The Melbourne Women in Film Festival is a regional not-for-profit festival aimed at celebrating, supporting and promoting the work of Australian, Aotearoa New Zealand and Pasifika women and gender diverse filmmakers and creatives. Our annual festival encourages and inspires others with creative aspirations to pursue their passions with confidence. We are best known for our retrospective screenings, Q&As with filmmakers and creative personnel, diverse short film sessions, engaging panels, public forums, networking events, and practical workshops.

Our goal is to provide a space and opportunities for screen creatives to exhibit their work to a diverse audiences in Melbourne and across Australia through a hybrid program in venues and online. We advocate for gender equality in the Victorian and Australian screen industries, provide opportunities for dialogue and engagement between women and gender diverse practitioners working in a variety of screen forms, the Australian screen industry and audiences, provide opportunities for emerging and student filmmakers to exhibit their work, and of course...entertain!

ELIGIBILITY
We welcome short film submissions of any genre, style or theme from women and gender diverse filmmakers working within all areas of the Australian, Aotearoa New Zealand or wider Pasifika screen production. To be eligible, all films must have a woman or gender diverse practitioner in a key creative role (Producer, Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Editor, or Sound Designer/Composer) with priority given to creative teams of women and gender diverse filmmakers.

MWFF is committed to celebrating and promoting diversity in the screen industry and screen culture. We believe that it is important to be inclusive in our programming so we open the category of “women” to any individual that identifies with this term. We are inclusive of cisgender and transgender women and we accept submissions from gender diverse, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, Indigenous gender identities, non-binary, and intersex individuals.

We strongly encourage submissions from women and gender diverse practitioners identifying as First Nations, Women/Person of Colour, Disabled, and LGBTIQ+ from Australia, Aotearoa NZ and the wider Moana.

Should you require an alternative way of submitting, please contact us via email - info@mwff.org.au.

Awards & Prizes

The short film programs are eligible for the following awards decided by an industry jury: 
- Best Short 
- Best Next Gen Short (student category) 
- Best Victorian Short (programmers' choice)
- Best Victoria Next Gen Short (programmers' choice)
- Critics' Choice
There will also be an audience award for the short film programme.

Prizes will be announced soon and will be in the area of future production assistance. In the past, prizes have included post production services at Soundfirm Post Production and Post Lab.IO, equipment from Blackmagic Design, WIFT Victoria memberships, and cash prizes.

Rules & Terms

Submission is open to short films (20 mins max duration including credits) and web series that have been completed after January 1, 2021. Note that we can only screen one episode of a web/digital series in venues.

We welcome narrative films, documentaries, animations, music videos, web series, and experimental films. Works-in-progress and feature-length films are not accepted.

In order for a film to be eligible, it must have a woman and/or gender diverse filmmaker in a key creative role (Producer, Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Editor, or Sound Designer/Composer) with priority given to creative teams of women and gender diverse filmmakers.

For entry into the Next Gen category, you must currently be studying an accredited screen, film or media production degree at a public or private university in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, or a wider island nation of Moana Oceania, or have graduated one of these programs in the last 12 months. The film submitted should have been made as a part of your studies. This will be indicated in your cover letter.

You must have all the necessary clearances in place for film festival exhibition and by submitting your film, we assume this is case.

Please ensure the following are provided as part of all submissions:
-A cover letter
-Synopsis of the film in both short (50 words) and long (150 words) versions
-Full cast and credits list
-Director’s biography (under 100 words) AND filmography
-3 different stills from the film (at least 300 dpi High Resolution)

Note:
Secure online screener is the preferred method of submission.

If you have any questions about this application, or would like to submit it in an alternative format, we encourage you to contact us via email at info@mwff.org.au.

All entries with dialogue not in the English language must be subtitled in English. We also welcome films with audio description and closed or open captions.

Fees will not be reimbursed for films not selected for the festival.

Fees are inclusive of GST.

PLEASE NOTE: Fee waivers are available for First Nations, Pasifika, transgender and gender diverse filmmakers, and Disabled filmmakers. Please email info@mwff.org.au for further details.

28 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Lily Lunder & Koko Crozier

    Such an incredible festival & team, and an honour to be a part of this year! The selection of films was amazing - so diverse, entertaining, uplifting and powerful. Really excited to see what's next for the 10th edition of MWFF!

    April 2025
    Helpful
  • GPOY Productions

    What a joy to be a part of Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2025. Superbly organised and programmed, with opportunities for networking and education alongside the screenings.

    It's clear the team behind MWFF really believe in promoting and uplifting women in film.

    April 2025
    Helpful
  • Meisha Lowe

    Melbourne Women in Film Festival was so beautifully and consciously run. I flew down from Sydney for the screening and the whole team were so gracious, wonderful communicators and welcoming throughout the whole process. My short doc ‘Reel Equality’ was apart of the ‘Next Gen’ line up and the whole festival focused beautifully on inclusivity and representation. I also met some other wonderful filmmakers at the opening night. Overall a really positive experience and I really appreciate how professionally the team ran everything from our first emails to the festival itself. I can’t wait to come back next year for the 10th festival!

    March 2025
    Helpful
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    We can't wait to have you back, Meisha!! Thank you for making the trip and sharing your film with us.

  • Libby Witheford-Smith

    Absolutely fantastic festival. Great networking opportunities, yum food at opening night and awards night, and such a supportive vibe from everybody there. The volunteers are a wonderful team, as are the organisers. Thank you so much MWFF for having Taurewarewa this year in 2025, and Old Haunt in 2024. ...We hope to be back!

    March 2025
    Helpful
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    It was wonderful to have you visit us again, Libby, and with such a beautiful film. We hope to see you again soon!

  • Holly Groves

    A beautiful and empowering festival. I travelled over from Aotearoa to attend this festival and it was the best decision I could've made. I met so many lovely people, the team at MWFF helped me with any questions I had and are very welcoming. I highly recommend going to this fest if you ever get the chance. I look forward to what's to come in the future.

    March 2025
    Helpful
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Hi Holly! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. We loved your film and meeting you and your family at the festival. We hope our paths cross again.