Since 2008, CinefestOZ has captivated the South West and West Australia with an exciting line-up of premiere screenings, immersive Q+A events and short film sets. The festival also shines through its community-focused initiatives, including the free Deadly Days, the inspiring Cinesnaps School Program, and the enriching Industry Program. CinefestOZ has consolidated its position as the premiere destination film festival in Australia with record numbers of high calibre film guests and a sensational line-up of new Australian films.

At the heart of the festival is the prestigious $100,000 Film Prize, the largest cash prize in the country dedicated to Australian feature films. Awarded by a high- profile Jury of Industry experts, the prestigious Film Prize acknowledges excellence in the art of filmmaking.

Awards & Prizes

The CinefestOZ Film Prize:
Cash prize of $100,000. Films entered into the prize must screen in Western Australian for the first time and be accompanied at the festival by their producer, director and key actors. Each finalist film is showcased at a red carpet screening and discussed at a post-screening event. The winner is announced on the Saturday night of the festival at an event attended by all key festival guests and VIPs. A maximum of five films are selected as finalists in the Film Prize.

The Film Prize Jury is responsible for selecting the winning film. This group attends each one of the films’ screenings. A prominent Chair leads the Film Prize Jury each year. Past Jury Chairs include Richard Roxburgh, Bruce Beresford, Nadia Tass, David Wenham, Gillian Armstrong, Scott Hicks, Sigrid Thornton and Rachel Ward. Subsequent jury members are selected from Australian or International alumni and are recognised leaders in their film field.

Short Film Awards:
The prizes and awards being presented as part of the Short Film Competition include:
CinefestOZ Short Film Prize – $5,000*
CinefestOZ Indigenous Best Short Film – $2,500
CineWest Best WA Short Film – $2,500
Inclusion Award
Best Director
Best Lead Actor
Best Screenwriter

Best Music Video - cash prize and more!

Rules & Terms

FILM PRIZE SUBMISSION T+C
OFFICIAL SELECTION SUBMISSION T+C
SHORT FILM SUBMISSION T+C
MUSIC VIDEO SUBMISSIONS T+C
OUT OF THE BOX SUBMISSION T+C
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Films must not have screened in WA prior to CinefestOZ.

CinefestOZ mission is to use the medium of screen to entertain, inform, inspire and educate. We present festivals that celebrate and explore screen culture with unique programs of screenings and special events that showcase the regions in which they are presented. We champion the significant role that First Nations stories deliver throughout communities by providing a platform of self-determination. We raise the profile of screen culture for current and future practitioners by offering industry programs and creating career pathways.

The festival is comprised of the following submission categories:
Film Prize Selection: The Film Prize brings to the festival Australian Film Content and filmmakers of international repute, including a Film Prize jury made up of five national and international filmmakers. The winner is awarded $100,000 AUD.
Official Selection (Film and Documentary): CinefestOZ presents a diverse range of Australian and French screen content, celebrating storytelling.
Short Film Selection: Screenings of specially curated short film sets are played across Busselton, Margaret River and Bunbury.
a) Short Film Awards: The prizes and awards being presented are: CinefestOZ Short Film Prize – $5,000 (Must be a WA Premiere)
i) CinefestOZ Indigenous Best Short Film – $2,500 (Must be a WA Premiere)
ii) CineWest Best WA Short Film – $2,500 (Must be a WA Premiere)
iii) Inclusion Award
iv) Best Director
v) Best Lead Actor
vi) Best Screenwriter
Music Video: Visual projects that accompany the release of music, submitted for the purpose of being considered for Best Music Video.
Out of the Box: This category is open to all other screen-based storytelling, including innovative works that utilise elements beyond traditional media. These works may include VR, MR, and AR projects for various platforms, media installations, live performances, or a combination of those formats. There is no limitation as to the length of the work. This category also includes web and tv series.

ELIGIBILITY
Projects must be Australian and must meet the Significant Australian Content (SAC) requirements and CinefestOZ reserves the right to ask for documented proof of qualification.
Projects must not have played elsewhere in Western Australia.
A feature film is only eligible for entry if it is a minimum of 75 minutes in length
To be eligible for entry, a short film mustn’t exceed 40 minutes in length
For detailed terms and conditions for each submission category, please refer to the links above.

4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Rhys Ellis

    The communication from the festival team was really great! We attended the conference at the festival and made a lot of new connections. The awards ceremony was also really fun!

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • William Qoro

    We were ecstatic to premiere 'Riptide' at CinefestOz 2025 in the 'Le Grand Bleu' short film set. The festival was terrific and the organisers couldn't be more welcoming.

    September 2025
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  • Michelle orpe

    We were delighted to have our short horror film 'Sidewinder Avenue' screened at CinefestOZ, the event was wonderful, a selection of fantastic deadly shorts shown in a spookily decorated funeral home, the staff had created so much detail including coffin shaped cookies, spooky lighting, a real coffin (didn't look inside) and dressed up staff, it couldn't have been better. Four of us attended from the film and we were blown away by the whole festival – truly the best festival I’ve ever attended. From the very beginning, the communication was excellent and the staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The industry program was exceptionally valuable, with panels and talks that were both insightful and inspiring and all the professionals attended the daily networking drinks and were very welcoming and happy to say hello and have a chat, exactly what we went there for. What stood out most was how genuinely supportive everyone was of our journey and projects. The red beret volunteers were so happy and welcoming and hard working. The glitzy gala at the end was a fantastic night and to see 'Songs Inside' win the $100k prize was awesome. The red carpet film premieres and Q&A's were all brilliant.

    Western Australia really is the friendliest place to visit, well done and thank you to all the organisers and volunteers, I honestly cannot wait to come back next year.

    September 2025
    Helpful
  • Matthew Keisoglu

    Thanks to Cinefest OZ for selecting When Dogs Bark for their ‘Horror in the Viewing Room’ event in Busselton, WA—an absolutely fantastic festival experience run by passionate folks!

    September 2025
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