Tropfest 2026 | 15 finalists revealed + public vote for final spot – Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, today announced 15 finalist films selected to screen at Tropfest 2026. In a Tropfest first, one more finalist will be decided as part of the inaugural YouTube Tropfest Wildcard Competition.
Selected from over 700 entries, the films were whittled down to 318 pre-selected titles – around three times more than previous Tropfest shortlists – before being narrowed further to these 25 films.In another Tropfest first, more than 50 per cent of the remaining films are directed by women.
The films span genres such as animation, comedy, drama, documentary, thriller and action, and showcase bold storytelling, originality and exceptional cinematic craft. They hail from emerging and established filmmakers alike.
The 10 Wildcard films are now live on Tropfest’s official YouTube channel, giving audiences across Australia and around the world the opportunity to decide which film will secure the coveted final spot at Tropfest 2026. Viewers are asked to like, comment, and share before February 14 to help their favourite make it to the big screen when Tropfest returns to Centennial Park on Sunday, 22 February 2026.
Tropfest Founder and Director John Polson said:
“Narrowing the field to just 15 finalists and 10 Wildcard contenders was one of the toughest jobs we’ve had in the festival’s history. The standard of entries this year was truly exceptional. These filmmakers represent an exciting glimpse into where short filmmaking is at right now in Australia and around the world. TheWildcard Comp is a great way to let audiences have their say.”
Filmmakers are competing for a share of a record-breaking $100,000 through the newly established CommBank Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund, created to support the next generation of Australian storytellers. First, second and third prizes are valued at $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively, with CommBank encouraging winners to invest those funds directly into the development of their own careers. Winners will also receive premium technology bundles from Google, Sony camera packages and much more.
INTRODUCING THE 2026 TROPFEST FINALISTS:
- Communicate – Comedy
Directed by Frazier Brockett (Brisbane, QLD)
Two detectives. One criminal. Twenty guesses. One turn.
- Crescendo – Drama
Directed by Lianne Mackessy (Sydney, NSW)A new mother’s babysitting plans fall apart on the morning of an audition for a career-defining role.
- Eat Now Pay Later – Documentary
Directed by Dimitri Ellerington (UK/Sydney, NSW)
Somewhere in England, brave souls line up to take on this year’s fiery chilli crop.
- Faker – Comedy
Directed by Clare Sladden (Brisbane, QLD)
When a woman suspects her boyfriend’s ex is faking cancer to win him back, she desperately tries to hold onto the relationship.
- Gazers – Comedy
Directed by Veialu Aila-Unsworth & Sze Lok Ho (Sydney, NSW)
A fairytale about three women of colour forced into absurd stereotypes by a magical curse infecting men — “the male gaze” — until one man’s transformation offers a different way of seeing.
- I’m Still Here – Thriller
Directed by Catho D’Souza (Sydney, NSW)
To cope with the loss of her sister, Avanya impersonates her in an attempt to keep her spirit alive, becoming lost in the reality of who she truly is.
- No Thank You -Comedy
Directed by Georgina Haig (Melbourne, VIC)
After the heartbreak of another miscarriage, sculptor Daphne loses the ability to say ‘thank you’, and her world begins to crumble.
- Project Hourglass -Action
Directed by Benjamin Mathews (Sydney, NSW)
When a man presumed dead reappears three years after leaping from a bridge, claiming involvement in a secret government program, his fiancée must decide whether to believe him — or get him help.
- Ring Around – Drama
Directed by Sisi Stringer (Sydney, NSW)
George races through a checklist of phone calls, but the humour collapses when his final conversation reveals the news he’s terrified to share.
- Silent Night – Drama
Directed by Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe (Melbourne, VIC)
When ‘buses replace trains’ on Christmas Eve, a GP is stranded at a lonely bus exchange, her fading Christmas spirit put to the test.
- SYD CONFIDENTIAL – Animation
Directed by Clinton J. Isle (Port Macquarie, NSW)
A private detective follows a trail of “clues” across Sydney, blurring reality and imagination in a playful noir comedy about the stories we cling to and the resilience to keep going.
