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Fleurieu Film Festival 2026

PROGRAM


Join us for an evening of short films and big stories, under the stars on the McLaren Vale Visitor Centre lawns on Saturday, 7 February.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

4:30 PM - Event start. Free wine tasting from Brash Higgins Wines, our first ever Fleurieu Film Festival Education Hub (with information and opportunities from our education sponsors), free face painting from Face Painting by Kirsti, and food trucks open.

4:50 PM - Welcome from Fleurieu Film Festival Director

5:00 PM - Entertainment from Onkaparinga Harmony Chorus

5:30 PM - Introductions & Family-friendly film screening (30 minutes)

  • Let’s Live for Tonight (SA, Australia)

  • Ella’s Urban Canvas (SA, Australia)

  • Today I Lived (SA, Australia)

  • Unpacked (SA, Australia)

  • james is dead (SA, Australia)

  • Wishes: Windows & Nests (SA, Australia)

6:20 PM - Best High School Film award presentation


6:30 PM - Entertainment from Onkaparinga City Concert Band

7:30 PM - 2nd film screening session (1 hour)

  • Hypothetically, the End (SA, Australia)

  • The Spaces Between (SA, Australia)

  • Tight Corners (SA, Australia)

  • Rapid BAY – The Town That Was (SA, Australia)

  • Items Objects and Things (SA, Australia)

  • Algal Doom (SA, Australia)

  • Adas Falasteen (Palestine - Winner, Best International Short Film)

  • I’d Do Anything – Music Video (SA, Australia)

  • A Million Lives (SA, Australia)

  • Verge Collection (WA, Australia) 


8:40 PM - Intermission


8:50 PM - Awards Presentation

9:30 PM - Event end



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About Our Films

We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the Fleurieu Film Festival 2026. This year’s selection showcases an outstanding collection of short films from emerging and established filmmakers, spanning bold storytelling, fresh perspectives and incredible creativity from South Australia and beyond. We are incredibly proud of the diverse and inspiring lineup selected for this year’s festival.

All finalists will be screened at the festival with the exception of the Best International Short Film category, of which we will screen the winner. 

A Million Lives

Psychological drama, Drama, Sci-Fi (South Australia)

A dejected man anxiously approaches a payphone to reach out for some guidance... from himself.

Director: Dante Julian Niedzwiedz

Adas Falasteen 

Documentary (Palestine)

"Palestine Lentils" is a documentary film that tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.


Winner, Best International Short Film, Fleurieu Film Festival 2026


Director: Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini & Samar Taher Lulu

Algal Doom 

Experimental (South Australia)

Inspired by the ongoing algal bloom crisis plaguing the beaches of South Australia, this stylised thriller features a paranoid man who encounters a strange foam.


Director: Robert Jurant

Ella's Urban Canvas

Documentary (South Australia)

Documentary about a young stobie pole artist in South Australia.


Director: Giorgia Murphy & Amelie Baldock

Hypothetically, The End

Comedy, Thriller (South Australia)

Nothing screams romance like impending doom!

On the brink of the Y2K bug scare, two best friends scramble to get married in the last 5 minutes of 1999 with the help of their eccentric friend.


Director: Lily Drummond

I'd Do Anything

Music Video (South Australia)

"I'd Do Anything" by Amy Grace is an Adelaide produced pop single about the overwhelming, obsessive nature of teenage love. The music video takes you on a journey with Amy, depicting the progression of a close friendship.


Director: Anisa Raisi

Items, Objects and Things

Drama, Comedy (South Australia)

A young woman reflects on her family's strange inherited illness.

Director: Kristoffer Lucia

james is dead

Drama, High School Student Film (South Australia)

James has died, before he can move onto the afterlife he has one final tour of his hometown, to reflect on how he spent his life.

Director: Jacob McLean

Let's Live for Tonight

Drama, Comedy, High School Student Film (South Australia)

Two brothers have one last night together before the older brother, Hamish, is making a big move away to start a new chapter. Angus, the younger brother, has a hard time accepting the fact that he's moving away and has one last memorable night.

Director: Chase Bradshaw

Rapid BAY - The Town That Was

Documentary (South Australia)

Located on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, Rapid Bay is a popular camping and tourist destination. But since the closing of the Quarry in 1991, Rapid Bay remains a shell of the mining town it once was....

Director: Joshua Buscumb Vance

The Space Between

Documentary (South Australia)

The Spaces Between explores the experiences of New Zealand-born, Indigenous Hip Hop Artist and Producer Elisha James Umuhuri as he travels beyond the APY Lands and into the dominant culture he must navigate to bring his music and its message to a wider audience. Elisha is a founding member of the internationally renowned South Australian Hip Hop group Dem Mob and a proud Pitjantjatjara / Yankunytjatjara man.

