Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, is finally returning to the Australian film calendar.
Scheduled to take place in Sydney on 22 February next year, the festival will screen brand new short films of seven minutes or less incorporating the 2026 Tropfest Signature Item (TSI). This year, the item is an hourglass – a nod to the festival’s return after a six-year hiatus.
The announcement was made in Centennial Park by festival founder John Polson, who was joined by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, board members including Peter V’landys and Bryan Brown, and a host of partners and alumni including Danny Philippou.
Tropfest 2026: quick links
Presented by Commonwealth Bank and YouTube, Tropfest 2026 promises ‘a revitalised format’. Alongside the traditional Main Event, the festival will now extend across several days with talks, workshops and satellite screenings.
The festival’s return is supported by significant partnerships. CommBank has signed on as Presenting Partner, YouTube as Powered-by Partner, Qantas as Official Airline Partner, Nine Entertainment as Media Supporting Partner, and Greater Sydney Parklands as Official Venue Partner. Support also comes from the NSW Government.
Finalists will have their short films premiere at the live, free event in Centennial Park, where winners will be announced on the night.
Prizes include a share of $100,000 from the newly created CommBank–Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund, with $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 going to the top three films. Winners will also receive a Google tech bundle, with funds and resources designed to support career development.
Filmmaker submissions are expected to open from 1 December 2025.
Tropfest announces official return
Polson said the relaunch was the culmination of a long effort. ‘It’s been my dream for six long years to bring Tropfest back. Our number one priority is to give Australia’s most talented, emerging filmmakers a level playing field … The ingenuity around the TSI always surprises me,’ he said.
CommBank’s Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Monique Macleod, called it a summer staple. ‘As presenting partner, CommBank is backing the next generation of storytellers … We’re excited to be part of this new chapter,’ she said.
Melanie Silva, Managing Director and VP of Google Australia and New Zealand, added: ‘Tropfest is a cultural touchstone … YouTube is the perfect partner because we share the same mission: to find and champion the next generation of storytellers.’
Alongside its return, the festival has also established the Tropfest Foundation, a not-for-profit body dedicated to creating year-round opportunities. The board includes Sarah Murdoch (Chair), John Polson, Peter V’landys, Bryan Brown and Richard Weinberg.
Two new initiatives will roll out under the foundation. The YouTube Creator Collective x Tropfest will begin in October 2025, offering digital skills training. A second program in February 2026 will deliver masterclasses in writing, production design and emerging technologies such as AI.
Audiences can also revisit past highlights through the Tropfest YouTube channel. In September, the festival will run a two-week livestream marathon, ‘Trop ‘til You Drop’, showcasing three decades of finalist films.
Watch the 2026 trailer below:
The history of Tropfest
Founded in 1993 by John Polson, Tropfest began as a one-off screening of his short Surry Hills: 902 Spring Roll at the Tropicana Caffé in Darlinghurst. What started with 200 people quickly grew to attract live audiences of around 100,000, making it the largest platform for short films globally.
The event has launched the careers of dozens of notable Australian talents, including Nash and Joel Edgerton, Rebel Wilson, Sam Worthington, Murray Bartlett, Mia Wasikowska, David Wenham, Bruna Papandrea, Robert Connolly, Genevieve Clay-Smith and Damon Gameau. International successes such as Justin Kurzel, Patrick Hughes, Emma Freeman and Alethea Jones also count the festival as a career springboard.
Over its 30-year history, Tropfest has staged 29 main events in Sydney, alongside satellite editions across the USA, China, Africa, South East Asia, Japan, New Zealand, the Middle East and the UK.
The festival has long attracted high-profile judges and supporters, including Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, George Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Baz Luhrmann, Keanu Reeves and Naomi Watts. The judging panel for 2026 will be announced in the coming months.
The press release stated that the 2026 edition aims to honour that legacy while re-establishing itself as a launchpad for the next generation of filmmakers.
Tropfest will return in February of 2026. For more information, head to the festival website.
