Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival

What Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival does

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival is an annual cultural event founded in 2006 and based in Gympie, Queensland, Australia. It operates as a privately organized community festival self-described as Australia's biggest regional short film festival, screening 100-140+ short films per edition across themed programs including Solid Gold, Sunshine State, Chucklers, Heartstrings, Around the Globe, and Animation. Its served community comprises regional film enthusiasts, international and Australian filmmakers submitting work, secondary school students via the STUFFit and Young Filmmakers programs, and filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, female, LGBTQIA+, and culturally diverse creators.

The festival's commercial operations are lightweight and event-driven, with no proprietary technology platform. It runs on Squarespace for web, Humanitix for ticketing, and standard social media channels for marketing. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales (General Admission $20, Concession $15, Kids $10, Festival Pass $80 for 5 sessions) and special ticketed events such as the Filmmakers Long Lunch ($30) and Opening Night Gala ($60), supplemented by sponsorship contributions. The Gympie Regional Council serves as Principal Sponsor, with multiple local businesses funding award categories at $500-$2,000 each.

The festival operates on a small team model and relies on community screening groups distributed across Queensland for film curation. Programming has broadened over recent years to include Schools Day screenings ($15 per student), workshops, comedy nights, and an extended 9-day format announced for the 2026 edition. No revenue figures, funding rounds, or external investment are disclosed in the source material; the entity operates as an independent cultural institution with no parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival

Legal name

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival

Website

https://heartofgold.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival is an annual community-run short film festival in Gympie, Queensland, founded in 2006, screening 100-140+ films for regional audiences, international filmmakers, and Australian secondary school students through ticketed sessions and sponsored award programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPAGAEAI

Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Cultural Festivals & Community Events

SECONDARYTHAHAAAG

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

Keywords

• Short film festival
• Community film event
• Filmmaker screenings
• Regional film programming
• Student film competition

Headquarters

HQ city

Gympie

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from individual session tickets, festival passes, and special event tickets. General admission is $20, concession $15, kids $10, and festival passes are $80 for 5 sessions.
2. Special Events: Revenue from special ticketed events including Filmmakers Long Lunch ($30), Opening Night Gala ($60), and workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival operates an annual multi-day film festival in Gympie, Queensland, curating 130–140+ international and Australian short films into themed screening sessions. It also runs filmmaker meet-and-greet programs, a Young Filmmakers Program and STUFFit Student Film Festival for secondary school students, an awards ceremony with sponsored prize money, and ticketed special events including an Opening Night Gala, Filmmakers Long Lunch, and workshops.

Product overview

Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival is an annual film festival event, not a software platform. The organization operates a yearly festival featuring curated short film programs across multiple themed sessions, special events, filmmaker programs, and community engagement activities. The festival runs over 4 days (September 9-12, 2025) in the Gympie Region, Queensland, featuring film sessions organized by theme (Solid Gold, Chucklers, Heartstrings, Sunshine State, Animation, Around the Globe, and more), special events (Opening Night Gala, Comedy Night, Filmmakers Long Lunch), youth programs (Young Filmmakers, STUFFit Student Film Festival), and awards ceremonies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STUFFit Student Film Festival: A festival within a festival run by young people, for young people, featuring student-created films from secondary students across Australia.

Products and services

• Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival (Annual Event) Annual multi-day short film festival held in Gympie, Queensland, featuring 130–140+ international and Australian short films across themed programs and special events for general film enthusiasts, filmmakers, students, and schools.
• Film Program Sessions Curated collections of short films organized by theme including Solid Gold (heartwarming), Chucklers (comedy), Heartstrings (emotional), Sunshine State (Queensland-made), Animation, Around the Globe (international), and Family Gold, sold as ticketed sessions (general $20, concession $15, kids $10) within the festival.
• Young Filmmakers Program Showcase of short films created by Australian secondary school students, featuring works from young directors across the country.
• STUFFit Student Film Festival Student-run film festival within the main festival, featuring films created by secondary students from Nambour and across Australia, operated as a sub-brand of Heart of Gold.
• Awards Ceremony Annual ceremony recognizing outstanding short films and filmmakers across categories including Best Short Film, Best Australian Film, Best Documentary, Best Female Director, Best First Nations Director, Best Emerging Director, Best Student Film, and Audience Choice Award, with sponsored prize money.
• Festival Special Events Ticketed festival events including the GOLDER Opening Night Gala ($60 per person, including canapes, music, film, and sequins), the Filmmakers Long Lunch ($30 per person, including lunch, filmmaker conversation, and live music), Live Comedy Night, Poetry sessions, and workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Festival celebrated 20th anniversary in 2026

