The most unique film festivals across Australia

Mckenna UhdeBy Mckenna Uhde
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Whether you love oceans or mountains, are curious about Korean cinema or want to learn more about Indigenous cultures in the Northern Territory, there’s a film festival out there for you. Here’s our lowdown.

When it comes to the film festival circuit in Australia, we all know to visit the old standbys – Sydney Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival and Melbourne International come to mind. But what about more niche or themed festivals, where you can delight in your favourite styles and genres for an entire week straight?
Luckily for you, we’ve compiled some of the most unique film festivals across Australia.
Surely one of these will tickle your film-loving fancy.

Sydney Underground Film Festival

Sydney, NSW

This unconventional film festival held at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville premiers unique independent films that push the limits of filmmaking. For four days, watch a line-up of movies devoted to renewing local interest in experimental film as a part of an international underground film culture.

 

This year’s festival, held in September, took viewers on a journey of intriguing and inspiring works of film, closing its final night with Nicholas Cage’s bloody and harrowing performance in Mandy.
Sydney Underground has become the perfect place for unconventional film-lovers to gather and celebrate the strange and eccentric side of the film world.
For 2019 details, head to the Sydney Underground Film Festival website.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival

Australia tour dates and locations TBA

For all the adrenaline-junkies out there, make sure to catch the Banff Mountain Film Festival as it makes a pit stop in Australia along its international tour, showcasing the best of mountain adventure film.

 

This unique film festival has been running since 1976 with 375 films entered annually, ranging in topics from remote landscapes and cultures to adrenaline-packed action sport.
The festival is held every November in Banff, Canada where 300 films are shown over the course of a week.
Two hours of award-winning content is then chosen to tour 35 countries, with the festival gracing Australian screens throughout April, May and June.

SF3 SmartFone Flick Fest

Sydney, NSW

Inside the Smartfone Flick Fest.

If you’re looking for a challenge when it comes to filmmaking, this one-of-a-kind festival gets creative with some unusual submission parameters.
At the SF3 SmartFone Flick Fest , every film submitted must only being shot on a smartphone or tablet and cannot be more than six and a half minutes in length. Perfect for the short attention span.

 

This festival offers a variety of masterclasses alongside the film premiers and makes for an exciting and one-of-a-kind event. It’s the place for film lovers to experience the future of technology and its partnership with top-notch filmmaking.

Cradle Mountain Film Festival

Cradle Mountain, Tas

In its fifth year, Cradle Mountain Film Festival showcases some of the best mountain film from around the world. Created by the Cradle Mountain Canyons , an adventure tourism group, the CMFF aims to engage viewers through the power of art and film as well as offer an insight into the Tasmanian mountainside.

 

This event wants visitors to experience filmmaking second to mountaineering. Enjoy the self-guided Mountain Huts Film Trail, canyoning, yoga and cold water therapy in addition to family-friendly mountain films in the Forest Yurt Cinema. The next edition runs from 29–31 March 2019.

Korean Film Festival in Australia

Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane

A glimpse into the Korean Film Festival in Australia.

The Korean Film Festival will be hitting Australia for the 10th year in 2019, showcasing the latest Korean filmmaking along its Australian tour.
Korean Film Festival strives to reach Australian audiences through universal themes and genres, with 22 films and special guests throughout the four locations.
Visiting Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane, the festival offers a vibrant selection of films sure to delight fans of Korean culture as well as introduce Korean cinema to a broader Australian demographic.

 

Showcasing indie flicks, rom-coms and more, the festival schedule never disappoints and offers a unique experience that will take you on a journey – you’ll forget you’re even in Oz.

Tasmania Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival

Launceston, Tas

Held in May and the only annual film festival in the region, the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival brings over 30 award-winning films and documentaries from across the world to Launceston.
The four-day festival strives to create a community experience featuring the best of local food, wine and film.

 

Expect a variety of films from a number of unique categories such as Stories of Us showcasing Tasmanian and Australian stories, Eat/Drink/Live featuring fine food, wine and sustainable living, and Call of the Wild telling stories of extreme adventures in the mountains, sea and air. These stories are viewed on the big screen while enjoying the best of Tasmania dining at this experiential film event.

Environmental Film Festival Australia

Melbourne, Vic

The Environmental Film Festival Australia entertains Victorian audiences each year in October with films traversing the relationship between humans and their environment, in an effort to raise awareness for environmental issues around the world.

 

This festival challenges viewers to reflect on the natural world and discuss positive change, by partnering inspirational filmmaking with panel discussions and debates.
Australia has some of the most distinct and stunning natural environments in the world, thus making the perfect location for an environmentalist platform.
Viewers are encouraged to take what they learn from these events and try to make small differences each day toward sustainability. You will visit this captivating event as a viewer and leave motivated to make change.

Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival

Sydney, NSW

Sydney is known for its iconic Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and this film festival fits appropriately into the week’s LGBTIQ pride festivities, running each year in autumn as part of the city-wide celebration.

 

Celebrating its 25th year in 2018, Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival showcases queer filmmakers and artists who share the diversity of sexualities and gender identities on screen.
This annual festival reflects the greater Mardi Gras theme as an eccentric and colourful installation into one of Sydney’s biggest events.
Experience Mardi Gras with inspiring tales of diversity by some of Australia’s best filmmakers.

Human Rights Arts & Film Festival

Melbourne, Vic; Launceston, Tas; Canberra, ACT

The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival , a not-for-profit arts organisation, stands out for its seamless incorporation of human rights into the film industry.
This annual event held in May and June explores diverse and inspiring Australian human stories through film, art, music and forums.
Films shown this year included a multi-generational family fighting for Indigenous rights, and the inspiring story of OzHarvest CEO Ronni Kahn and her latest crusade.
The festival aims to engage audiences of all ages with social justice and human rights issues, with the help of local and national artists. It’s an art and film frenzy with a wonderful message.

Fleurieu Film Festival

McLaren Vale, SA

The incredible Fleurieu Film Festival.

With all the excitement around feature film festivals, we often forget to celebrate short film. Luckily, the Fleurieu Film Festival , held next on 9 February 2019, does just that.
Though still in its early years, the short film celebration has become immensely popular for its chosen films as well as its community-feel.

 

The festival provides a relaxing experience set at the Serafino Winery where food, drink and entertainment go hand-in-hand.
Awards and screening nights offer award-winning wines and dinner included with your ticket overlooking the distant South Australian hillside – the ideal way to experience short film.

Ocean Film Festival Australia

Every state and most major cities

The awe-inspiring Ocean Film Festival.

The Ocean Film Festival Australia tour makes sure to hit nearly every major city in Australia, advocating for our oceans’ protection.
This inspiring festival shares stories of exploration and education with over two hours of inspirational and entertaining ocean-related content.
Both Australian and international filmmakers are showcased each year in March covering a range of topics including oceanic environment, marine creatures, ocean related sports, coastal cultures and ocean-lovers.

 

This is the perfect festival for nature-lovers and advocates, as well as those who yearn to learn a little bit more about our incredible oceans.

Travelling Film Festival

NT, QLD, NSW

Following years of success at the Darwin International Film Festival, a platform has now been created by the Darwin Film Society to showcase inspiring film work exclusively out of the Northern Territory.

 

Hitting 18 towns nationwide, the Travelling Film Festival aims to share stories from the Northern Territory with the rest of Australia.
This event enhances the diverse culture of the local community through alternative feature filmmaking, much of which comes from regional and remote NT.
The Darwin Film Society has created a truly unique film experience encapsulating what it means to be a part of the Northern Territory.

Mckenna Uhde
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8 of Australia’s ultimate road trips

    Riley WilsonBy Riley Wilson
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    From the Kimberley to Cape York, explore Australia’s epic and varied landscapes on curated and all-inclusive, intimate adventures via custom-built all-terrain coaches with Outback Spirit.

    From the tip of the Northern Territory to the rugged coast of the country’s southernmost point, Australia is a continent ripe with diverse and distinct adventures that are captivating and inspiring in equal measure. Luckily, so many of them are accessible by car with epic road trips that showcase the journey as much as the destination. With Outback Spirit, the award-winning and eco-certified tour operator from leading experiential tourism group Journey Beyond, the road less travelled – accessible in custom-built all-terrain coaches chaperoned by expert local guides – is the only way to go.

    From the dramatic jewels of the Kimberley in Western Australia to the remote stretches of Savannah Way in the country’s far north, Outback Spirit does all the hard work on all-inclusive, small-group tours that pause at an exclusive network of lodges and safari camps – so you can just enjoy the ride.

    1. The Kimberley

    With an otherworldly ambience that must be experienced to be understood, the Kimberley is a cornucopia of breathtaking cliffs, stunning gorges and exceptional waterways. A highlight of the 13-day Jewels of the Kimberley adventure is the spectacular 18-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles. You’ll encounter a bounty of new perspectives elsewhere, too, between the astounding cruise through the Attenborough-approved Buccaneer Archipelago, humbling walks beneath ancient rock drawings, and evenings spent in the comfort of Outback Spirit’s exclusive-use, well-appointed Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.

