Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival is the biggest short film festival in regional Australia with over 100 short films, masterclasses, events and panels over 3 days in Gympie, Queensland.

Celebrated as ‘triumphant’ by Australia’s ScreenHub, our festival is dedicated to inspiring and connecting audiences through short films that champion the richness of the human spirit. The small town of Gympie comes alive with film lovers from far and wide every October in a joyous celebration of storytelling.

The festival glows with a widely-renowned mix of country hospitality and global ideas—offering homestays and transport for visiting filmmakers, engaging conversations with interviewers and locals, and plenty of opportunity to mingle with filmmakers, speakers, hosts and locals at the festival’s own Gold Bar. See the thoughts of some of our previous filmmakers in the reviews below.

Our unique selection process involves submitted films being viewed by multiple screener groups across Queensland, who feedback their thoughts and shortlist a selection for the Festival programming team. This inclusive process catches niche gems and represents a broader spectrum of film taste.

‘Heart of Gold is a rare festival, in that its remit is focused but also their quality of content that they screen is stellar.’ (Festival Formula)

Heart of Gold lovingly curates sessions of short films from all genres that best capture our vision to screen films that are heart-warming, thought-provoking and entertaining. The films can be edgy, they can be groundbreaking and they can be downright hilarious – as long as they beat with a good, strong heart. The film festival’s three-day program includes up to 30 sessions of brilliant short films, acclaimed features, parties, live music, filmmaker Q+A’s, interactive masterclasses and hearty discussions.