What’s happening?
Award-winning Australian short films are heading to Townsville, as the Very Short Film Festival (VSFF) brings its 2026 National Tour to Warrina Cineplex.
The screening follows the festival’s National Premiere Weekend in Hobart, where the 2026 Official Selection and award-winning films were first shown. Queensland audiences will be among the first to see this year’s standout short films on the big screen.
The program brings together filmmakers from across Australia, with stories shaped by different voices, themes and perspectives. Each film was created for VSFF and responds to this year’s festival signature, Thread, in its own way.
Together, the films offer a varied program that invites audiences to laugh, reflect and see things differently.
Why it matters?
The Very Short Film Festival celebrates storytelling in a short and powerful format.
It is open to filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, giving both new and established storytellers a chance to share their work with cinema audiences. The festival also shows how much impact a story can have when it is clear, original and carefully made.
VSFF Ambassador Marta Dusseldorp said the festival gives filmmakers an important platform.
“The Very Short Film Festival offers an excellent platform for storytelling voices. The films are always unique, full of heart and often have a great twist. Celebrating them with an audience, in a cinema, is incredibly special and so important for our filmmakers to see themselves on the big screen. This festival reminds us how our stories connect us while also unearthing new Australian talent.”
Local Impact
The screening brings a national film event to a local cinema for one night only.
It gives local audiences a chance to support Australian filmmakers without travelling to a major festival premiere. It also places Townsville within the festival’s wider national tour, which is taking the 2026 program to cinemas across Australia.
Festival Director Tamara Svirskis said the tour is about giving more people the chance to experience these stories together.
“Stories have an incredible way of connecting people. What excites us about the national tour is taking these films beyond one weekend and giving audiences across Australia the chance to experience them together. These stories have the power to resonate in unexpected ways and spark conversations long after the credits roll.”
By the Numbers
- 16 July 2026 is the Townsville screening date, with the event taking place at Warrina Cineplex in Townsville, Queensland.
- Under five minutes is the running time for every film, giving each filmmaker a tight frame to deliver impact, originality and craft.
- The 2026 National Tour will screen in cinemas across Australia after the festival’s National Premiere Weekend in Hobart.
Zoom In
This year’s festival signature is Thread, which gives the program a shared creative starting point.
Each filmmaker has responded to that idea in a different way, creating a selection that moves across humour, reflection and human connection. The short format adds focus, as every scene and every choice must carry weight.
That is part of the appeal. The films are brief, but they are built to leave audiences thinking after the credits roll.
Zoom Out
The Townsville screening is part of a wider national tour designed to connect Australian audiences with short-form storytelling.
By taking the Official Selection and award-winning films beyond Hobart, VSFF is giving the program a longer life. It also helps emerging filmmakers reach communities that may not usually attend a festival premiere.
For audiences, it is a chance to see new Australian stories in a cinema setting, alongside others experiencing them for the first time.
What To Look For Next?
Townsville audiences will get their chance to see the program on 16 July 2026, with tickets and the full screening program available through HERE
The wider national tour will continue to bring these short films to cinemas across Australia, helping the stories reach communities that may not usually see them at a festival premiere.
