The landmark Australian short film festival will return to its spiritual home in Sydney on February 13, with the Byron Kennedy Award joining the program and $100,000 in prizes available to emerging filmmakers.

Tropfest will return to The Domain in Sydney in February 2027, bringing the world-renowned short film festival back to its spiritual home for the first time in 14 years.

The free event will be held on Saturday, February 13, marking the first Saturday-night presentation in Tropfest’s 34-year history. The day-to-night festival will feature live entertainment, curated food and drink offerings and the world premieres of 16 finalist films under the stars.

Tropfest founder and festival director John Polson announced the return alongside Tropfest Foundation chair Sarah Murdoch and NSW Premier Chris Minns at a launch held at The Domain on Friday.

The NSW Government has committed $2.7 million over three years to support the festival, providing greater certainty for its organisers while ensuring Tropfest remains free to the public.

“Tropfest is an Aussie cultural institution, and for more than three decades it has been a launchpad for filmmakers,” Minns said.

“It’s also one of the drawcard free events during the summer, and we’re proud to support its return to The Domain. We’re backing Tropfest to support local creative talent and showcase NSW to the world.”

Polson said he had dreamed of returning Tropfest to The Domain for 14 years.

“Some of the best nights of my life have happened here, sitting under the stars watching emerging filmmakers share their work with a mammoth audience,” he said.

“There’s nothing quite like the sound of a crowd that size laughing together, or the extraordinary silence when a film has everyone completely gripped. It can be breathtaking to be a part of.”

Polson said the government’s three-year commitment would allow Tropfest to plan for the future and provide further opportunities for emerging filmmakers.

“Tropfest has always been a place where anyone with a story to tell and the determination to pick up a camera can ‘have a go’ and reach a huge audience,” he said. “On Saturday 13 February, we get to fill The Domain again, celebrate the filmmakers and discover whose story stays with us long after the night is over.”

The 2027 event will also become the new home of the Byron Kennedy Award for the pursuit of excellence. Australian filmmaker George Miller, a longtime supporter of Tropfest, announced that the prestigious award will be presented during the festival.

Established in 1984, the award honours Miller’s late filmmaking partner and Mad Max co-creator Byron Kennedy. Previous recipients include Jane Campion, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Rachel Perkins, Ivan Sen, Rolf de Heer, Greig Fraser, Bruna Papandrea, Animal Logic and Polson.

“I’m so happy that the Byron Kennedy Award has been welcomed into the safe haven of Tropfest,” Miller said. “I would follow John Polson anywhere. He is the Benevolent Pied Piper leading us all forward into the adventures of moviemaking.”

Submissions for Tropfest 2027 open on Tuesday, December 1. The early-bird period, with an entry fee of $65, closes on December 22, while final submissions close on January 5, 2027, with a $95 entry fee.

Entrants must create an original short film of no more than seven minutes featuring the 2027 Tropfest Signature Item: “Necklace”. The requirement is designed to ensure each film has been made specifically for the festival.

The 16 finalists will have their films screened before thousands of attendees and judged by a panel of Australian and international industry figures. Winners will be announced live on the night.

Three filmmakers will share $100,000 through the CommBank Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund. The first-place recipient will receive $50,000, with $30,000 awarded for second place and $20,000 for third. The funding is intended to support the winners’ professional development and future projects.

Presenting partner CommBank will return alongside official streaming and video platform YouTube, official airline partner Qantas, media supporting partner Nine Entertainment and official jewellery partner Pandora.

YouTube will livestream the February event and continue to host Tropfest’s archive of finalist films. More than 95 per cent of viewers watching the 2026 Tropfest films on the platform came from outside Australia, according to YouTube Australia and New Zealand country director Ed Miles.

Since Tropfest’s relaunch and partnership with YouTube, the festival’s channel has reportedly generated more than three million hours of watch time and attracted over 128,000 new subscribers.

Tropfest Roughcut will also return to NIDA from February 10 to 12 for three days examining the creative and commercial sides of filmmaking. Supported by Screen Australia and YouTube, the program will include George Miller: Movies and Stories, an intimate conversation between Miller and Polson.

Trop Jr, the festival’s program for Australian filmmakers aged 15 and under, will also return. Submissions remain open until Friday, October 23, with the program culminating in a Grand Finals event at Melbourne’s Astor Theatre on Friday, December 4.

Founded by Polson in 1993, Tropfest began with an informal screening for approximately 200 people at Sydney’s Tropicana Caffé. It went on to become one of Australia’s most significant cultural events and a launching pad for filmmakers including Nash Edgerton, Robert Connolly, Justin Kurzel, Damon Gameau, Patrick Hughes, Alethea Jones and Genevieve Clay-Smith.

Tropfest returns to The Domain in Sydney on Saturday, February 13, 2027.