The 2025 Port Shorts Film Festival has earned official recognition from the Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts, giving filmmakers a direct pathway to one of the country’s top film honours.

This new status places Port Shorts among a select group of Australian festivals that offer direct access to AACTA consideration.

For the first time, all finalists in the festival’s Open category this year will be eligible for nomination in the AACTA Best Short Film Award.

AACTA awards manager Ivan Vukusic, who joined the judging panel in 2024, said the partnership is about broadening support for filmmakers across the country. 

“There’s a lot of emerging talent coming through regional festivals like Port Shorts,” Vukusic said. 

“Connecting those filmmakers to national platforms is a key part of what we aim to do.”

Vukusic also announced a new category to be presented by AACTA in 2025: Best Queensland Film.

Port Shorts festival director Alison George said the AACTA endorsement reflects the festival’s growing role in Australia’s short-film landscape. 

“It is the icing on the cake for us and we’re excited to collaborate with the AACTA team to support the next generation of amazing filmmakers from around Australia,” George said.

Actor Stephen Curry, who returns as host and judge in 2025, described the festival as a consistent showcase for high-quality short films.

“Port Shorts has been filling my creative cup for the past 10 years, the quality of the films and the beauty of Rex Smeal Park under the stars with the palm trees, the Coral Sea and the Daintree Rainforest as the backdrop is pretty hard to beat,” Curry said.