FLICKERFEST, Australia's only Academy®TM accredited and BAFTA recognised short film festival kicks off the summer cinema season under the stars at Bondi Beach, screening the best short films from Australia and the world in the chilled and iconic location of the Bondi Pavilion.

Celebrating 21 years of screening internationally-acclaimed short films, FLICKERFEST in 2012 will open on Friday 6th January at Sydney's Bondi Beach Pavilion and wrap ten days later on Sunday 15th January. Film lovers and Australian celebrities of the silver screen will gather to party and take part in the leading short film festival that is also one of the greatest events on the Sydney summer calendar.

Each year FLICKERFEST handpicks over 100 films from a massive 1800 entries - all guaranteed to be the most innovative, provocative and entertaining shorts the world has to offer.

After wrapping up its ten day Sydney event the very best flicks from the festival will then hit the road for its annual tour between January and March, starting in Byron Bay on Saturday 21st January and covering 34 regional hotspots hungry for great films.

FLICKERFEST has truly come of age and over 21 years has established itself as the perfect launch pad for countless filmmakers, helping to springboard many talented up-and-comers into the limelight and others into successful careers in the industry. FLICKERFEST was thrilled that last year's program included 4 short films that went to be Oscar nominated including the winner of the Best Australian Film award.  The Lost Thing, which also went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and US film God of Love which had its Australian premiere at FLICKERFEST before going on to win the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

The hotly contested competition categories for 2012 include International and Australian short films, short documentaries and Greenflicks, a program of environmentally themed films. This year will also include Flickerup, a competition open to student filmmakers from primary to high school age, or filmmakers under eighteen years of age from across Australia. A number of special showcases and forums will also screen out of the competition.

Prizes are a rich offering across categories including the FLICKERFEST Award for Best Film and the Yoram Gross Award for Best Animation, both of which are Academy® Award Accredited, plus a host of other industry prizes recognising excellence within the short film form. 

FLICKERFEST is fresh bite-sized global cinema at its very best - the must-attend summer event not to be missed!

www.flickerfest.com.au