- Tilly – Drama
Directed by Luke Mayze (Brisbane, QLD)
A grieving widower, resistant to his late wife’s dog, slowly reconnects with the outside world through Tilly’s persistent companionship
- The End – Animation
Directed by Sean Bayles (Sydney, NSW)
Lost among the sands of time, a lone protagonist searches for a way out.
- Unprompted -Comedy / Thriller
Directed by Stephen Packer (Melbourne, VIC)
A desperate horror screenwriter turns to AI for inspiration, only to realise it’s writing him into the role of the victim.
- We Don’t Take Breaks – Comedy
Directed by Jasper Sharpe (Melbourne, VIC)
A hospo worker narrates his daily grind under a relentless boss, until a deranged ex-employee returns and chaos unfolds.
The 10 Wildcard films competing for the 16th finalist position are:
- Vitae – Drama
Directed by Kyle Keuris (Melbourne, VIC)
A middle-aged man interviews with a tech CEO for a junior role, but as hidden motives surface, the routine meeting turns into a tense reckoning the interviewer isn’t prepared for.
- One For The Money – Comedy
Directed by Jimmy Eaton (Melbourne, VIC)
Being late has never been this loopy.
- Extra Effort – Comedy
Directed by Elissa Maine & Penny Buck (Sydney, NSW)
I’ve heard about it. Now you’re in the room. A short film about a moment that lives somewhere between fact, fear and folklore, passed around by women like an urban myth.
- Our Glass – Drama
Directed by Georgia Walters (Melbourne, VIC)
In the aftermath of loss, a grandmother navigating grief is drawn back to life by the unfiltered honesty and playful chaos of her two young granddaughters.
- Shoot the Breeze – Drama
Directed by Scott Holgate (Canberra, ACT)
Jason is in a bind. His phone offers no answers. As his anxiety mounts, he reaches for connection.
- A Little Magic – Comedy
Directed by Emma Carolina-Wolf (Sydney, NSW)
When dating has lost its spark, all you need is a little magic.
- Now I See – Comedy
Directed by Liam Gordes (Melbourne, VIC)
In his search for closure, Jack must bury his dead father’s secrets. Time is running out for him to be the perfect son.
- F**k Face – Comedy
Directed by Tim Hamilton (Melbourne, VIC)
During a casual game of Scattergories, four friends discover that the most dangerous thing in the room isn’t time, guns, or bad language- it’s how well they know each other.
- Blue Orchards – Drama
Directed by Taysha McFarland (Sydney, NSW)
In 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army advance throughout Malaya, challenging a dignified mother’s beliefs while protecting her young daughter from the horrors that are slowly befalling their country.
- One More for Safety – Comedy
Directed by Kacey Baker (Sydney, NSW)
After a heart attack, a struggling filmmaker battles critics, rejection, and pride in a hospital ward where delusional filmmakers still believe they matter.
Wildcard viewing is now open via Tropfest’s official YouTube channel, with the winning film to be added to the official finalists ahead of Tropfest.
The 16 finalist films will screen at Tropfest on Sunday 22 February 2026 at Centennial Park and will be livestreamed globally on YouTube. The FREE, live event kicks off from 12pm with live music and DJs.
The 2026 event also marks Tropfest’s official transition to a not-for-profit Foundation, dedicated to nurturing emerging creative talent. The Foundation is guided by a board of cultural leaders including Sarah Murdoch (Chair), Bryan Brown, John Polson, Peter V’landys and Richard Weinberg.
Tropfest 2026 partners include CommBank, YouTube, Qantas, Nine Entertainment, Chery Motor Australia, Greater Sydney Parklands, NSW Government, Destination NSW, Screen NSW, NIDA, Sony, Pandora, Scape, Fraser Suites Sydney, Holding Redlich, Lumina and NixCo.
Follow @tropfest on social media for updates. For more information and event details visit www.tropfest.com
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Tropfest 2026 | 15 finalists revealed + public vote for final spot
