Returning for its 8th edition, the Sydney Short Film Festival will take place on the 23rd of March at the Ritz Cinemas. Combining 12 independent shorts from Australia and beyond, this year's programme touches upon various themes, current issues and narrates personal stories.
Documentary and fiction, comedy and drama, animated shorts and student projects are brought together, weaving a tapestry of stories that highlight current filmmakers’ points of view. Aiming to showcase the short film format and the power of independent cinema, the Sydney Short Film Festival features a handpicked selection of indie gems.
The multi-awarded Lee Knight's "A Friend of Dorothy" explores the deep meaning of friendship, the challenges of suppressed masculinity unravel in Luís Hindman's intense romance-drama "Magid / Zafar", while the coming-of- age "The Porcelain Bus" by Frazier Brockett puts the challenges of puberty at the epicentre. From Turkey and Mongolia to Estonia, Norway and Portugal, this year's films compose a multicultural programme that aims to spark conversations.
Attracting a mixed audience that expands year by year, the SSFF has become a vibrant cinematic event. We are excited to return to our favourite Ritz Cinemas for the 8th edition and serve as a meeting platform for cinephiles, upcoming and professional filmmakers.
Venue
The Ritz Cinemas
Starting time: 18.00
Entrance is Free
https://www.sydneyshortfilmfestival.com/
PROGRAMME 1
Retreat • Saim Güveloğlu • 15' • Turkey • 2024 • Short Comedy Competition
When Berna reaches her 40s, she has achieved the material life she dreamed of in her 20s, but she is far from this dream in a spiritual sense. Because of the dilemmas, defeats and resentments in her own life, she has reached a point where she is skeptical and ruthless towards people. Berna rents all the rooms of a boutique hotel, 'a meeting point for people longing for nature', to rest her head for a while. Her goal is to spend four days alone among the sounds of birds and the rustling of trees. Things do not go as she expects because Berna overlooked something while making all these plans: Wherever she goes, she will never be alone.
Potato Potato • Josh Locy • 14' • United States • 2025 • Short Fiction Film Competition
When Cynthia writes a letter to the fetus growing inside her about her hopes for the future, the fetus writes back.
Mia • Marco Noe • 6' • Australia • 2024 • Short Documentary Competition
Ten-year-old Mia Kretzer is determined to land her biggest skating trick yet — again. For Mia, practice isn’t just routine; it’s progress in motion.
Grandpa Has a Broken Eye and Mom Is an Adventure • Marita Mayer • 8' • Norway • 2025 •
Short Animation Competition, Short Documentary Competition
“How can you think if you cannot speak?” Four kids, aged 5 to 15, share their thoughts on aphasia and show us how they communicate and interact with someone who has difficulties expressing themselves verbally.
The Little Shopping Trolley • Laurence Ly • 18' • Canada • 2024 • Short Fiction Film Competition
Living on a shoestring in Montreal, a Vietnamese mother must act in bad faith to assert her right to buy 12 discount laundry detergents that she's been refused at a grocery store.
A Friend of Dorothy • Lee Knight • 21' • United Kingdom • 2025 • Short Fiction Film Competition
Dorothy is a lonely widow whose body is failing, but her mind remains as bright as ever. When 17-year-old JJ accidentally kicks his football into her garden, he upends Dorothy’s daily routine of pills, prunes and crosswords, and an unlikely friendship blossoms. Despite being worlds apart in every way, the two come to find they have more in common than they could ever imagine.
PROGRAMME 2 - DAY 1
Magid / Zafar • Luís Hindman • 19' • United Kingdom • 2025 • Short Drama Competition
Tensions arise amidst the heat of a busy British Pakistani takeaway.
The Peel • NanTung Lin • 6' • Portugal • 2025 • Short Animation Competition, Student Film Competition
After a flat tire leaves her stranded in the woods, a woman revisits haunting memories of her self-destructive tendencies. As she peels the skin from her fingers, each strip draws her deeper into the past. With every layer, she steps closer to the hidden child within herself.
The Porcelain Bus • Frazier Brockett • 10' • Australia • 2025 • Short Fiction Film Competition
Hugo, an anxious teenager, braves the intricate social landscape of a bustling house party. Seeking direction amidst the chaos, Hugo turns to a hotline administered by the charismatic alpha male mentor, Xander.
Apocalypse • Benoit Méry • 14' • France • 2024 • Short Documentary Competition
Deep in the gigantic metal festival ‘Hellfest’, music gradually takes possession of metalheads.
A Slice of Bread • Oyundalai Khureed • 15' • Mongolia • 2025 • Short Drama Competition
Tulga, a humble attendant at a communal water well, witnesses a tragic accident for which he bears partial responsibility. Burdened by guilt, he embarks on a long journey toward redemption.
Come Sit With Us • Elis Rumma • 14' • Estonia • 2024 • Student Film Competition
Lola ends up sitting on a bench with local women on Midsummer Eve. At first, all women's troubles are alien to her, but as the evening progresses, she begins to question her perspectives, and as time goes on, finds herself more attached to the country women in her own way.