by SmartFone FlickFest | Sep 22, 2026 | Announcements
Our last big announcement coming at you…the films that will screen in our SF3 Mini & Feature Film Screening presented by
Eventspec on Saturday 31st October at 7pm at our newest and coolest venue, the White Bay Power Station. We have our Mini Finalists plus 3 winners of our Founders’ Flick Pick PLUS our Feature Film selection. Don’t miss this one, tix from –
https://events.humanitix.com/sf3miniandfeaturefilmscreening
And our Mini finalists are:
Not Like That by Marina Zivkovic
The Underpass by Veronica Hall-George & James Caley
Emergency Contact by Natasha Ruth Reynolds
SMA by Osvaldo Raul Ponce
Mute Bark by Elena Hunt
A Day in the Life of a Children’s Entertainer by June Holmes Your Film Has Not Been Selected by Enrique Gonzalez Sanchez
Blackhood by Fintan Hogan
Out of Sync by Paula garcia
Lost Time by Huxley Forras
The Dress by Lois Oh & Asiya Ilyasova
Gather Your Rosebuds by Hugo Stewart
AI DJ by Joshua Shediak
The Last Post by Catherine Hill
DADSPLAINING by Vlad Zokitch
Long Distance by Sunwoo Lee
The Bus Stop by Layza Wenclevski
Bloom by Oliver, Marlee, Daisy
Give Me A Break by Dali Connelly
Double Scoop by Anton Danko
CITADELS by Emanuele Pizzonia
AND our Founders’ Flick Pick Winners:
Stolen by
Wayne Tunks and his Centre Stage Academy Adult Acting Class
Tiger Goni – Sundarbans Saga by
Max Schleserer & Abdul Kabil Khan
And our Feature Film:
Three Chapters by award-winning filmmaker and past SF3 Best Feature Film Award Winner,
JAMES DEMITRI
by SmartFone FlickFest | Sep 21, 2026 | Announcements
Part 2 of our SF3 Kids Finalists. These incredible films, all made by filmmakers 18 years and under will screen at our SF3 Kids Online Extended Screening. Details coming soon. Here you will be inspired by the next Campion, Spielberg, Noyce, Stenders and of course, Soderbergh!
* Baby Angel by Ella Grace Helton
Teen sisters set out to prove that they can overcome tragedy, and when everything seemed hopeless, a shocking breakthrough delivered the sign they had been seeking.
* The Color Thief by Ella Ramas
When an invisible monster called the Color Thief steals children’s confidence and turns their artwork gray, one courageous girl stands up to the voice of self-doubt. Through kindness and encouragement, she helps her classmates rediscover their creativity and proves that art doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be real.
* Houses in My Heart by Rose & Poppy Gallimore
On a quiet ferry ride through the harbour at night, fragments of a teenage girl’s childhood begin to re-emerge as she reflects on the person she used to be. Memories of laughter, friendship, imagination, and innocence slowly resurface. The film explores nostalgia, growing up, and the bittersweet realisation that parts of yourself can quietly fade over time. Through these memories, she reconnects with forgotten pieces of herself and the child she once was.
* Leah’s List by Lily Ireland Gainey
After losing their friend Leah, a group of kids discovers her unfinished bucket list and decide to complete it together in her honor. Along the way, they heal old friendships, share laughter and adventure, and realize that being the best friends ever was the most important goal of all.
* STOP! by Dung Tan Nguyễn
As Oliver, a senior in high school, tries to balance the demands of meeting college application deadlines and keeping up with his regular school work, his life spirals out of control and he can’t keep it in anymore.
* Lights of Devenport by Rose Noble
Lights of Devonport, inspired by the song of the same name, explores identity, escape, and belonging through the story of a man who leaves his small Tasmania mining town to escape the homophobia he has endured, searching instead for acceptance on the mainland. The film uses a mixture of archival footage from the landmark Toonen v Australia case and landscape shots of Tasmania. As a young, queer person who grew up in rural Tasmania I aimed to explore both beauty and darkness of my home state.
* Before Ur Future by Sreebhadra Nair
On his seventieth birthday, a grandfather feels forgotten when no one remembers to wish him. His granddaughter Cheeku skips her coding class to create a small celebration, hoping to bring back his smile. In that moment, she reminds her father that while we focus on building the future, we must never forget the past that shaped us.
* MY TURN by Ariella Higgins
During a late-night sleepover, four tight-knit friends break out a Ouija board just for a bit of fun. Expecting nothing more than a brief, playful scare, they accidentally make contact with an entity that has a far more serious agenda. Blending tension with dark humor, MY TURN follows the group as a harmless game spirals into chaos, resorting to increasingly dangerous measures as the entity ensures its message is finally heard.
* The Babysitter’s Treasure by Mila & Charlie Kennedy
When a new babysitter arrives, a young girl gets stuck doing the chores until she discovers a treasure map. Along the journey they discover that spending time together is the real treasure.
A mime film – A thief on the loose and a police officer out to get them.
A girl checks into a mental hospital and her prejudement of the place begins to change.
When 3 school students hear that there are donuts in the teachers lounge room they sneak in to find out, only to discover a forbidden TV.
