Margot Robbie is back with a Tropfest. The world’s largest short film festival has officially returned to Sydney after a six-year hiatus, with Robbie taking the top spot as jury president for the 2026 return of Tropfest.
Tropfest will take over Centennial Park on February 22, 2026, bringing one of Australia’s favorite film events back to an outdoor environment. The return of the festival was already the talk of the town, but Robbie’s participation means this relaunch will have a clean hit of star power. And she’s not there for decoration. She is serving as jury foreman.
“Tropfest has long been an important launching pad for filmmakers,” Roby said in a statement. “This is where creativity and opportunity meet, and we’re excited to celebrate and support the next wave of storytellers.”
John Polson, Founder and Director of Tropfest, added: “We are truly honored to bring Margot Robbie home as Tropfest Jury President for 2026. Her incredible body of work, both in front of and behind the camera, perfectly reflects the creativity, courage and ambition we are championing in the next chapter of Tropfest.”
A new era backed by enthusiastic support
For the first time, emerging filmmakers will compete for a share of $100,000 through the newly created CommBank Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund. Prizes for first, second and third place are $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000, providing rare financial support for independent filmmakers. Winners will also receive a Google technology bundle and other prizes.
Entries will open on December 1, 2025. The representative item of this year’s Tropfest is the “Hourglass”. This is a must-have element that must appear somewhere in each short to ensure it’s made specifically for the festival. Finalists will debut their films in front of an audience of thousands at a free public event.
The return of Tropfest also came with a change in structure, with the event moving to a nonprofit foundation led by chairman Sarah Murdoch, Brian Brown, Peter Brandies, TTG CEO Richard Weinberg, and Polson. A wide range of partners are also backing the reopening, from CommBank and YouTube to Qantas and Greater Sydney Parklands.
Upload to enter and access the archives
Submissions must be uploaded via YouTube between December 1, 2025 and January 8, 2026. This 2026 Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) is the “Hourglass”. Filmmakers must include this item in short films of up to 7 minutes.
For those looking for a refresher, the Tropfest YouTube channel has an extensive library of past finalists and winners. Please take a look at some of the past award winners below.
What began as an informal gathering of 200 people at the Tropicana Café in 1993 quickly became a national hit, with up to 100,000 people attending finalist screenings and millions more watching online. Its alumni list reads like a snapshot of contemporary Australian cinema, including Nash and Joel Edgerton, Rebel Wilson, Murray Bartlett, Sam Worthington, Mia Wasikowska, Justin Kurzel, Bruna Papandrea, Abe Forsyth, Damon Gameau, Alecia Jones and Patrick Hughes.
With Robbie leading the judging panel and the festival returning to a city that has clearly missed it, Tropfest’s next chapter looks set to land with purpose. Further details, including the full lineup of judges, will be announced closer to the date.
