We celebrate rural, regional and remote screen stories.
The Far South Film Festival acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which we work and live. We recognise their continuous connection to Culture, Country, Community, Land, and Waters, and we honour the strength in First Nations storytelling.
The Far South Film Festival
showcases stories told by rural, regional and remote filmmakers from around Australia. The Festival takes place at The Twyford, Merimbula, NSW, Australia, on the Lands of the Djiringanj People in the Yuin Nation. We look forward to having you join us!
AND IT’S A WRAP FOR 2026 -
SEE YOU ON
13 & 14 AUGUST 2027!
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS
FAR SOUTH FILM FESTIVAL 2026 AWARDEES :
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BEST CALL TO ACTION: THE CIRCLE Fire as a Tool for Healing Country & Community; Dir Clare Young
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BEST YOUTH FILM: MY FRIEND ARTEMIS Dir Stanley Cook
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BEST DOCUMENTARY : TALLAGANDA & BEYOND, Dir David Gallan
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BEST PERFORMANCE: TOBIE WEBSTER & SEBASTIAN CHANG, for their roles in LUDOVIC
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BEST COMEDY: BIN DAY Dir Jane Fullerton-Smith
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BEST USE OF REGIONAL LOCATION: LUDOVIC, Dir Nick Bolton
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BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT : ANDREW ROBINSON , CINEMATOGRAPHY IN 'SALTWATER HOME'
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BEST DIVERSITY: 'GAGA WAKULDA', Dir Tad Souden
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BEST SOUTH EAST FILM : 'SALTWATER HOME', Dir Andrew Robinson Producers Tamika & Robbie Townsend ,Emma Stewart, Hiromi Matsuoka
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BEST DIRECTOR : GEORGINA HAIG FOR 'NO THANK YOU'
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BEST FILM : 'NO THANK YOU,' Director Georgina Haig
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1 YEAR SCREENWORKS REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP AWARD: Stanley Cook, My Friend Artemis, Northern Rivers & Tara Carroll, 'Uncaged", Kingston TAS
Opening Night 14 August 2026
Opening Night Buzz at The Twyford Foyer
Dr Michael Holland, MP;Festival Director Mahamati, Festival Producer Hiromi, Councillor Helen O'Neil
Mahamati & Hiromi with Filmmaker Hadley Perkins, Northern Rivers , Director 'Strange Attractor'
Dr Sampsa Kallinen with Filmmaker Andrew Robinson
Co-Director Tara Carroll and Producer Vienna Hill, Kingston TAS - 'Uncaged"
Councillor Helen O'Neil with the Bin Day crew
Director of 'Ludovic' and Screen Illawarra Chair Nick Bolton with 'Little Jetty' Producer Kush Bourke and Director/Cinematographer Andrew Robinson 'Saltwater Home', "Heath Cullen- The Song Always Remembers'
Director Tad Souden 'GagaWakulda" with family and friends
Dr Michael Holland opens the 2026 Festival
Peter Buggy and Christine Welsh, founders of the Sapphire Community Pantry in Bega
Tamika Townsend, Kristy Streater and Emma Stewart. Tamika and Emma are Producers of 'Saltwater Home.'
Hadley Perkins, Marna Smith, Kerry Hynes, Tad Souden and friend
The team behind BIN DAY- Jane Fullerton -Smith, India Goss Maher and Cassie May
Opening Night Q&A moderated by Helen O'Neil - "Where are all the Women- Gender Matters"
Panellists L to R Michèle Jedlicka ( Not Born Yesterday), India Goss Maher( Producer Bin Day), MOderator Helen O'Neil, Tara Carroll (Co-Director, Uncaged), Jane Fullerton-Smith (Writer/Director Bin Day)
Helen O'Neil
a rapt audience
Tara Carroll ( Uncaged)
India Goss Maher (Bin Day)
Michèle Jedlicka ( Not Born Yesterday)
Jane Fullerton-Smith ( Bin Day)
The Far South Film Festival includes screenings of finalist film entries, Q&A panels with guest filmmakers, a networking and social event with drinks and food and our Festival Awards Ceremony.
