Melbourne WebFest

24/08/2026

18/08/2026

RING RING! Stand by: MWF 2026 Official Selections are coming soon!! We can't wait to share this year's lineup with you!

16/07/2026

MWF's Festival Director: Courtney Powell

Courtney is honoured to return as Festival Director, for her third edition of Melbourne WebFest. With an extensive background in digital media, and a passion for celebrating innovative storytelling, Courtney brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to MWF. Having worked across various facets of the industry: as an actor and writer, to proudly founding Australia’s second web series festival, Courtney has developed a keen eye for emerging trends and outstanding talent. Courtney’s dedication to advancing web content, and nurturing creative communities, has been a hallmark of her career, and she is excited to continue Melbourne WebFest’s exceptional legacy.

Courtney is a professional performer, who has worked and toured across the USA, UK, and around Australia. Courtney’s work has been recognised by the American Academy of Motion Pictures as Oscars eligible, and has worked opposite Mark Wahlberg, Jane Seymour, and John Foreman. Courtney has featured as the host for the beloved Australian children's show Humphrey B. Bear Live!, as the series vocalist for SBS’s Greeks of the Sea, a backing and recording vocalist for two Australian Idol seasons, and The Masked Singer. Overseas, Courtney has played the lead role of Ruth in Crab House - A New Musical, in its smash Off-Broadway season in New York City, as Cinderella in the UK hit Princess Cabaret, as well as half of the critically acclaimed comedy cabaret duo Sugar & Vice. Courtney has proudly been part of two critically acclaimed, award-winning web series: VTV, and God's 17.

Courtney is also the proud founder of Sydney Web Fest, and is proud to continue her work advocating for diversity in the digital media landscape, at the helm of Melbourne WebFest.

16/07/2026

MWF's Creative Producer Powerhouse, Stayci Taylor!

Dr Stayci Taylor is senior lecturer at RMIT and a web series geek, and has published on the subject in articles and book chapters, among her broader publications on screenwriting and screen production. She is co-editor of two books on the topic of script development, and one on the iconic Aussie TV series Prisoner and Wentworth. Stayci has been involved with Melbourne Webfest since 2017 as a grand juror, Pitch iView judge, panel moderator and mentor.

She brings to her research a background in writing for television and her scripts have earned wins and nominations in the prestigious Qantas Television Awards and Screenwriting Awards of NZ. In 2022 Stayci was named the national Leader in the Field (film) in The Australian annual research awards. Recently Stayci has ventured into Smartphone Filmmaking, with a project commissioned by Australian Environments on Screen (AEoS) and screened at ACMI in 2023.

When Stayci’s not researching, teaching and running festivals she is the ukulele player in Melbourne q***r comedy-music trio

16/07/2026

A huge welcome to our newest MWF team member: Jennifer Monk, Creative Producer.

Jennifer is an internationally award-winning filmmaker, producer, director, writer and actor, with over 20 years of experience across stage, screen, and digital storytelling. She trained at La Trobe University, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, and graduated with Honours from the London School of Dramatic Arts. Jennifer’s work spans theatre, film, and web series, with projects screened and recognised at festivals internationally, including award-winning work across directing, writing, and performance. She is the founder of Girls Act Good (GAG), an all-female creative collective, and JMONK Vision, a production company dedicated to amplifying women’s voices through film and photography.

We're thrilled to have Jennifer join us for MWF's 2026 season!!