In partnership with Specsavers
For aspiring filmmakers, the creative landscape has never been more accessible — or more daunting. The rise of AI-generated content and the relentless stream of short-form social media content can make cutting through the noise feel like a herculean task.
Despite this, there’s still value in stretching the capabilities of your creativity. If anything, it’s never been more important to invest time in human storytelling for the sake of it. Short films in particular can be a creative training ground for emerging talent, offering filmmakers the chance to experiment, take risks and find their style and voice.
Bronwyn Kidd, director of Flickerfest, Australia’s leading short film festival, has spent the past 28 years curating short films and championing emerging filmmakers. Alongside directing Flickerfest, Kidd has served on juries at international festivals, including the Drama Short Film Festival in Greece, the World Wide Short Film Festival in Toronto and Grimstad in Norway. Through these experiences, she’s seen firsthand what makes a short film truly stand out.
“At the beginning is a great idea,” Kidd explains. “It’s a story that you’re passionate about telling, perhaps something very close or personal to you. You can have a big budget or big actors, or lots of big production, but if you don’t have a great idea, then it all gets wasted.”
Over nearly three decades, Kidd has watched the medium of short filmmaking evolve dramatically. “I can take a long look back across 28 years and look at when film was very much for the few who had the money to make [them],” she says. “Now there’s so much more accessibility with technology, which is really exciting.”
This accessibility has opened the door to a more diverse range of storytellers, something Kidd says has shaped the short film landscape and what she sees coming through contemporary film festivals. “Having that great diversity of storytellers with access to digital media has made a profound difference.”
To nurture this up-and-coming creativity, Flickerfest has partnered with Specsavers for the past three years, giving emerging filmmakers a chance to experiment. “Anything that encourages people to go out and make content is a really good thing,” she says.
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“The partnership is about getting people to think creatively and giving opportunities for emerging filmmakers. It has evolved from a script competition to people producing their own 30-second ideas. It encourages people to get a team together and make something.”
Collaborating with fellow filmmaking peers is something that Kidd says is vital for making a short film stand out. Because while a university degree can help with film theory, ultimately, filmmaking is something you learn by doing. “Learning film is very much learning on the job. Really, making films is about being on set, getting a team together, and learning from others.”
The Specsavers competition encourages filmmakers to work together and offers a commercial platform for them to showcase their skills. In 2026, five finalists will be selected for their interpretation of Specsavers’ legacy “Should’ve Gone To Specsavers” ad. Their work will be showcased at Flickerfest’s Bondi event, which takes place from Friday, January 23, until Sunday, February 1, with the public voting on a winner who will then receive an additional $50k to help launch their career. As a filmmaker herself, Kidd knows that opportunities like the Specsavers competition can give short filmmakers the recognition they need to succeed in the creative film industry.
“I don’t think short films are necessarily about commercial success,” says Kidd. “They’re about showing who you are as a director. They’re about giving you that next step up in your career because it’s screened at a festival or it’s received some recognition. It’s about sharing your creativity and showing people what you can do.”
Cracking into the world of filmmaking can take time. Still, opportunities like Specsavers’ competition can help to give creators a leg up and offer them the financial opportunity to create a passion project. Because, as Kidd said, all you need to start is a great idea.
Vote in Spescavers’ competition here.
See the full Flickerfest programme and more information here.