AFIN 2027 · Our 10th season
The 2027 awards
22 awards. Entries open Sunday 1 November 2026.
Every award for AFIN 2027, what is new this season, and exactly what your film or screenplay can win. Pick the kind of film you are entering and the page shows every award it can be up for.
22 chances to stand here in October 2027.
AFIN 2027
Entries for 2027 are open
On FilmFreeway since Sunday 1 November 2026. 22 awards, and every film can be up for several.
The 2027 season in four numbers
-
Awards
22
in the 2027 lineup
Every winner receives the AFIN Crystal Trophy and digital laurels.
-
Nominees
Up to 6
in every award
Usually six, so more work is recognised.
-
Ways in
10lanes
by length, origin and genre
Every film enters one lane, and can be up for several awards from it.
-
Entries open
1November
Sunday 1 November 2026
On FilmFreeway. The festival returns to Brisbane in October 2027.
What has changed
-
New
Best Emerging Filmmaker
A student film, or a director's first or second film, of any length. It takes the place of the student award and brings back recognition for first films.
Pictured: Dear Moon (Winner, Best Student Narrative Short Form 2026)
-
New
Best Comedy Film and Best Horror Film
Two new awards for any length. A comedy or horror film competes here for its best-film award, and is still up for Director, performance and craft.
Pictured: Scary lullaby (Winner, Best Director 2026); They Kill By Night (Winner, Best Australian Short Film 2026)
-
New
One Best Micro Short Film
Micro shorts of 10 minutes or less now compete in one award, wherever they are from.
Pictured: Marbles (Winner, Best Australian Lead Performance 2026)
-
New
Clearer names
The international performance awards now say so, the documentary awards say "Film", and Art Direction is now Production Design.
Pictured: Red River Cowboy (Winner, Best Australian Supporting Performance 2026); Something Pointless (Winner, Best Lead Performance 2026)
All 22 awards
Film
- Best Feature Film
- Best Director
- Best Emerging Filmmaker New A student film, or the director's first or second film
Short film
- Best International Short Film
- Best Australian Short Film
- Best Micro Short Film New
Documentary
- Best Documentary Feature Film
- Best Documentary Short Film
Performance
- Best International Lead Performance In a film from outside Australia
- Best International Supporting Performance In a film from outside Australia
- Best Australian Lead Performance In an Australian film
- Best Australian Supporting Performance In an Australian film
- Best Youth Performance A performer under 18 at filming
Screenplay
- Best Feature Screenplay
- Best Short Screenplay
Craft
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual Effects Visual effects declared at entry
Genre
- Best Comedy Film New
- Best Horror Film New
What can my film win?
A narrative film over 40 minutes.
13 awards it can be up for
- Best Feature Film
- Best Director
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best International Lead PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best International Supporting PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best Australian Lead PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Australian Supporting PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
A narrative film from outside Australia, over 10 and up to 40 minutes including credits.
11 awards it can be up for
- Best Director
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best International Short Film
- Best International Lead PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best International Supporting PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
An Australian narrative film, over 10 and up to 40 minutes including credits.
11 awards it can be up for
- Best Director
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best Australian Short Film
- Best Australian Lead PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Australian Supporting PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
A narrative film of 10 minutes or less, from anywhere.
13 awards it can be up for
- Best Director
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best Micro Short Film
- Best International Lead PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best International Supporting PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best Australian Lead PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Australian Supporting PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
A comedy of any length, as confirmed by the jury.
13 awards it can be up for
- Best Director
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best International Lead PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best International Supporting PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best Australian Lead PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Australian Supporting PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
- Best Comedy Film
A horror film of any length, as confirmed by the jury.
13 awards it can be up for
- Best Director
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best International Lead PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best International Supporting PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia
- Best Australian Lead PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Australian Supporting PerformanceIn an Australian film
- Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
- Best Horror Film
A documentary over 40 minutes.
6 awards it can be up for
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best Documentary Feature Film
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
A documentary of 40 minutes or less including credits.
6 awards it can be up for
- Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film
- Best Documentary Short Film
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry
An unproduced feature screenplay.
1 awards it can be up for
- Best Feature Screenplay
An unproduced short screenplay.
1 awards it can be up for
- Best Short Screenplay
The full eligibility grid
| Award | Feature | International short | Australian short | Micro | Comedy | Horror | Documentary feature | Documentary short | Feature script | Short script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Director | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||
| Best Emerging FilmmakerA student film, or the director's first or second film | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||||
| Best International Short Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Australian Short Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Micro Short Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Documentary Feature Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Documentary Short Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best International Lead PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |||||
| Best International Supporting PerformanceIn a film from outside Australia | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |||||
| Best Australian Lead PerformanceIn an Australian film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |||||
| Best Australian Supporting PerformanceIn an Australian film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |||||
| Best Youth PerformanceA performer under 18 at filming | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||
| Best Feature Screenplay | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Short Screenplay | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Cinematography | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||||
| Best Film Editing | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||||
| Best Production Design | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||
| Best Sound and Music | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||||
| Best Visual EffectsVisual effects declared at entry | Not eligible | Not eligible | ||||||||
| Best Comedy Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | |
| Best Horror Film | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
Eligible Eligible when the condition under the award holds
How a film finds its lane
-
Feature
A narrative film over 40 minutes
How To Talk Australians, Winner, Best Feature Film 2026
-
International short
A narrative film from outside Australia, over 10 and up to 40 minutes including credits
Something Pointless, Winner, Best International Short Film 2026
-
Australian short
An Australian narrative film, over 10 and up to 40 minutes including credits
Dear Moon, Winner, Best Student Narrative Short Form 2026
-
Micro
A narrative film of 10 minutes or less, from anywhere
Marbles, Winner, Best Australian Lead Performance 2026
-
Comedy
A comedy of any length, as confirmed by the jury
Scary lullaby, Winner, Best Director 2026
-
Horror
A horror film of any length, as confirmed by the jury
They Kill By Night, Winner, Best Australian Short Film 2026
-
Documentary feature
A documentary over 40 minutes
My Soul Is in a Hurry, Winner, Best Documentary Feature 2026
-
Documentary short
A documentary of 40 minutes or less including credits
The Comfort Dogs of Uganda, Winner, Best Documentary Short Subject 2026
-
Feature script
An unproduced feature screenplay
THE RED ZONE, Winner, Best Feature Screenplay 2025
-
Short script
An unproduced short screenplay
READING OF THE WILL, Winner, Best Short Screenplay 2025
- One lane per film
- Every film enters one lane, which decides its best-film award. A comedy or horror film competes in its genre award, not in Best Feature Film, the short film awards or Best Micro Short Film.
- Length
- A micro short is 10 minutes or less. A short film is over 10 and up to 40 minutes, including credits. A feature is over 40 minutes.
- Genre
- The jury confirms a film's genre. A film with two, such as a horror comedy, is placed in one lane by the jury.
- People and craft
- Director, Emerging Filmmaker, the performance awards and the craft awards are open to every lane the grid shows, genre films included. Documentaries are up for Emerging Filmmaker and every craft award except Production Design.
- Nominees
- Every award has up to 6 nominees, usually 6.