Stay tuned for further information about Opening Night festivities and our two Q&A panels with filmmakers and guests.
Follow us
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Tickets are now on sale!
All sessions can be booked individually, so you can choose to come to one, some or all!
All seats are allocated per session.
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If you require an accessible space for a wheelchair, or use another mobility device and need an aisle seat,
please email: info@thetwyford.com.au
or call/text 0421 199 910
with your request to ensure availability, or see the box office staff when you arrive.
Please note that mobility devices and prams must not block exit paths – your usher can help you to store items safely and retrieve them for you when you leave the session.
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The Far South Film Festival is held at The Twyford —16 Market St Merimbula.
There will be snacks and drinks available at the Twyford bar. It’s also worth checking out the various local cafés and restaurants for delicious local cuisine.
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Opening Night ~ 7pm Friday 14 August
The Twyford doors open at 6pm for a complimentary drink & nibbles with the bar available during the evening.
VIPs will be attending to help us kick off the 2026 Far South Film Festival, so come and join in the frivolity!
The festival opens with a Welcome To Country, an introduction from Mahamati, Festival Director and guests, followed by several short films and a Filmmakers Q&A session
Festival Day ~ 09.45am Saturday 15th August
A full day of screenings will be held on Saturday starting at 09.45am, with a performance from the Yaala Girls singing in language, followed by a selection of film genres and another informative Filmmakers Q&A session.
More films screen between a lunch break at 1pm and networking at 5.40pm before the awards ceremony at 6.25pm
See the full festival program below
Awards Ceremony ~ Saturday 15th August from 6.25pm
Come and celebrate the winners for Far South Film Festival 2026!
We hand out various awards, ranging from Best Film to Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and more!
Remember to cast your vote for your favourite film in the ‘Peoples Choice Award’ by midnight on Saturday! We’ll announce the winner via our social media pages on Sunday.
The Twyford bar will be open with drinks and snacks available, while you meet and mingle with the filmmakers and network to your hearts delight!
We look forward to seeing you there!
OPENING NIGHT SESSION
7:20PM DIFFICULT WOMEN (PG)
No Thank You ~ Director: Georgina Haig, Dromana, VIC. Drama
Not Born Yesterday ~ Director: Michèle Jedlicka. Korrumburra, VIC. Documentary
Cigarette Fingertips ~ Director: Grace Bowman. Armidale, NSW. Drama
Bin Day ~ Writer/Director: Jane Fullerton-Smith, Thirroul, NSW. Comedy
SATURDAY SESSION 1
09:45AM AS IT HAPPENED — Unscripted (G) commences with a performance by YAALA
My Friend Artemis ~ Director: Stanley Cook. Mullumbimby, NSW. Documentary / Youth
Gaga Wakulda ~ Director: Tad Soudeff, Barrack Heights, NSW. Documentary
THE CIRCLE: Fire as a Tool for Healing Community & Country ~ Director: Clare Young, Braidwood, NSW. Documentary
Tallaganda ~ Director/Cinematographer: David Gallan. Tathra, NSW. Documentary
Saltwater Home ~ Director: Andrew Robinson. South Pambula, NSW. Documentary/Music
SATURDAY SESSION 2
11:45AM EDGE OF THE FRAME — The Narrative Hour (G)
Dead Zone ~ Director: Chum Ehelepola. Kalaru, NSW. Co-created by Sapphire Coast Acting School students. Drama/Youth
Prefer Not To Say ~ Director: Shaun Foley. Wollongong, NSW. Drama
Little Jetty ~ Director: Chum Ehelepola. Kalaru, NSW. Drama
Lost ~ Co-Directors: Jane Gordon and Warren Foster Snr, Tanja and Wallaga Lake, NSW. Drama
A Forgotten Journey Through Tjoritja ~ Director: Benjamin Yeo, ACT. Experimental Drama.
