Tropfest returns to The Domain for first Saturday-night festival in 2027 – Australia’s best-known short film festival is heading back to its Sydney home on Saturday 13 February 2027. The free event will run from day into night at The Domain, ending with 16 new short films screened under the stars and a global YouTube livestream.
The move is more than a change of venue. After its 2026 return at Centennial Park following a seven-year break, Tropfest is restoring The Domain setting associated with some of its biggest crowds. It is also shifting to a Saturday night for the first time in the festival’s 34-year history, giving audiences a full weekend evening to attend or watch online.
Founder and festival director John Polson announced the plan with Tropfest Foundation chair Sarah Murdoch and NSW Premier Chris Minns at The Domain. The NSW Government has renewed support with $2.7 million over three years. Tropfest says that commitment will help keep the festival free while creating more opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
Tropfest 2027 at The Domain
The 13 February event will include live entertainment and food and drink offerings before the finalist screenings. Sixteen world-premiere shorts will screen in front of the crowd and a jury of Australian and international talent. Winners will be named live on the night.
Polson said, “For 14 years, I’ve dreamed of bringing Tropfest back to our spiritual home — The Domain in Sydney.” He recalled the shared laughter and silence of a large outdoor audience as filmmakers showed their work. He also said the three-year government commitment gives organisers more certainty to plan future events without charging audiences to attend.
Minns described Tropfest as “an Aussie cultural institution” and a launchpad for filmmakers. Murdoch said returning to The Domain would recreate the experience of gathering for the festival while giving a new generation of Australian storytellers an audience.
For viewers outside Sydney, YouTube will again be Tropfest’s official streaming and video platform. The festival says its 2026 finalist films attracted more than 95 per cent of their YouTube viewers from overseas. A livestream of the 2027 event is planned, although the festival has not announced a start time or viewing link yet.
How filmmakers can enter
Entries open on Tuesday 1 December 2026. The early-bird deadline is Tuesday 22 December, with a $65 entry fee. The final deadline is Tuesday 5 January 2027, when the entry fee is $95.
Films must be newly made, run for seven minutes or less and feature the 2027 Tropfest Signature Item: a necklace. The item is intended to show that each film has been made specifically for the festival. Tropfest received more than 700 submissions for its 2026 comeback; organisers will select 16 finalists for next year’s live screening.
The three winning filmmakers will share the $100,000 CommBank Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund. First prize is $50,000, second is $30,000 and third is $20,000. The festival and CommBank are encouraging recipients to use the money for career development and future projects.
Byron Kennedy Award joins the festival
Australian filmmaker George Miller also announced that the Byron Kennedy Award for the pursuit of excellence will have a new home at Tropfest. Its recipient will be honoured at The Domain on 13 February.
Established in 1984, the award honours Miller’s late filmmaking partner and Mad Max co-creator Byron Kennedy. Previous recipients include Jane Campion, Bruna Papandrea, Rolf de Heer, Rachel Perkins, Greig Fraser, Ivan Sen, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin and Polson. Miller welcomed the award’s move to the festival, calling Tropfest a “safe haven”.
More events for filmmakers and younger audiences
Tropfest Roughcut returns to the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney from 10 to 12 February 2027. Supported by Screen Australia and YouTube, the three-day programme will explore filmmaking craft and business. It will include a conversation between Miller and Polson called George Miller: Movies and Stories.
Trop Jr, the festival for Australians aged 15 and under, is also continuing. Submissions close on Friday 23 October 2026, and its Grand Finals event will take place at The Astor Theatre in Melbourne on Friday 4 December. It is supported by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and produced by the Tropfest Foundation.
CommBank returns as presenting partner, with Qantas, Nine Entertainment and Pandora among the other partners. The festival is run by the not-for-profit Tropfest Foundation. Its board includes Murdoch, Polson, Bryan Brown, Peter V’landys and Richard Weinberg.
Tropfest began in 1993 when Polson screened films for about 200 people at Sydney’s Tropicana Caffé. Its return to The Domain puts the live audience back at the centre of the event while retaining the online reach developed during its comeback.
For more on Tropfest’s next chapter, read TV Central’s story on executive director Britt Wickes. Event and entry updates are available from the official Tropfest website.