MIFF is an Academy Awards®, BAFTA, and AACTA Awards accredited festival.
All films completed after 1 January 2021 are eligible for competition if they:
- are 40 minutes and 29 seconds or less in length (including credits)
- are not available in their entirety for download or viewing online, including DVD release, theatrically exhibited (excluding graduation and cast-and-crew screenings) or broadcast on Australian television (cable or free-to-air)
- have the Victorian premiere screening at MIFF are eligible for competition.
The Shorts Programmer/s will select films from the official competition program to be submitted to the Shorts Awards Jury. The shortlisted films will not be made public. The Jury’s processes, discussions and deliberations are strictly confidential, and no discussion will be entered into regarding their decisions. The award winners will be announced during the MIFF Shorts Awards Ceremony during the festival.
The short films in competition compete for the following prizes*:
- Grand Prix for Best Short Film (Academy Awards® accredited)
- Award for Best Australian Short Film (Academy Awards® accredited)
- Award for Emerging Australian Filmmaker
- Award for Best Fiction Short Film
- Award for Best Animation Short Film (Academy Awards® accredited)
- Award for Best Documentary Short Film (Academy Awards® accredited)
- Award for Best Experimental Short Film
*Please note: these prizes are subject to change.
All winning films will once again screen in cinemas as part of the Best MIFF Shorts package. Additionally, the package will be available to view on:
- MIFF Play (11–28 August 2022)
- Fed Square’s outdoor screen (13–22 August 2022)
- SBS On Demand (29 August – 10 October 2022)
For more information, please visit our Shorts Awards page.