MiMic ~ Director: Glenn Hanns. Albion Park, NSW. Drama
SATURDAY SESSION 3
1:45PM FAR SOUTH FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE (G)
WINDSONG LIVE - HEATH CULLEN The Song Always Remembers ~ Credits: Director/DOP/Editor, Andrew Robinson, South Pambula, NSW Documentary / Music (G)
SATURDAY SESSION 4
2:50PM OUR BRIGHT DYSTOPIAN FUTURE (M)
Strange Attractor ~ Director: Hadley Perkins. Coorabell, NSW. Drama
LudoVic ~ Director: Nick Bolton. Thirroul, NSW. Drama
88 Gone: The True Story of a Hide and Seek Cult ~ Directors: Tom K Goldie & Lachie Pasfield. Newcastle, NSW. Mockumentary
SATURDAY SESSION 5
5:10PM LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE (G)
Bad Date ~ Director: Chum Ehelepola, Co-Writers: Gipsy Rigatos & Kiana Murphy. Bega Valley, NSW. Comedy (Youth)
Bogan Bird ~ Director: Holly Trenaman, Coledale, NSW. Animation/Comedy
Hello Reaper ~ Director: Kevin Friesen. Hervey Bay, QLD. Drama
Uncaged ~ Co-Directors: Tara Carroll and Elise Stanfield. Kingston, TAS. Drama
2026 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
OPENING NIGHT
Friday 14 August
6:00pm The Twyford Doors & Bar Open
7:00pm Welcome to Country
Festival Opening with Far South Film Festival Director Mahamati and guests
7:20pm Opening Night Films
DIFFICULT WOMEN (Ages 15+)
No Thank You (Drama, Dromana, VIC)
Not Born Yesterday (Documentary, Korumburra, VIC)
Cigarette Fingertips (Drama, Gostwyck, NSW)
BIN DAY (Comedy, Thirroul, NSW)
8:20pm Filmmakers Q&A session
FESTIVAL DAY
Saturday 15 August
9:00am The Twyford Doors & Cafe Open
All Day Screenings
09:45 First Nations Showcase : Yaala — song & dance in Djiringanj language
Session 1 ~ 10:15am-11:25am
AS IT HAPPENED - Unscripted (All ages)
My Friend Artemis (Documentary, Youth entry, Mullumbimby, NSW)
Gaga Wakulda (Documentary, Barrack Heights, NSW)
THE CIRCLE: Fire as a Tool for Healing Community & Country (Documentary, Upper Shoalhaven, NSW)
Tallaganda & Beyond (Documentary, Tathra, NSW)
Saltwater Home (Documentary, South Pambula, NSW)
Session 2 ~ 11:40am-1:00pm
EDGE OF THE FRAME – The Narrative Hour (All ages)
Dead Zone (Drama, Youth entry, Tura Beach, NSW)
Prefer Not to Say (Drama, Wollongong, NSW)
Little Jetty (Drama, Kalaru, NSW)
LOST (Drama, Wallaga Lake, NSW)
A Forgotten Journey Through Tjoritja (Drama, Experimental, Canberra, ACT)
MiMic (Drama, Albion Park, NSW)
1:00pm LUNCH
Remember to pre-order your Festival Lunchbox!
Session 3 ~ 1:45pm-2:30pm
FAR SOUTH FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE (All ages)
A Four Winds Concerts Production -Windsong Live :
Heath Cullen – The Song Always Remembers (Documentary, Music, Barragga Bay, NSW)
Session 4 ~ 2:50-3:50pm
OUR BRIGHT DYSTOPIAN FUTURE (Ages 15+)
Strange Attractor (Drama, Coorabell, NSW)
LudoVic (Drama, Thirroul, NSW)
88 Gone: The True Story of a Hide and Seek Cult (Mockumentary, Hunter Valley, NSW)
4:10pm Filmmakers Q&A Session
Session 5 ~ 5:10-5:40pm
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE (All ages)
Bad Date (Comedy, Youth entry, Tathra, NSW)
Bogan Bird (Animation, Wollongong, NSW)
Hello Reaper (Comedy, Hervey Bay QLD)
Uncaged (Comedy, Kingston, TAS)
5:40pm Twyford Café & Bar will be open for Networking! Meet the Filmmakers, talk film, make connections!
6:25 AWARDS CEREMONY
7:05pm FESTIVAL WRAP