Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival is the biggest short film festival in regional Australia with over 100 short films, events and panels over four days in Gympie, Queensland.

Celebrated as ‘triumphant’ by Australia’s ScreenHub, our festival is dedicated to inspiring and connecting audiences through short films that champion the richness of the human spirit. The small town of Gympie comes alive with film lovers from far and wide every year in a joyous celebration of storytelling.

Heart of Gold lovingly curates sessions of short films from all genres that best capture our vision to screen films that are heart-warming, thought-provoking and entertaining. The films can be edgy, they can be groundbreaking and they can be downright hilarious – as long as they beat with a good, strong heart.

The festival glows with a widely-renowned mix of country hospitality and global ideas—offering hospitality to visiting filmmakers, engaging conversations with interviewers and locals, and plenty of opportunity to mingle with filmmakers, speakers, hosts and locals at the festival’s own Gold Bar.

We love our filmmakers in attendance and if your film is selected for our program all effort is given to allow you the time to introduce, and discuss your film in front of a live audience.

Our unique selection process involves submitted films being viewed by multiple community screener groups across Queensland, whose feedback informs selection for the Festival program. This inclusive process catches niche gems and represents a broader spectrum of film taste.

In 2026 we celebrate 20 years of Heart of Gold and we look forward to sharing a great Festival program and associated events with the screen industry and community.

‘Heart of Gold is a rare festival, in that its remit is focused but also their quality of content that they screen is stellar.’ (Festival Formula)

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival strongly encourages submissions from filmmakers who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, female, LGBTQIA+, living with a disability, regionally based and culturally and linguistically diverse.

Awards & Prizes

Films selected for the 2026 program will be eligible for a number of awards which this year includes:
Best International Short Film $1,500
Best Australian Short Film $1,500
Best Queensland Short Film $1,500
Best Documentary Short Film $500
Best Animation Short Film $500
Best Comedy Short Film $500
Best Secondary Student Short Film $500 (free entry)
Screener’s Pick Award $500
Audience Choice Award $500

Rules & Terms

1. Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival is open to all film genres and films from all countries. However, film content should be in line with the festival’s ethos and vision. We are seeking films that are: positive, hilarious, witty, whimsical, nourishing, well-crafted, inspiring, thought-provoking, entertaining, joyous, uplifting, quirky, enlightening, ground breaking.

If you are unsure of eligibility, please contact program@heartofgold.com.au

2. The producer grants the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival the rights to exhibit the film at the 2026 Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival and associated events conducted by the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival.

3. The producer warrants to the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival that they have obtained all the necessary permissions to enter this film and that the film does not infringe the rights, including copyright, of any third party. This includes the use of music and literary material (i.e. if your film is based on a novel or poem).

4.Entries will not be considered valid until the entry fee has been paid in full. The entry fee is non-refundable.

5.Stills of selected films may also be shown on the Festival website and social media platforms, and publicity/promo material including press releases, festival brochures and other materials.

6. All films screened at Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival must have been completed within three years of the entry closing date.

7. Entries cannot be withdrawn after submission.

8. If your film is selected for the competition you will be notified prior to the Festival via the email address supplied in the submission.

9. Materials submitted in the initial entry process will not be returned.

10. Films in languages other than English must be supplied with English subtitles.

11. The Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival will only screen productions finished as a high-resolution Apple ProRes, H.264 or MP4 digital file (the following codecs will NOT be accepted FLV, WMV, AVI, or any low res files). Please also ensure your films are supplied with a stereo mix only and not a Dolby 5.1 mix) To ensure your entry is screened correctly, you must also include ratio details (e.g. 1920 x 1080).

12. Your film may be considered for a prize in an amount, and judged in a manner, at the Festival’s discretion. Films may be screened without the producer winning a prize or award. The producer is not entitled to compensation for the screening of their film at the festival.

13. By submitting your project, you acknowledge that the Festival will not pay to present your work.

14. All Festival scheduling is purely at the discretion of the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival staff and Board.

Please note: BY ENTERING A FILM IN THIS FESTIVAL YOU AGREE TO THE ABOVE TERMS.

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival does not require premiere status for your film, however other festivals do and we strongly encourage you to plan your festival submissions to account for this.

Contact program@heartofgold.com.au with any concerns.
29 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • The Hansils

    We're very proud to have been chosen for Heart of Gold, and equally bummed we couldn't make it in person. Clear communication and everything was made easy, we just couldn't splash for the flight to Australia. Next time we hope to y'all in person!

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • Melle Windig

    Thank you so much for screening Cell Buddies at your festival and even taking it on your tour! We are honored to be part of your program. It’s been an incredible year for this student film, traveling to over 40 countries. We’ve seen that audiences worldwide really connect with the story, and we hope your audience enjoyed the screening as much as we enjoyed being part of your event. Thanks for supporting independent stop motion animation.

    April 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you, and congratulations on your amazing success!

  • Paul Kerr

    An honour and a privilege to be nominated for Best Emerging Director at Heart of Gold! My heart was in Queensland, Australia for this one, even if my body couldn't make it. -Paul (Director of Teddy on the Edge)

    April 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Teddy is a lovely story, thanks for submitting your film to our Festival and we look forward to seeing more of your work!

  • Travis Jeffery

    We were over the moon to play at the beautiful Heart of Gold International Film Festival! The name says it all - from start to finish the communication, the team and the support was excellent. We were stoked to play in such a great line up, thank you for having us! Would highly recommended.

    November 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks Travis! Loved sharing your film with our audience and look forward to more!

  • Daniel Jeppesen-Field

    So much fun! Great venues, filmmaker networking/activities and awesome community vibe.

    November 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We loved hosting you Daniel, and hope to see you again in 2026!