Australian XR Festival celebrates local Australian & Global creative talent, with a focus on Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Spatial Computing, Digital Art, Game Development, Creative AI and Animation. We are all about engaging the general public as well as bring the local & global industry together to collaborate and educate.

The Australian XR Festival 2023 will open in Melbourne, Australia on December 19th 2023 with public showcases December 19th - 21st at ACMI.

Tickets can be purchased via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/australian-xr-festival-70792270183

ACMI is Australia's national museum of screen culture, located in Fed Square, Melbourne.

Australian XR Festival Awards will be held December 21st 2023 from 6pm at ACMI, featuring each category listed on FilmFreeway as the content submitted will become the basis of the content for the festival which will be shown till the Australian XR Festival closes at the end of 21st December 2023.

Before Australian XR Festival starts we’re planning on having some warm up events! So, the earlier you submit, the more potential for your work to be screened!

As always, we welcome both local, Australian and International entries.

Australian XR Festival is brought to you by the Qld XR Festival Team.

Winners will be announced December 21st 2023 at ACMI in Melbourne, Australia and they will receive a beautiful crystal trophy!

If you're unable to accept your trophy in-person we will send it to you.

The content submitted for the awards will become the basis of the content for the Australian XR Festival.

Award Categories:
Best in Animation - All types of Animations including 3d, 2d, Stop Motion, Claymation, Experimental etc..
Best in Augmented Reality (AR) Movies / Experiences / Games / Art
Best in Augmented Reality (AR) Social Media Filters
Best in Creative AI - All types of creative AI generated content from art, animation to sound, if it was created using AI this is the category for you!
Best in Digital Art - All types of Digital Art including NFTs, AR, VR, Animations, Images, Audio, Digital Clothing etc. entries
Best in Gaming (All Formats) - All genres on Mobile platforms (Android & iOS), Console (X-Box Series X & One, PS 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch..) or Online (Web) or Mac or Windows PC
Best in Short Film- All genres/types of Web Series including Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Experimental etc.
Best Social Media Content Creator - Short form entertainment which includes vertical video
Best in Spatial Computing - Games, Experiences etc.
Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Interactive Immersive Experiences - Games, Experiences etc.
Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Passive Immersive Experiences - 180, 360 Film etc.

Special awards:
Best Melbourne produced project (across all categories)
Best Australian (outside of Melbourne) produced project (across all categories)
Best International produced project (across all categories)

Special awards will be judged from the submissions in the regular award categories, so your entry may qualify for one or more special awards entries.

If the festival is postponed or cancelled your submission will be considered for the next edition of the festival. Some of the events are weather dependent. Events including venues, dates and times are subject to change.
By submitting your work, you are granting us permission to use your work on platforms associated with the Australian XR Festival (e.g. Australian XR Festival website, Mobile App, VR app, AR experiences, social media etc.) as well as Australian XR Festival events. The festival has the right to use the publicity material (press books, posters, stills etc.) from selected submissions to promote the festival as well edit your work for a variety of reasons (type of audience, reduce run time etc.).
The Australian XR Festival is open to content of under 3 hours (although Games can last longer) and all genres and warmly welcomes all accepted creatives to attend. Except for content entered out of competition all content must not have screened before January 2020.
We strongly encourage electronic submission via FilmFreeway however if there is a physical element, please email us at hello@ausxrfestival.com to discuss.
Judging
Judging of your submission can take place at any time after your submission has been made, so make sure your submission is ready as we may judge it straight away.
Information for Content Creators:
Selected content creators will receive 2 tickets to their content screening. Further tickets for content creators will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. To gain entry please be aware some venues may have their own terms (e.g., age restriction etc.)
Except those out of the competition, all content selected for Australian XR Festival is in the running to be selected as nominees for awards in their appropriate categories as well as others such as Best Melbourne or Australian or Internationally produced.
Nominations will be announced before the festival opens December 19th 2023
More information is available at www.ausxrfestival.com if you have any specific queries about entry or terms and conditions, please email us at hello@ausxrfestival.com

* Best in Animation : Provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your works file via the submission form. Please email us hello@AUSxrfestival.com with any other additional details.