* Mitch & Charlie by Andy Tang
One day. Two brothers. A box appears in front of their door. But from who? And what is in it?
* Jo-Ha-kyū by Johanna Piir & Iti Mehide
A benevolent force works to protect visitors to a curse building… ��…how will they fare?
Six people. Six bad days. 6 perspective. You never know the pain that people can carry. Sometimes they pass it on.
* Darold and His Wheelie Bin by Djurdja Arnautovic
by SmartFone FlickFest | Sep 18, 2026 | Announcements
SF3 Kids gets bigger and bigger every year and this season, it’s just as big as our adult competition! Kids are incredible; how they see the world is unique and worth celebrating on the world stage and we’re so proud to be screening these SF3 Kids Finalists at the
Sydney Opera House on Sunday Nov 1st at 10:15am. You HAVE to see them for yourself and be inspired by the next generation of story-tellers. Get your tix now –
https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/…/12th-annual-sf3-kids…
We had so many incredible entries that we’ve split our Kids screening into a live and an online event. Here are our films screening live (in alphabetical order), ages 5-18 years old!
Alone by Indianna Thompson
All she wants to do is eat icrecream…
Behind a Smile by Claire D’Ortona & Aksha Harit
When the students realise they have only ever seen their teacher smiling, they make it their mission to change that.
Between the Mountains and the Sea by Students from Scarborough Public School
A documentary on how Scarborough’s School Song came to be; a song that is still sung today nearly 30 years later and by generations of local families.
Charlie’s Secret by Charlie Truong
Charlie reveals some of his biggest secrets and takes audiences on a fun, honest, and unexpected journey through his imagination and personal world.
Code Blue by Centre Stage Academy Junior Class
It’s time to return to everyone’s favourite soap opera ‘Code Blue’. Dr Matthew is still haunted by visions from a failed surgery, Dr Chelsea is having a bad time with a missing hand and the head nurse is still running triage with an iron fist. Welcome to the world of ‘Code Blue’.
COMPUNCTION by Mack Green
COMPUNCTION came from a feeling that many people are quietly falling behind. Across Australia, conversations around the cost of living are constant, and this time I listened. I really wanted to tell this story in a grounded way, focusing on natural human emotion and tension, rather than something that feels fake. I hope the film encourages people to reflect not only on the choices the characters make, but on the society that shaped them during the story. The society we live in everyday.
Dracooler by Indie Jones
When Millie has a dream about the most coolest vampire – DracCooler, a pomegranate-loving, guitar-shredding, jam-making legend—she thinks it’s just her imagination.
But when he shows up at her door, grinning with a guitar and an invite to a jam session, she realizes her dream has come to life.
A stylish, animated surreal adventure where rock ‘n’ roll, vampires, and pomegranates collide.
Hero-Man by Aston Di Donato
“Hero-Man” is a sci-fi superhero drama set across Earth and a distant alien world, that explores grief, power, and the clash between fear and hope in the aftermath of a tragedy
Humans Have Something To Teach Aliens by Students from Film By Inspiration
The Aliens have been watching the Earth Kids for weeks now and are jealous of how much fun they’re having. They sneak down to Earth, determined to bring some of that fun back to their planet.
When three girls decide to prank their teacher, things go horribly wrong. But when they decide to cover up their mistake instead of owning it, things go even worse for them and their prank spirals out of control.
Mission Impossible by Zac Deren
A teenage boy was mistakenly kidnapped to work at a top secret spy agency. With the promise of big money he decided to go along with it. Unfortunately he proved to be a terrible spy.
Miranda Blackmails by Madeleine and Mila
This influencer is not as sweet as she seems.
My Great Grandfather by Alexis Truong
A young girl celebrates her 101-year-old great-grandfather through memories, moments, and reflections on a life spanning more than a century.
Remote Chance by Josslyn, Marlee & Oliver
A film by students from NewtownHigh School of the Performing Arts
STOP by Tom Morfitt-White
It’s ok to stop, urgency and stress is often just a matter of perspective.
The New Prisoner by Archer, Reily, Emma and Aarav
The prison guards have been given clear instructions. Under no circumstances are they to open the door for the new prisoner.
The Weight of Water by Rosalie Robin McGrail
Mira, a teenager haunted by guilt after her father drowns in Australia’s treacherous ocean rips, must confront her trauma during a school swim test that forces her to relive the tragedy. As flashbacks reveal her Indian family’s unfamiliarity with the coastline and how it led to the accident, the test becomes a symbolic struggle between grief, fear, and responsibility. The Weight of Water ultimately invites reflection on the duality of Australia’s natural environment its beauty and its peril and the unseen consequences of its waters on migrant families.
The Wet Bandit by Aria Calbro
When $20 vanishes from the family money jar, siblings-turned-detectives Cleo and Liam follow the clues, flashbacks, and a suspicious towel — straight to their little brother Milo. But the “crime” turns out to have a sweeter motive than they expected!
Transendencia by Gia Alvarez
This short film explores the impact of the Uruguayan Great War (Guerra Grande, 1839–1851) on a young girl and how those experiences followed her throughout her life. The story is narrated through the perspective of her older self as she reflects on everything she lived through.
What Happened to Frank? by Centre Stage Academy
It’s time for drama class again and no one has seen Frank in ages, but everyone has a crazy theory exactly what happened to Frank? But is the truth stranger than fiction?
while I was away by Edan Merritt
while I was away’ follows a group of four friends spending an ordinary day together, but beneath the laughter and nostalgia, one of them feels increasingly disconnected. As the day unfolds, memories and dreamlike moments blur the line between being surrounded by people and truly feeling present. A short film about friendship, isolation and the quiet distance we can feel, even when we’re never physically alone.
by SmartFone FlickFest | Sep 16, 2026 | Announcements
DRUM ROLL for the biggest announcement of our 12th season – our finalists! Tonight we start by announcing the finalists for our 12th Annual SF3 Gala Finals. These are the best films from across the world shot on phones. You can experience them on the big screen at the
Sydney Opera House on Sunday Nov 1st at 4:30pm. Get your tix here –
https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/…/12th-annual-sf3-gala…
And our finalists in alphabetical order are:
Apple Slices by Daniel Allen
After a bag of cash falls from the sky, a desperate young man is thrust into a relentless chase across the city, forcing him to confront how thin the line between survival and greed truly is.
Genesis 3:19 by Livia Hendricks
After a bag of cash falls from the sky, a desperate young man is thrust into a relentless chase across the city, forcing him to confront how thin the line between survival and greed truly is.
Happy Little Accidents by SJ van Breda
Happy Little Accidents is a short experimental documentary that delves into the inspiration and process of Emily Rice, an artist based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Emily graduated from the University of Cape Town’s Michaelis School of Fine Art in 2024 and has quickly established herself as one of South Africa’s up-and-coming artistic talents. Emily’s mixed media work focuses on the interplay of strength and fragility, using plaster of Paris and distressed textiles to create works that defy gravity with their seemingly chaotic fracture patterns.
Happy Little Accidents experiments with Emily’s use of plaster of Paris and distressed textiles in her art, and explores the inspiration behind her work: the extensive memory loss she experiences from past childhood trauma. The film traverses Emily’s past, present and future and focuses on the central tenet of her work: strength through fragility.
Lift by Jessica Joseph-McDermott
When five strangers are recruited into a referral-only weightlifting class in a secluded warehouse, they think they are there to train. In reality, they have been chosen.
Each woman carries a secret. One woman has brought them together. She carries the biggest secret of all.
Every woman should lift.
An exploration of desire and status, where what we covet is elevated to an icon, only to be consumed and ultimately destroyed.
A young girl plagued by nightmares tries to keep the bad dreams away with a homemade sign, but when her father helps protect her with a dreamcatcher, she discovers that even the scariest dreams can’t stop a loving father from making her feel safe.
Prostate Panic by Butterfly Panther
Mr P is racing to a funeral, but his prostate has other plans.
Every red light feels personal, and dignity is rapidly becoming a luxury he can no longer afford.
Prostate Panic is a warm, cheeky comedy about ageing, urgency, terrible timing and the lengths one man will go to when nature simply refuses to wait.
Storyboard: The Musical by Jordan Gibbs
After hearing about a local film competition, Everly Easton, fresh out of high school, takes a leap of faith and makes her first animated short film with the help of her friends.
Team Player by Jimmy Eaton
A routine corporate interview unravels into surreal chaos when a promising pitch triggers an inexplicable chain reaction.
The Hole by Seam Luther-Hall & Josh Stewart
Somewhere deep underground, in a tiny room at the end of the world, two men sit together for breakfast, until they are interrupted by an unexpected guest.
The Hole is a short film written, directed and produced from the ground on up by El Ruin & The Remnants and stars Albert Mwangi (Primitive War) and Jack Ellis (Mr Inbetween). The film is a homage to classic genre bending and era defining shows like The Twilight Zone inspiring an exploration of isolation, paranoia, and the tension between the world of the analogue and digital at the brink of apocalypse.
A grieving mother consumed by revenge crosses paths with a mysterious preacher who challenges her to confront the true weight of mercy.
What Life Can Be by Dane Noonan
A heartfelt short documentary that shares the lived experience of Dane Noonan. After being told as a child that he may never live independently or reach his teenage years. Dane reflects on the unexpected life he has built. Through humour, honesty and heart, What Life Can Be challenges assumptions about disability and celebrates resilience, connection and the possibilities that unfold when we embrace life’s unpredictability.
A set of bereaved siblings must confront their disabled brother about his living situation.
by SmartFone FlickFest | Sep 14, 2026 | Announcements
This Sunday in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley, come and learn filmmaking with us at the Valley Shorts Story Lab. We have three workshops. for all ages. Families welcome to come and make a film together in the morning where we will guide and inspire you in this super cool family activity. Then at midday we will teach how to turn your mobile phone into a professional filmmaking camera and tool. Then our afternoon session is all about the script and as Alfred Hitchcock said, “You only need three things to make a film: a script, a script a script!”. What are you waiting for? Sign up HERE.
