Byron Bay Film Festival

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Byron Bay Film Festival

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Byron Bay Film Festival, Festival, Byron Bay.

Each year, BBFF delivers a curated program of films and industry events across venues in Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers, connecting filmmakers and film lovers through shared screen experiences.

❤️ Love Film

21/08/2026

Final call for two standout categories!
There’s still time to submit to the Music Video category and the Screenplay Competition at the Byron Bay International Film Festival. The Screenplay Competition is open to feature-length scripts across all genres, with the winning script receiving a $1000 cash prize. The Music Video category celebrates Byron Bay’s rich music culture, with selected finalists featured in the festival’s Music Video Showcase.
Special extended deadline: 31 August
Submit your work via the link in bio.
📸 Visual credit: Rupert Höller, Foster the People - Lost in Space

20/08/2026

BYRON WRITERS FESTIVAL WITHDRAWALS? 📚🎬

We might have something for that.

Thanks to Transmission Films, you could win a double pass to &SONS, written by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sarah Polley and director Pablo Trapero, and starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, George MacKay, Johnny Flynn, Noah Jupe and Dominic West.

Almost 20 years after an incident tore the Dyer family apart, celebrated novelist A.N. Dyer summons his estranged sons home, convinced he is about to die.

They expect apologies.

Instead, he tells them something so extraordinary it could change everything they thought they knew about their family.

&SONS is in cinemas nationally August 27, including at Palace Cinemas Byron Bay.

TO WIN:
❤️ Like this post
📚 Email [email protected] and tell us your favourite book-to-screen adaptation.

Pop &SONS in the subject line so we know you’re entering.

Byron Writers Festival

14/08/2026

Northern River filmmakers, this one’s for you.
The Byron Bay Filmmaker category is open exclusively to creatives living in the Northern Rivers region. Celebrate BBFF’s 20th edition and enjoy a reduced submission fee while screening your work at one of Australia’s most respected destination festivals. Past local filmmakers have found the support, recognition and community at BBFF invaluable for launching their careers.
Local submissions close: 17 August
Submit via the link in bio
📸 Visual credit: Joel Bryant, Flowing Wood (2025)

10/08/2026

Last year’s Best Byron Film winner knows what it’s like to see your work on the big screen at Byron Bay International Film Festival.

In this video, he shares why submitting was such a rewarding experience and why he’s encouraging local filmmakers to enter this year’s Best Byron Film award🏅.

If you’ve got a finished project ready to share, we’d love to see it.

📅 Entries close 17 August! Submit your film via the link in our bio.

23/07/2026

🎬 Thinking about a career in film and television, but not sure where producing could take you?

BBFF followers receive 15% off Screenworks’ new online series, Producing Pathways: Find Your Path. Use the code BBFFPP15 when booking.

Across three online sessions, you’ll get an inside look at three very different producing careers and the skills, responsibilities and opportunities involved in each:

• Independent Feature Producer
• Development Producer
• Digital Producer

Discover how producing differs across film, television and digital content, and gain a clearer understanding of which pathway might suit your interests and strengths.

Hear directly from experienced industry practitioners:

🎥 Tristram Baumber, Independent Feature Producer
📺 Bec Cubitt, Head of Scripted at Lingo Pictures
💻 Alyce Adams, Digital Producer

This series is ideal for emerging filmmakers, students and anyone considering a career in the screen industry. It will also be valuable for writers, directors and actors wanting to better understand the producers they will work alongside.

Three nights. Three producing pathways. One chance to start finding where you fit in the screen industry.

📅 Thursday 30 July, Tuesday 4 August and Thursday 6 August
⏰ 6pm to 8pm each night
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟 $90 members | $120 non-members before discount

Open to participants anywhere in Australia.

Book your spot and use BBFFPP15 for 15% off.

29/06/2026

Documentary filmmakers, this is the final call.

Entries close 17 July for consideration for the David Stratton Documentary Award at BBFF2026.

David Stratton spent a lifetime expanding the way Australians watched, understood and valued cinema. As a critic, programmer and champion of film culture, his legacy continues through the filmmakers whose work asks more of us: more attention, more empathy, more courage.

This award honours that legacy by recognising bold and original documentary storytelling, and by helping bring important work to audiences who are ready to discover it.

Last year’s judging panel included Margaret Pomeranz and Jack Thompson, bringing two of Australia’s most respected screen voices to the selection process.
If you have a documentary ready for the screen, submit by 17 July via FilmFreeway.
www.filmfreeway.com/byronbayinternationalfilmfestival

19/06/2026

Filmmakers, the clock is ticking.

The 20th Byron Bay International Film Festival continues to celebrate emerging voices and established creators across every genre and format. Hundreds of films from over 40 countries gather each year, alongside masterclasses, workshops and networking events.

Argentine-Spanish filmmaker Iván Bustinduy thinks BBFF is ‘Just incredible. They gave a lot of attention to my short film. Very grateful since, in general, short films are not usually a priority’. Shorts are celebrated at BBFF, and so is bold screen work in every form. Whatever the length, genre or format, submit your film, music video, animation, experimental work or VR project for our landmark 20th edition.

Late submissions close: 26 June
Submit at www.bit.ly/submit-to-BBFF
📸 Image credit: Lyn McCarthy

02/06/2026

Screenwriters, this one’s for you. 📝

The Byron Bay International Film Festival is celebrating its 20th edition, and submissions are now open for the Screenplay Competition.

One of the only screenplay contests run in conjunction with a major Australian film festival, this competition is open to feature-length screenplays in all genres. BBFF screens an eclectic selection of films, and this competition is sure to match that same diversity and creativity.

1st prize: $1000 Australian cash
Submission deadline: 31 August
Submit via the link: https://www.bbff.com.au/submissions

28/04/2026

Filmmakers, don’t miss this one. 🎥

In an era that encourages us to keep our hearts, minds and screens small, BBFF invites you to expand them all. The 20th Byron Bay International Film Festival, 15–26 October 2026, is now open for submissions.

Filmmaker Anna Trichet-Laurier, whose film Nansie screened at our festival, describes the experience: “Thank you so much for having us this year. The amount of work and press beforehand was truly amazing, and the hospitality was incredible.”

For two decades, BBFF has championed independent cinema from across Australia and around the world, presenting bold storytelling across all genres and formats, including film and VR.
Screen your work in one of Australia’s most loved destination festivals, where filmmakers gather in the heart of Byron Bay for screenings, conversations and a truly social festival experience.

Regular submissions close: 30 April
Submit your film or project via: https://www.bbff.com.au/submissions

26/04/2026

As the Byron Bay International Film Festival marks its 20th edition, we’re looking back at the films that have moved us most.

Our Best Film Winners Letterboxd list is a living archive of each festival’s standout work, from emerging voices to established auteurs. One film per year, hand-picked by our jury, capturing the spirit and creativity of BBFF across two decades.

Relive the moments, discover hidden gems, and celebrate 20 years of independent cinema. Explore the full list and follow us on Letterboxd here: 📲 https://boxd.it/Tgery.

Address

Byron Bay, NSW
2481

Telephone

+61411132481

Website

http://www.bbff.com.au/

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