Sydney Film Festival
Sydney, Australia
100
Tier AFIAPFOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
12th NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL Benalla Short Film Festival entries welcome
Benalla, Australia · Est. 2014 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record
Tier BTrusted
Benalla, Australia
65
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Solid signals — do normal diligence
Tier B looks established enough for many filmmakers. Check fees, programming fit, and recent editions before submitting.
- No physical screenings
- 12 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
Overview
12th NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL BENALLA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2026 Winners Announced 8 November 2026 Benalla Shorts embraces national and local film makers across all age groups and walks of life since 2014. Films will be chosen from an array of entries and will be viewed at the Premiere and Award Ceremony on the 8 November 2026 Our judges have the difficult task of selecting and choosing the winners of this year’s festival, Our Judges Krista Vendy and Bruce Hunt -Hughes. Bruce holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia and is also a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). He is a highly-regarded facilitator and coach, who bases his work on more than 20 years of experience as a professional actor. Film credits "GHOSTRIDER", "DARKNESS FALLS' & "THE VISITORS. TV Series - "A COUNTRY PRACTICE", "CITY HOMICIDE" "HOWZAT" Kerry Packer Wars and "THE PORTABLE DOOR" to name a few.. Krista Vendy is an Australian actress known for her roles on TV shows including Neighbours, where she played teacher Teresa "Tess" Bell. Since Neighbours she has guest starred in television roles in Australia and the United States including, Blue Heelers, Shock Jock, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Pizza, Leverage and Mental. Her Film credits include The Writer, Fat Pizza, Horseplay, The In-credible Hulk and Matching Jack.
Last updated Sep 12, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+30 pts)
- 12 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
- Verified trusted status
- Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)
Red Flags (-15 pts)
- No physical screenings
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Documented history with archived programs
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2014
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
3.8/ 5
Reviews
18
Synced 4 days ago
- Filmmaker
I cannot speak highly enough of the incredible team at Benalla Short Films! An amazing opportunity for local, national and international film makers to get their films presented in front of an audience! Welcoming, kind, and overall and amazing night for all who attend. A special thanks to Anna!
- Filmmaker
It was such an honour and a privilege to be in the audience to see my film 'Beautiful Storm' screened to a full house at the 2024 10th National and International Benalla Short Film Festival. Winning the Willow Award for best Documentary was an unexpected surprise. Thankyou to everyone involved including the judges Krista Vendy and Bruce Hunt Hughes. All the films were well chosen and enjoyable. This is a great festival - keep entering your films to this one.
- Filmmaker
Congratulations to the entire Benlla Shorts team. Great communication and very professional work. A festival that takes care of selected shorts. Fully recommended festival.
- Filmmaker
An incredibly well organised film festival and they do such a wonderful job at making each filmmaker and their work feel celebrated. Go Benalla!
- Filmmaker
Amazing festival! Lovely people and a great event for the local community.
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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