The world’s largest short film festival is returning to its former home at Sydney’s Domain in 2027, with a new date and a $2.7 million funding commitment from the NSW Government.
Tropfest will take over the Domain on February 13th, marking the first time in the festival’s 34-year history that the event will be held on a Saturday night.
The announcement was made at a launch event on Friday morning, attended by Tropfest founder and festival director John Polson, Tropfest Foundation chair Sarah Murdoch, board members Bryan Brown and Peter V’landys, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and other industry figures.
The move marks a homecoming for the festival, which has not been held at the Domain for 14 years (including an eight-year hiatus that ended with its return earlier this year).
The 2027 edition will feature a free day-to-night program of live entertainment, food and drink, culminating in the world premieres of 16 short films in front of thousands of attendees.
The NSW Government has also committed $2.7 million in funding, which will be delivered over three years, providing longer-term support for the festival and its efforts to nurture emerging Australian filmmakers.
“…After eight years on a hiatus it would have been incredibly easy to say Tropfest had a great run but it deserved a dignified exit and an icon of Sydney stood for a while but no longer stands. But this board didn’t give up and now this year we can officially declare Tropfest is here to stay because I can announce that the New South Wales Government will keep backing Tropfest with $2.7 million for the next three years in this beautiful Sydney,” Minns said on Friday.
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Speaking to Variety Australia following the announcement, Polson said: “I’m pinching myself that we’re, well, I’m pinching myself that Tropfest is back, but even more so that we’re back at the Domain. I mean, my wildest dreams, you know, 12 months ago, I wouldn’t have seen this coming.
“To have the Premier here announcing the news about the three-year support, which is massive, and also bringing us back to the Domain, which we’re giving [him] full credit for, it’s great. It’s just wonderful to be embraced. It’s wonderful to have people recognise this event.”
In another major development, prolific Australian filmmaker George Miller announced that the prestigious Byron Kennedy Award will move to Tropfest, with its next recipient to be honoured at the February event.
Established in 1984, the award recognises excellence in filmmaking and is named after Miller’s late creative partner and “Mad Max” co-creator Byron Kennedy. Previous recipients include Jane Campion, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Rachel Perkins, Bruna Papandrea and Polson himself. The award was originally presented by the Australian Film Institute, and in 2011 transitioned to the AACTA Awards.
Speaking at Friday’s event, Miller said: “[This award] has gone to some truly exceptional people, one of whom was John, back in 1997. And I know you get embarrassed when I say this, but you are dead set one of my absolute heroes, and I’ll follow you anywhere, there’s absolutely no question.
“So when we lost confidence in the current board of the AFI, AACTA, who don’t seem to have a clue about the pursuit of excellence, I asked John and his board if Tropfest could provide a safe haven, and they welcomed us with open arms. And for that… I’m truly grateful. So chukkas to you all.”
The festival will also bring back its $100,000 CommBank Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund, with the top three filmmakers receiving $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000, respectively, to support their careers and future projects.
Submissions for Tropfest 2027 will open on December 1st, with filmmakers invited to submit an original short film of seven minutes or less. This year’s Tropfest Signature Item, which must appear in every entry, is a necklace.
Early bird submissions will close on December 22nd, with the final deadline falling on January 5th, 2027. The 16 finalists will have their films screened at the Domain, where a jury of Australian and international industry figures will select the winners.
The announcement follows Tropfest’s return earlier this year, which attracted more than 700 submissions, approaching the festival’s all-time record.
Founded by Polson in 1993, Tropfest began as a small screening for around 200 people at Sydney’s Tropicana Caffe before growing into an internationally recognised platform for short filmmaking. Over the years, it has helped launch the careers of filmmakers including Nash Edgerton, Justin Kurzel, Robert Connolly, Patrick Hughes and Damon Gameau.
The festival’s partnership with YouTube will also continue in 2027, with the platform exclusively livestreaming the event to audiences around the world. According to organisers, more than 95% of viewers who watched Tropfest’s 2026 films on YouTube were based outside Australia.
Since the festival’s relaunch, its YouTube channel has accumulated more than three million hours of watch time and gained over 128,000 subscribers.
Meanwhile, Tropfest Roughcut will return to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) from February 10th-12th, offering three days of discussions and workshops exploring the creative and commercial sides of filmmaking. Among the highlights will be a conversation between Miller and Polson titled “George Miller: Movies and Stories.”
The festival’s younger counterpart, Trop Jr, is also returning, with submissions currently open for Australian filmmakers aged 15 and under. Its grand final will take place at Melbourne’s Astor Theatre on December 4th.
Alongside CommBank and YouTube, Qantas, Nine Entertainment and Pandora will also partner with the festival in 2027.