SHORT+SWEET ILLAWARRA FILM FESTIVAL

WILDCARDS

King of the Gong | Dir: Chiara Metters | Cast: Isabella Phillips Bohane, Bronte Locke, Yelena Hammond | Illawarra

A vibrant, funny, and affectionate portrait of Wollongong life through the eyes of its young dreamers.

Naive | Dir/Writer: Aston Di Donato | Cast: Yasmin Matar, Lola Stephenson, Sienna Page, Lucy Buxton | Australia

A sharp coming-of-age story about friendship, ambition, and the lessons learned when innocence meets experience.

Turner | Dir: Tony Barea | Writer: Vicki Gard | Cast: Matias Klaver, Vicki Gard, Amy Victoria-Brooks | Australia

A psychological drama exploring guilt, grief, and the thin line between creation and obsession.

Wombo | Dir/Writer: Angus Lowe | Cast: Georgina Dula, Yarno Rohling, Bryan Lennard Smith | Australia

A surreal and humorous exploration of imagination, creativity, and the chaos of youthful energy.

Donna’s Got It | Dir/Writer: Ivana Zoric | Cast: Makedonka Stoilova Jnr., Ivana Zoric, Blagojce Stoilov | Australia

A witty and heartfelt short exploring confidence, reinvention, and the power of self-belief.

They’re Ready For You | Dir/Writers: Zachery Bridgman, Matthew C. Lamb | Cast: Frank Shanahan, Jayde Dowhy | Australia

A tense and mysterious short that blurs the line between performance and reality.

George Dragon | Dir/Writers/Cast: Ricky Gamble, Patrick Gamble | Australia

A heartfelt collaboration between father and son that explores identity, family, and creativity.

Cactus | Dir/Writers: Brandon Geoffrey Fairley, Steve Wilson-Alexander | Cast: Brandon Geoffrey Fairley | Australia

A quirky comedy about resilience, loneliness, and finding growth in unlikely places.

The Land is Our Archives | Dir: Angie Contini, Penelope Daw, Joan Gillison | Writer: Teena McCarthy | Cast: Teena McCarthy | Australia

A powerful reflection on Indigenous connection to Country and the deep stories carried within the land itself.

GALA FINALISTS

Larapinta End To End | Dir: Vonna Keller, Mike Sampey | Writer: Paul Pritchard | Cast: Paul Pritchard, Vonna Keller, Walter Van Praag, Paul Allen | Australia

A team of Tasmanians with disabilities take on one of Australia’s toughest desert treks, proving resilience and teamwork can overcome any terrain.

Rad Dad | Dir/Writer: Gabe McCarthy | Cast: Gabe McCarthy, Jonathan Adams, Nick Bolton | Illawarra / NSW South Coast

A man confronts the legacy of his father to break the cycle of family trauma and create a new path for his own son.

The Birthday Tape | Dir/Writer: Marko Regalo | Cast: Sally Cheng, Sophia Liu, Jalen Ong | Australia

A birthday celebration turns tense when a daughter’s innocent question uncovers a family’s hidden pain.

Trip Down Memory Lake | Dir: Nick Bolton | Writer: Shayan Murray | Cast: Selena Rosevelt, Alex Bar, Emi Elmitt, Shayan Murray | Illawarra / NSW South Coast

Returning to Lake Illawarra, a man reflects on a long-ago New Year’s Eve and a promise he made to a lost friend.

DnhMuzic: My Music, My Journey | Dir: Cindy Lee | Cast: DnhMuzic | International

Phoenix Neo-Hop artist DnhMuzic shares his personal story of music, identity, and perseverance as a Black artist.

Once a Year | Dir: Caleb Keyte, Mertcan Omer Damoglu | Writer: Mertcan Omer Damoglu | Cast: Hugh Quinn, Jason Good, Perry Moon, Amoriah Louden | Australia

Four men reunite for an annual ritual of reflection and friendship, revealing how much life has changed between their meetings.

The Anatomy of a Waterlily | Dir/Writers: Kashfi Mannan, Jolynne Sourn, Linda Ye | Cast: Rhythm Bhardwaj, Chavelli Gutierrez | Australia

A visually rich meditation on culture, identity, and renewal through the delicate symbolism of a waterlily.

Nana’s Letter from a Sinking Island | Dir: Keeleigh Shephard | Writer: Magaret Va’afusuaga | Australia

A poetic reflection on climate displacement and family, told through the voice of a grandmother writing from a vanishing island.

The Port Kembla Kaiju | Dir: Nathanael Joshua Hopkins-Smith | Cast: Louie Joyce | Illawarra

A monster rises from the industrial coast in this local homage to classic creature features — loud, proud, and full of heart.

This Moment | Dir/Writer: Charlotte Bryan | Cast: Charlotte Bryan, Frankie | Australia

A quiet, emotional snapshot capturing the fleeting beauty of everyday life and human connection.

Milestones | Dir/Writer: Newman Sorensen | Cast: Carly Hunter, Madi Du Plessis | Australia

Two friends navigate change and nostalgia as they revisit the landmarks of their shared past.