best Of Documentary 1 – 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}}
• Best of EU Shorts – A non-competitive section of the festival. It showcases shorts that are "moving and entertaining" that are drawn from within the European Union.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/best-of-eu-shorts-1-2018/|title={{!}} Best Of EU Shorts 1 – 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}} In 2018, the programme was showcased in two sections with seven films shown in each part.
• Short Laughs Comedy – This category of the festival is non-competitive. It showcases international "hilarious off-kilter" shorts.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/short-laughs-comedy-1-2018/|title={{!}} Short Laughs Comedy 1 – 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}} In 2018, the section was shown in two sections with ten films shown in each section.
• FlickerUp – This category showcases the finalists of the national competition for primary and secondary school aged students or individuals under the age of 18. In 2018, the section consisted of 22 short films.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/flickerup-2018/|title={{!}} SAE FlickerUp 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}}
• Rainbow Shorts – A non-competitive section that celebrates international LGBTQI stories.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/programme/rainbow-shorts-2018/|title={{!}} Rainbow Shorts 2018|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-11-09}} The section premiered in 2018 with seven films in the programme.

File:Gigi Edgley (8243304987).jpg at Flickerfest launch night in the Bondi Icebergs Club.]]

The Flickerfest national tour was established in 1995. The tour consists of the central competitive programmes of the festival which include Best of Australian Shorts, Best of International Shorts and Shorts Laugh Comedy. The tour travels to rural, regional and metropolitan areas, to showcase the shorts.{{Cite web|url=http://flickerfest.com.au/tour/|title={{!}} Tour|website=flickerfest.com.au|access-date=2018-10-19}} Flickerfest showcase short films at 50 venues throughout Australia. The Adelaide showing is at the Mercury Cinema.{{cite web|website=Flickerfest|url=https://flickerfest.com.au/tour/adelaide/|title=Adelaide|access-date=5 August 2019}}

The Flickerfest Tour has been publicised in regional and rural local newspapers. The Clarence Daily Examiner writes that the tour brings a "new arsenal of hilarious entertaining and thought-provoking micro cinema from across the country".{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/flickerfest-to-light-up-saratons-big-screen/3368080/|title=Flickerfest to light up Saraton's big screen|last=Apps|first=Lesley|work=Grafton Daily Examiner|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en}} The Newcastle Herald talks of local filmmaker's work being "brought to the big screen."{{Cite news|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/5220770/flickerfest-celebrates-homegrown-success/|title=Flickerfest celebrates homegrown success|last=Gregory|first=Helen|date=2018-02-11|work=Newcastle Herald|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en}} The Illawarra Mercury writes on the local Kiama short film Buoy being selected to be shown in the Flickerfest Tour.{{Cite news|url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5291464/kiama-shark-tale-buoy-tours-australia-with-film-festival-video/|title=Kiama shark tale Buoy tours Australia with film festival: video|last=Savage|first=Desiree|date=2018-03-19|work=Illawarra Mercury|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en}} The Wauchope Gazette reports the tour visiting Port Macquarie, the article primarily focuses upon the animation Lost Property Office and short film Miro, an Aboriginal Western film, describing the short to be "delightfully quirky and creative".{{Cite news|url=https://www.wauchopegazette.com.au/story/5257222/flickerfest-film-roadshow-heads-for-hastings/|title=Flickerfest film roadshow heads for Hastings|date=2018-03-01|work=Wauchope Gazette|access-date=2018-11-05|language=en}}

A listing of the awards given for international competition:{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/flickerfest-2018-hands-awards/|title=Flickerfest 2018 Hands Out the Awards {{!}} FilmInk|website=www.filmink.com.au|language=en-AU|access-date=2018-10-18}}

• Flickerfest Award for Best International Short Film: Academy Accredited
• Special Jury Prize: Best International Short Film
• Yoram Gross award for Best International Short Animation: Academy Accredited
• SAE Creative Media Institute Award for Best Use of Digital Technology in a Short Film
• Flickerfest Award for Best Short Documentary Film: Academy Accredited
• Special Mention for Documentary
• European Union delegation in Australia Best EU Short Film

Australian-focused awards include the following:

• Virgin Australia Award for Best Australian Short Film: Academy Accredited
• Media Super Award for Best Screenplay in an Australian Short Film
• Canon Award for Best Direction in an Australian Short Film
• Yoram Gross Award for Best Australian Short Animation
• John Barry Award for Best Cinematography in an Australian Short Film
• Avid Award for Best Editing in an Australian Short Film
• Flickerfest Award for Best Performance in an Australian Short Film
• Rebel8 Award for Outstanding Emerging Female Director

Some other notable short films honoured in other awards categories include:

• A Black and White World (2005)
• The Last Dog in Rwanda (2006)
• Spider (2007)
• Hole in the Paper Sky (2008)
• The Six Dollar Fifty Man (2009)
• Bear (2011)
• Little Hands (film) (2011)
• Julian (film) (2012)
• Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke (2012)

Screen Australia is Flickerfest's major government partner, while other industry partners are the SAE Institute Australia: Creative Media Education, Create NSW, Sydney City of Film, Canon, European Union's Delegation to Australia and Virgin Entertainment. Touring partners in other states and territories are Screen Territory, Screen Queensland and Screen West. Award Partners include the SAE Institute, Virgin Australia, Canon, Yoram Gross Films, the EU Delegation to Australia, John Barry Sales, Avid, Media Super and Parker's Juicery. Flickerfest's media partners include TimeOut, Brag magazine, The Beast Magazine, 2ser 107.3, Concrete Playground, City Hub and Film Ink.

The Sydney Morning Herald conducted an interview with festival director Bronwyn Kidd in relation to gender parity. Kidd states "When I started out, female directors were a rare breed. Now hopefully we're encouraging a whole new generation to come into the industry."{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/longrunning-short-film-festival-flickerfest-beats-hollywood-to-gender-parity-20180116-h0iznb.html|title=Long-running short film festival Flickerfest beats Hollywood to gender parity|last=Elphick|first=Nicole|date=2018-01-16|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2018-10-30}}

Broadsheet, Sydney gave a synopsis of the festivals proceedings, stating "Australia's a great country of storytellers. The list of films on show [at the festival] has been narrowed down from over 2500 to 110.”{{Cite news|url=https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/entertainment/article/flickerfest-27th-short-film-festival?platform=hootsuite|title=Flickerfest Short Film Festival Launches in Bondi This Friday|work=Broadsheet|access-date=2018-11-05|language=en}} The article also highlights the benefits of short film writing “[Short films are] so contemporary. A feature can take seven years from start to finish, [for] a short you can grab a camera and in two weeks you make a statement.”

The Brag wrote that "Flickerfest is unique in that the judging process doesn’t take the entrant’s budget into consideration – films are instead judged against the strength of the storytelling and the authenticity of the director’s voice."{{Cite news|url=https://thebrag.com/flickerfest-2018-bondi-festival/|title=Flickerfest is nothing less than a bona fide Australian institution|date=2017-12-20|work=Brag Magazine|access-date=2018-11-09|language=en-US}}

Opening night photos from the 2013 event:

File:Dr Chris Brown (8369363653).jpg|Chris Brown

File:James Tobin (Australian television presenter).jpg|James Tobin

File:Wes Carr (8369362861).jpg|Wes Carr

File:Flickerfest (8370430792).jpg

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|flickerfest.com.au}}

Category:Australian film awards

Category:Short film festivals in Australia

Category:Film festivals in Sydney