    Ngauwudu Safari Camp
    Relax in Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.

    2. Arnhem Land

    The Traditional Lands of the Yolngu People reach into your heart and stay there. Outback Spirit’s 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife tour was conceived in extensive consultation with Traditional Owners to guarantee a true immersion in Country. Explore the world’s largest outdoor rock art gallery; try your luck catching a metre-long barramundi; and discover pristine ecosystems from freshwater swamps to rocky escarpments. Relax each night in comfortable lodges exclusive to Outback Spirit, including the iconic Seven Spirit Bay Resort. Here, sophisticated luxury villas are perched on the bay’s edge overlooking clear, turquoise waters of Coral Bay.

    Seven Spirit Bay in arnhem land
    Enjoy the views at Seven Spirit Bay Resort.

    3. Cape York

    Travelling from Cairns to Cape York and back over 13 days, the small-group Cape York Wilderness Adventure tour runs from May to September, with unparalleled access to stunning sacred destinations and vibrant experiences on Thursday, Horn and Friday islands in the Torres Strait. The World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest is a star of the expedition, with the exclusive guided Dreamtime Gorge Walk with a Kuku Yulanji elder taking place beneath lush ferns, with the commanding rumble of Mossman Gorge in the distance.

    tour guide at Mossman Gorge
    Join the Dreamtime Gorge Walk. (Image: TEQ)

    4. Margaret River

    The nine-day Margaret River & Rottnest Discovery highlights fine wine, great food, art, music and local produce at Leeuwin Estate on the vineyard-packed banks of the Margaret River, pausing to explore the ancient underground caves and towering Karri timber forests. Start the journey with a ride on the iconic Indian Pacific and pop to Rottnest Island on the tail-end of the trip, with 10,000 quokkas to befriend and 63 gorgeous beaches to explore before lunch. With bubbles included, of course.

    food and wine at Leeuwin Estate
    Treat your tastebuds at Leeuwin Estate. (Image: Tourism WA)

    5. Savannah Way

    On this 15-day Leichhardt’s Savannah Expedition , Outback Spirit’s custom all-terrain Mercedes-Benz coaches cross two states from Cairns to Darwin. After visiting the most northerly camp of the Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860/61 and visiting the see-it-to-believe-it Millaa Millaa Falls (refreshing swim optional!), you’ll indulge in three nights at the million-acre Lorella Springs Station, a sunset dinner cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria and a dip in warmed thermal pools in the middle of the wilderness.

    aerial of Millaa Millaa Falls
    Dive into Millaa Millaa Falls. (Image: TEQ)

    6. Central Australia

    The captivating splendour of Uluru is the central focus of the eight-day Red Centre Explorer tour, which includes Alice Springs and Kings Canyon among its stops. Hosted on the sacred lands of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Anangu, this itinerary is grounded in the landscape, with visits to the critically acclaimed Field of Light installation, a multi-course dinner under the stars at Ayers Rock Resort, and a didgeridoo performance to accompany bush-tucker-packed snacks all within the shadow of the sacred geological site. Awaken early for a sunrise over the pindan plateau, the image of which will remain in your memory for a lifetime to come.

    two people in front of the field of light
    Marvel at the Field of Light installation (Image: Tourism NT/ Lola and Jira/ Uluru Kata-Tjuta NP)

    7. Flinders Ranges

    The remote South Australian landscape is your playground on the 11-day Outback South Australia tour, which takes in the sights (including Wilpena Pound and beloved Lake Eyre), sounds and flavours of the ‘festival’ state. At Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, cosmos chasers will enjoy a tour of the stars at the accredited onsite astronomical observatory as endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies bounce in the dark. The next day, guests will take to open-air 4WDs with expert guides for the Ridgetop Tour to explore the breathtaking, unique 1600-million-year-old landscape within the Flinders Ranges.

    mist around Wilpena Pound in flinders ranges
    See the impressive Wilpena Pound. (Image: Emile Ristevski)

    8. Tasmania

    Take in stunning views from Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (or, afterwards, from the comfort of Cradle Mountain Lodge) on the 12-day curated Tasmanian Wilderness Explorer itinerary. Taste the incredible food on Bruny Island and wander Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Traverse the glacial-formed Dove Lake on a 5.7-kilometre hike; soak up sombre history at Port Arthur; and pose with penguins in Penguin before settling in for the night at Outback Spirit’s suite of exclusive partner lodges.

    Wineglass Bay in tasmania
    See the spectacular Wineglass Bay. (Image: Chad Dewson)

    Find your Outback Spirit with the 2026 season. Book now to receive Earlybird savings up to $2200 per person at outbackspirittours.com.au .