Rock The Boat Film Festival returns with its fifth season in 2026

Rock The Boat Film Festival (RTBFF) returns with its fifth season in 2026, screening at ACE HOYTS Rockingham from Saturday, September 12, with four sessions across September, before closing with a red-carpet Awards Night on Saturday, October 24. 

For the first time, RTBFF has partnered with Yellowstone International Film Festival, based in India, aimed at drawing international attention to WA and WA-based filmmakers. Each festival will select three short films to screen at both festivals, giving filmmakers a chance for international recognition and opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach.

Students from 18 high schools across Perth and every Perth-based university have films that will be screened across the four festival sessions in September. Each screening includes a filmmaker Q&A and a networking session either before or after so that filmmakers from across WA can connect.

At the Awards Night in October, up to 22 awards will be presented, including $1,000 cash prizes for Best Open Short Film, Best Open Documentary, and Best Student Short Film, as well as Awards of Recognition for cinematography, editing, original soundtrack, performance, visual effects, a Rising Star Award, and four People’s Choice Awards (determined by the audience of each session).

Founded by Renae Hardie Braovich, an award-winning video producer and screenwriter with a feature film in development, the festival was created to support aspiring and emerging independent filmmakers from WA and to champion Western Australia as a prime location for the film industry.

“To be able to encourage and support filmmakers, no matter where they are on their creative journey, is a privilege,” she said.

Rock The Boat Film Festival is showing at ACE HOYTS Rockingham from Saturday, September 12, to Sunday, September 13, and from Saturday, September 19, to Sunday, September 20, 2027. For more info and to buy tickets, head to rocktheboatfilmfestival.com.au