Festival Date [Festival has been held for 2011]
Finalist FilmsPhoto Gallery Have a look! Venue
Ritz Cinema
39-47 St Pauls St, Randwick
A competitive and interactive short film festival brought to you by NAFA.
From a simple start at the Sydney Comedy Store in 2004 screening shorts on DVD, Show-Fest has grown to be a fully-featured festival that can screen 35mm prints in a real cinema environment. In 2010 we were one of the first short film festivals in the world to exclusively use 35mm film and DCI-DCP digital for cinema projection.
We are a selective festival that uses an independent judging panel to choose the finalist films. The judges will be drawn from Sydney’s film and television industry.
We screen at a cinema that is widely respected for its suitability for festivals. The Ritz Cinema is a multi-screen independent cinema in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, surrounded by the café and restaurant precinct known as The Spot.
Our “Show & Tell” format means that at least one cast or crew member is strongly encouraged to attend the screening. They can then talk on-stage about their experience making and promoting their film, and answer questions from the audience.
Finalist filmmakers who are unable to attend the festival are required to submit a short video or audio clip along with the exhibition copy. In this clip the filmmaker must answer the same questions that will be asked of filmmakers by the host at Show-Fest. This clip need not be of a professional standard: filmmakers have submitted videos shot using a webcam.
We believe this unique combination of attributes makes Show-Fest International a worthy platform for both you and your short film.
View a video from our 2009 festival:
Best Film Award
Prize Sponsors 
Cash AU$1000.00 In Kind AU$8500.00
The independent judging panel will award Best Film to one of the finalists on the night.
The headline prize is a production-ready Sony F35 digital cinematography camera package from VA Hire worth $4500. This is matched with a $1000 lighting hire voucher from Xytech Australia and $1000 of location and post audio services from DX Sound. The winner will also have the opportunity of having a DCI DCP made of a short film, an offer worth $2000 from DCP Australia (our provider of digital cinema mastering services).
Cinema projection from 35mm film prints has been the gold standard for generations. DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) is the successor to film projection, and major cinemas across Australia are currently making the transition to this system. A DCP (Digital Cinema Package) is the digital equivalent of a film print that is projected at the cinema.
VA Hire (formerly Video Australasia) is a provider of complete broadcast and film production services, with a focus on a wide range of cameras and lenses. With offices in Sydney and Melbourne — and servicing the entire Australasian region — VA has built a loyal following of production companies and cinematographers.
Xytech’s New Zealand parent company supplied equipment to a number of major Hollywood features shooting there, winning contracts from international competitors due to the quality of their equipment. A long-term sponsor of Show-Fest, Xytech Australia is once again offering a voucher for hire to the value of $1000 (see their Web site for rates).
DX Sound is the audio services business of sound recordist and post sound mixer Dave Sims. The winner of the Best Film Award will receive one day of sound recording and one day of post on a short film in Sydney (or elsewhere excluding expenses), valued at $1000.
Audience Choice Award
Sponsor TBC Cash Approx. AU$400
This is the NAFA prize pack consisting of a variety of items from local film industry sponsors. Details will be confirmed closer to the festival.
Festival Partners
Printing Sponsor