* Best in Augmented Reality (AR) Movies/Experiences/Games/Art entries: Please provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your installation package via the submission form. If your application is already on the Apple App Store or Google Play or another online store, please provide us a link to it (hello@AUSxrfestival.com) along with a promo code to allow us to download it free of charge. If it’s not yet published in an online store, please upload it to a secure location and email us (hello@AUSxrfestival.com) the link. Please label your file using your Tracking Number; Example for VR Application: AUSXRF-0001.apk; Example for 360° Video: AUSXRF-0001.mp4
Entries must use Apple ARKit or Google ARCore or WebAR or Adobe Aero. Please email hello@AUSxrfestival.com if your submission is not compatible and/or a different technology used before entering.

* Best in Augmented Reality (AR) Social Media Filters - Please include a link to your AR Filter (Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat, TikTok etc.) in your submission. You are welcome to submit filters of any theme that have been created using software such as Spark AR Studio, Lens Studio by Snap inc, Douyin Effect Creator, Effect House etc. Email us hello@AUSxrfestival.com if you have any further questions.

* Best in Creative AI (Artificial Intelligence) entries: Submissions in this category must be at least 70% created by AI (such as Midjourney, Open AI, DALL·E 2/DALLE, Google Collab, Craiyon and various other of types of Machine Learning tools etc..they can even be your own AI tools!), we do expect some editing etc. done by humans. Please provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your installation package and/or digital file via the submission form. If your application or file is already available on a store/marketplace, please provide us a link to it (hello@AUSxrfestival.com) along with a promo code to allow us to download it free of charge. If it’s not yet published in an online, please upload it to a secure location and email us (hello@AUSxrfestival.com) the link. Please label your file using your Tracking Number; Example for AI Application: AUSXRF-0001.exe; Example for AI 360° Video: AUSXRF-0001.mp4, AI Image:AUSXRF-0001.jpg

* Best in Digital Art - Where possible please provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your Digital Art / NFT (on Opensea, SuperRare, 1stDibs etc.) via the submission form or it’s not minted or is digital art please upload it to a secure location and email us hello@ausxrfestival.com with the details

* Best in Gaming entries: Please provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your installation package via the submission form. If your application is already on the Apple App Store or Google Play or another online store, please provide us a link to it (hello@ausxrfestival.com) along with a promo code to allow us to download it free of charge. If it’s not yet published in an online store, please upload it to a secure location and email us (hello@AUSxrfestival.com) the link. Please label your file using your Tracking Number; Example for Android Application: AUSXRF-0001.apk;
Entries must be either for Mobile platforms (Android & iOS), Console (XBox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch) or Online (Web) or Mac or Windows PC
Please email hello@ausxrfestival.com if your submission is not compatible with the platforms mentioned above and would like to use a different technology before entering.

* Best in Short Film : Provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your works file via the submission form. Please email us hello@ausxrfestival.com with any other additional details.

* Best Social Media Content Creator: Provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your works file via the submission form. Please email us hello@ausxrfestival.com with any other additional details.

* Best in Spatial Computing:
Please provide Qld XR Festival with a link to your installation package via the submission form. If your application is already on the App Store or another online store, please provide us a link to it (hello@qldxrfestival.com) along with a promo code to allow us to download it free of charge. If it’s not yet published in an online store, please upload it to a secure location and email us (hello@qldxrfestival.com) the link. Please label your file using your Tracking Number; Example for VR Application: QLDXRF-0001.apk; Example for 360° Video: QLDXRF-0001.mp4. Best in Spatial Computing must work on either the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3, Please email hello@qldxrfestival.com if your submission is not compatible and additional technology is needed before entering.

* Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Interactive Immersive Experiences:
Please provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your installation package via the submission form. If your application is already on the Oculus Store or another online store, please provide us a link to it (hello@ausxrfestival.com) along with a promo code to allow us to download it free of charge. If it’s not yet published in an online store, please upload it to a secure location and email us (hello@ausxrfestival.com) the link. Please label your file using your Tracking Number; Example for VR Application: AUSXRF-0001.apk; Example for 360° Video: AUSXRF-0001.mp4. Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Movies/Experiences/Games must work on either the Oculus Quest 2, HTC Vive or be compatible with Cardboard VR. Please email hello@ausxrfestival.com if your submission is not compatible and additional technology is needed before entering.

* Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Passive Immersive Experiences:
Please provide Australian XR Festival with a link to your installation package via the submission form. If your application is already on the Oculus Store or another online store, please provide us a link to it (hello@ausxrfestival.com) along with a promo code to allow us to download it free of charge. If it’s not yet published in an online store, please upload it to a secure location and email us (hello@ausxrfestival.com) the link. Please label your file using your Tracking Number; Example for VR Application: AUSXRF-0001.apk; Example for 360° Video: AUSXRF-0001.mp4. Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Movies/Experiences/Games must work on either the Oculus Quest 2, HTC Vive or Cardboard VR. Please email hello@ausxrfestival.com if your submission is not compatible and additional technology is needed before entering.

No screening fees will be paid. Not all winning films will be screened. The festival has the full right to select the films to be screened.
The festival supports the following video and audio file types:
**Video File Types: .mp4, .m4v, .3gp, .webm, .mkv, .wmv, .mov
**Audio File Types: .mp3, wav, and .aac
** Image File Type: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .svg
Intellectual Property, Legal Claims And Indemnities
(1) By submitting the story to Australian XR Festival, the Applicant and Story Owners (the “Submitting Parties”) hereby warrant and represent that: (i) the Story is wholly original and is not copied from and does not include any other work that is the subject of copyright or other protection, unless such work is in the public domain or the Submitting Parties have obtained any and all consents, releases, licenses, and other authorisations or waivers of any kind necessary for the inclusion or reproduction of any person, character, location, thing, trade-mark, sound recording, musical composition or other work in the Story; (ii) the Story does not defame any person or violate the common law or statutory rights, including, without limitation, the rights of privacy and publicity or any other right of any person; (iii) the Story is not the subject of litigation; nor any dispute which would give rise to litigation (iv) there are no agreements, nor will there be any agreements made subsequent to the date of this Story submission that would or could have the effect of impairing the Submitting Parties’ ability to provide the Story as contemplated herein, or otherwise conflict with any provision of these Terms; and (v) the Submitting Parties have the full right, power and authority to submit the Story to Australian XR Festival for Festival consideration, and to grant all of the rights granted hereunder and in the FilmFreeway registration form, and there is no obligation or disability which would in any way impair, restrict or impede the Submitting Parties from fully performing all obligations pursuant to the submission and these Terms.
(2) The Submitting Parties agree to indemnify and hold harmless Australian XR Festival, its licensees, successors and assigns, and its and their members, officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, representatives, associates and affiliates (each, a “Releasee”), from any claim, suit, action or other proceeding brought against a Releasee and from any losses, costs, or damages, including the Releasee’s full legal fees and costs, which it may have suffered or incurred or may suffer or incur, directly or indirectly based on, in connection with, or arising from the use and exhibition of the Story submitted by the Applicant or the breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty or other agreement made by the Applicant in these Terms, or in the Applicant’s FilmFreeway registration form.
(3) Australian XR Festival takes reasonable anti-piracy precautions. While in Australian XR Festival’s possession, all submissions are securely stored. Access to Stories is limited to Australian XR Festival staff, contractors, vendors, and other 3rd parties who require access in order to screen and/or consider submissions. By submitting a Story to Australian XR Festival, the Submitting Parties hereby release the Releasees from any and all liability in the event of theft, unauthorized access or copying, or any breach of copyright of the submitted Story while it is in Australian XR Festival’s possession.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • This is the best festival we've participated it, so far. Not because we won a trophy, but because of how they care about their style and their participants. Thumbs up!

    February 2024
  • Ronan LIOT

    Being a finalist in your festival on the other side of the world is a great honor for us. We are delighted to have been part of this experience and look forward to embarking on the journey again with our next film!

    January 2024
  • ReVerse Butcher

    Fabulous festival! We were thrilled to have a few artworks & projects featured — & we were humbled to win the “Best in Melbourne” award (across all categories) for “To Stop Time”. Working with Matt & team has been lovely, the communication has been great. They’ve been open minded, flexible, professional, organised, inclusive, & forward thinking.

    Can’t recommend the Australian XR Festival enough!

    January 2024
  • Working with Matt and the team was just wonderful! This is the Festival that will continue to grow in reputation as it evolves in the next few years. Grateful to have been nominated in 2021 and now to receive a VR award in 2023? What a huge honor! Thank you AUSTXR.

    December 2023
  • hilary campilan

    This festival was excellent. They went above and beyond expectations, when displaying our content. I was thrilled to see our animation on a huge screen the full height of a multi-story building, in the middle of the city. There were many social posts as well, highlighting our content. I was not able to attend the screening, as I live in a different city. The communication was wonderful too.

    December 2023