Director: Eoghan B O'Neill

Tight Corners

Drama, Slice of Life (South Australia)

Friends, Sarah and Lily, debate the ethics of running a red light while waiting at one. Tensions are high as the two test each other’s morals. As rogue Sarah challenges her friend’s conformity, Lily’s faith in being virtuous is tested. Rules are broken, arguments are had, and friendships are strengthened.

Director: Sukhbir Singh Gill

Today I Lived

Fantasy, Drama (South Australia)

At the bridge between life and death, Steff is offered one final gift: a single, random day to relive. As she moves through familiar moments with new eyes, a realisation hits her as she begins to understand the beauty in the ordinary.

Director: Ada Skalonja & Yas Rboub

Unpacked

Drama, High School Student Film (South Australia)

A tired mum, desperate to reconnect with her angsty teenage daughter, plans a holiday to Lucky Bay but nothing seems to go right.

Director: Lucas Raponi

Verge Collection

Documentary (Western Australia)

In the suburban streets of Australia, discarded possessions find refuge on the verge. These belongings still hold stories.

Director: Nicholas Verryn

Unpacked

Drama, High School Student Film (South Australia)

A tired mum, desperate to reconnect with her angsty teenage daughter, plans a holiday to Lucky Bay but nothing seems to go right.

Director: Lucas Raponi

Wishes: Windows & Nests

Animation, Fantasy (South Australia)

Inside every one of us there’s a box of wishes. Most have our name on them... But the most powerful wishes, are those that lie in our hearts but belong to someone else. Whenever you want something good to happen to someone else, pay attention... a Guardian may help you make that wish come true.

One rainy day, when Lulú notices that birds can’t make their nests in the city because of the spikes that line the buildings, she conjures her magical and slightly clumsy, Guardian-creature Kino. Together, they explore solutions in her surreal inner-world.

But although things don't always go as planned, they discover that small acts of kindness can go a long way in changing the world.

Director: Ana Maria Mendez Salgado

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy tickets at the door?

While we strongly recommend buying your tickets in advance online, yes - tickets can be purchased at the door via card from one of our friendly Box Office volunteers!

Are there discounted tickets available?

Yes, we offer concessionally priced tickets for students and seniors. Tickets for children aged 12-18 are discounted and children under the age of 12 are able to attend free of cost.

Is the Festival Family-Friendly?

Yes! We are excited to introduce a family-friendly program at the start of our event. Kicking off at 4:30 pm, we will have free face painting available, live musical entertainment, food trucks, our first ever Fleurieu Film Festival Education Hub (read more about this above), free wine tasting (for the parents and adults!), and family-friendly films screening from 5:30 pm. While families are more than welcome to stay for the full event, we cannot guarantee the suitability of our evening films for all ages. We will provide more details about content in our official program.

What seating is Available?

Chairs and tables are available on the lawns and under the Visitor Centre pergola. You may also wish to bring a picnic blanket or camping chair!

Is the venue accessible?

McLaren Vale Visitor Centre is fully wheelchair accessible throughout the building and has accessible bathrooms and parking spaces in the main car park. Please note our screen, food trucks and wine tasting area will be set up on the back lawns, however seating will be available under the pergola which is paved. If you have questions about accessibility, please email us at [email protected]

Is parking available?

Parking is available in the paddock across the road from the Visitor Centre. The Lions Club is kindly managing our parking for the festival for a gold coin donation - card payment is also available. Accessible parks are also available in the Visitor Centre car park.

Can I bring my own food & Drinks?

You may bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, however all alcohol must be purchased at the McLaren Vale Visitor Centre bar and consumed onsite. If you don't feel like packing your own picnic, you're in luck - we will have a number of delicious food trucks available onsite in addition to snacks, coffees and ice creams being available for purchase at the Visitor Centre. 

Can I bring my dog?

Furry friends are very welcome at the Fleurieu Film Festival! To ensure a great experience for everyone, please keep dogs on a lead at all times and be mindful to clean up after them.

Will the festival go ahead in poor weather?

If our event needs to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, we will notify ticket holders via the email address provided in your booking. You will also find information about event cancellation on our website and social media pages.

Shine Platinum Sponsors

Breaker Morant Gold Sponsors

Storm Boy Silver Sponsors

Red Dog Bronze Sponsors

The Fleurieu Film Festival is also supported by Ron and Laura Fell