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gympie Regional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal Sponsor of the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival. Provides major funding and support for the annual regional event. The festival operates on land of the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi, Butchulla and Wakka Wakka people.
• Gympie Regional GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Go Gold Block Party community event and various festival activities. Joint delivery of festival programming and venue access.
• Creative GympieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInitiative celebrating and promoting the Gympie region's arts and cultural scene. Heart of Gold is part of this initiative to promote regional culture.
• Maxwell WalkerminorOthersSponsor of Best National Student Film ($500) and Best Local Student Film ($500) awards for secondary school filmmakers.
• Noosa Film SocietyminorOthersSponsor of Best Short Film ($2,000) and Best Australian Film ($1,000) awards.
• Bamboo TextilesminorOthersSponsor of Best Documentary Film award ($1,000).
• Screaming BirdsminorOthersSponsor of Best Female Director award ($1,000).
• Tom Grady Real Estate and Rural MerchandiseminorOthersSponsor of Emerging Director Award ($1,000).
• Nestle Australia LtdminorOthersListed as a partner/supporter of the festival.
• Robertson Bros SawmillminorOthersListed as a partner/supporter of the festival.
• Gympie TodayminorOthersLocal media partner providing coverage and promotion.
• Noosa TodayminorOthersLocal media partner providing coverage and promotion.
• UniSC GympieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for 2024 festival held at UniSC Gympie campus.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aspen Shortsfest: An internationally recognized short film festival in Aspen, Colorado, with curated programs and awards. Comparable to Heart of Gold as a festival-anchored short film event with themed sessions and filmmaker engagement in a regional setting.
• Tropfest: Australia's largest short film festival, with a touring model across multiple cities. Comparable to Heart of Gold as a short-film-specific festival with awards, sponsors, and a programming focus on emerging Australian filmmakers.
• St Kilda Film Festival: Melbourne-based short film festival with a focus on Australian short films and awards across multiple categories. Directly comparable as a regional Australian short film festival with curated programs and filmmaker engagement.
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: The world's largest short film festival, held annually in France. Comparable as a globally significant short-film-focused festival with curated programs, awards, and a large filmmaker/industry footprint.
• Flickerfest International Short Film Festival: Australia's premier short film festival, held in Bondi Beach, Sydney. Directly comparable as a domestically focused short film festival with awards, filmmaker programs, and a similar community-based audience mission.
• HollyShorts Film Festival: Oscar-qualifying short film festival in Los Angeles with a focus on international submissions and awards. Comparable as a short-film festival with international filmmaker submissions, awards, and a year-round industry presence.
• Palm Springs International ShortFest: One of the world's largest short film festivals, with awards and filmmaker programming. Comparable as an internationally oriented short film festival with themed sessions, awards, and industry events.

Broad incumbents

• Sydney Film Festival: Major Australian film festival with a mix of features, documentaries, and short film programs. Comparable as a domestic film festival but operating at much larger scale across features and shorts.
• Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF): Australia's largest film festival, covering features, shorts, and documentaries. Comparable as a domestic film festival operating in the same general category but with a much larger scale and broader programming scope.

Regional players

• Brisbane International Film Festival: Queensland-based film festival featuring Australian and international programming. Comparable as a regional Australian film festival serving the same state, though with a broader feature/doco focus rather than short-film specialty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/heartofgoldshortfilmfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-of-gold-international-short-film-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival