CinefestOZ 2026: Pitching films, networking and learning about the Australian Film Industry

Three days at CinefestOZ 2026 and what a bloody great experience.

I headed down to Busselton for the CinefestOZ industry program with a pretty clear goal: meet people, pitch some of my film ideas, learn more about the Australian film industry and have conversations with people who are actually working in it.

Over the three days I had the opportunity to pitch ideas, listen to industry professionals, meet some fantastic filmmakers and creatives, and learn more about what it takes to get films from an idea and a script through to production and audiences.

And, of course, there was plenty of time to watch some award-winning films.

One of the best things about events like CinefestOZ is simply being in a room with people who live and breathe film. You can spend plenty of time working on your own scripts and projects, but there’s something different about getting out there, talking to people and hearing different perspectives.

I came home with new ideas, new connections and plenty of things to think about as I continue developing my own feature film projects.

It was a massive three days and absolutely worth the time.

Sometimes you just need to get in the room, introduce yourself and have the conversation.

That’s where things can start to happen.

If you’d like to follow my filmmaker journey, from behind‑the‑scenes moments through to festival screenings, subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I’ll be sharing updates, insights, and the creative process as the documentary comes to life.