Prestigious Flickerfest Returns to the Refurbished Bondi Pavilion

Bondi Pavilion
Photo Credit: WavelerlyCouncil

Flickerfest, Sydney’s world-renowned, longest-running film festival, will be returning to the Bondi Pavilion, its home for two decades, in 2023.



Flickerfest director Bronwyn Kidd expressed nostalgia about returning to Bondi Pavilion for its 32nd year in 2023. She said that the historic venue, which was recently refurbished, has “few little rough edges here and there” but the amphitheatre has always been a magical place. 

“We adapted with the Pavilion and we’ve evolved over so many years,” Ms Kidd said. “So it’s going to be really interesting to be back there in its new incarnation.”

Flickerfest will run from the 20th to 29th of January 2023. Showcasing thousands of short films from homegrown creatives, this Australian film festival is the only one that qualifies for the Academy Awards (Oscars) and the BAFTA. 

Flickerfest 2023 will be funded with $135,000, up from $7,850 in 2019. Waverley Council has allocated $135,000 for the event. Reports cited that the boost in funding came at the 11th hour after Council defended the expense for the country’s most important short film fest.



A spokesperson said that they want to ensure Flickerfest will continue at the Bondi Pavilion. The venue has been upgraded in the last four years and was officially re-opened in September 2022.