Funny Shorts returns in 2027 honouring excellence in screen comedy

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s short film competition, Funny Shorts, is back in 2027. Celebrating the best Australian comedy filmmaking from sketch, narrative, satire, parody and mockumentary – so long as it's funny – we want to put it on the big screen!

Finalists will feature in the 2027 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Funny Shorts screening events at ACMI, with a $5,000 prize on offer for the winner and a $1,000 prize for the audience favourite.

Previous winners include acclaimed talents such as Oscar-winner Adam Elliot (Mary & Max, Memoir of a Snail), beloved comedian Frank Woodley (The Adventures of Lano & Woodley) and 2026 Funny Shorts winner The Agreement, directed by Jemma Cotter, and 2026 Audience Award winner, I Fell In Love With My Sleep Paralysis Demon, directed by Matthew J Thompson.

Audience Award winner Matthew J Thompson said, “Since our film premiered at Funny Shorts we’ve played at multiple film festivals around Australia. It’s so great to have a space for comedy shorts to shine, I couldn’t recommend submitting your funny film to this festival enough!”

Submissions open on Monday 9 November 2026 and close on Friday 5 February 2027. For entry details and submission guidelines, visit funnyshorts.au.

Funny Shorts is proudly presented in partnership with ACMI, Australia’s premier museum of screen culture.