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SWAMP FILM FESTIVAL
Lights, Camera, Environment
Swamp Film Festival on 5-8 June 2026.
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Held over the June long-weekend the Swamp Film Festival will present an exiting program of environmental film screenings, Q&As with film industry and environmental speakers, film workshops and film-focused activities for kids.
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Swamp Film Festival showcases the wetlands ecosystems and wildlife of the Hunter Estuary in NSW, Australia. Coinciding with World Environment Day, Swamp Film Festival focuses on films and events that inspire us to explore, protect and respect our wetlands environment.
Call for Submissions
Entries Close: 31st May 2026
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CATEGORIES
1. Swamp Shorts
Maximum Length:Â 10 min (no minimum length)
Content style may be documentary, storytelling, observational or artistic/creative (e.g. experimental, animation or visual art films).
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2. Swamp Clips
Maximum Length: 1 min
We're looking for short-form video imagery of wildlife, plants or natural wetlands systems. Clips can be minimally edited. Clips can be time-lapse, but no AIÂ or animation.
This category is ideal for wildlife/nature photographers who now shoot video and have captured an amazing moment.
Limited to 5 Entries per person.
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ELIGIBILITY
Entry Is FREE
Open to filmmakers of all ages Australia-wide.
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CONTENTÂ GUIDELINES
Films must have a clear environmental focus connected to the Hunter Estuary region and its broader catchment areas.
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See our "Conditions of Entry" for geographic boundaries and content restrictions.
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SCREENINGÂ &Â AWARDS
Films will screen at the Hunter Wetlands Centre in our BHP Theatrette during the Swamp Film Festival.
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There will be judged and audience choice awards with categories and prizes to be announced.
For our full Terms and Conditions including  specific TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS, CONTENT RESTRICTIONS and RIGHTS LICENSING go to our Conditions of Entry.
For further details or to submit your film contact: media@wetlands.org.au
Swamp Walk - Filmmakers Workshop &Â Walking Tour
9am-10.30am |Â Saturday 6 June
Join the Hunter Wetlands Centre's Media Coordinator, Linda Rowan, for this special filmmakers workshop walking tour at the Ramsar Listed Hunter Wetlands Centre. Whether you're a seasoned documentary filmmaker or social media content creator or are newly transitioning from photography you will enjoy this walking workshop. Discover how to get the most out of your gear by using the correct settings and equipment for wildlife, learn to locate and track birds in flight, understand how to use obscured vantage points such as hides, capture audio and find eye-catching ways to frame shots and deliver narratives. By the end of this tour you will be able to turn your videos from or boring to brilliant by bringing movement, life, colour and messaging into your films.
The Ramsar Listed Hunter Wetlands Centre is a hotspot for Australian native birds with almost 200 avian species arriving annually. Our 5 dedicated hides and numerous seated spots by ponds and bush tucker gardens allow close observation of water and bush birds offering some of the best birdwatching and photography opportunities in the Hunter Estuary.
Spots are limited so book early!
Swamp Talk - Panel Q&A
2pm-4pm |Â Saturday 6 June
THEÂ HUNTERÂ ESTUARY: PAST, PRESENTÂ &Â FUTURE
Step into the story of the Hunter River where history, current action and climate futures converge. Featuring historical footage and archive images and a live panel of experts in environmental science, disaster management and audiovisual archiving, this special Q&A explores the legacy of the devastating 1955 Maitland Flood, the social and environmental changes it shaped across the Hunter region and what a changing climate may mean for the future of our coasts and waterways.
Held in our newly refurbished Theatrette, this is a compelling afternoon for anyone interested in local history, environmental issues, documentary storytelling or simply connected to life in the Newcastle-Hunter region.
Panelists:
Pam Dean-Jones - Currently a Director at the Hunter Wetlands Centre and former member of the NSWÂ Coastal Council.
Chas Keys - Former academic and Deputy Director General of the New South Wales State Emergency Service.
Peggy Svoboda - Currently with the Hexham Swamp Rehabilitation Project which is being managed by Local Land Services through the Hunter Catchment Program.
Dr Ann Hardy - Coordinates the GLAMx Living Histories Digitisation Lab at the University of Newcastle (Australia).
Swamp Kids Make Films!
10am-12pm | Sunday 7th June
Kids can have fun creating their own animations and holograms at this creative drop-in session. Then head outside and follow our Storyboard Trail around our Wetlands Centre to make your own documentary reel.
Swamp Film Festival -Â Screening Sessions
2pm-4pm | Sunday 7 June
Short Films : BIG Impact ! A cinematic celebration of the Hunter's wetlands, wildlife and wild beauty.
Held in our newly refurbished Theatrette, this specially curated afternoon screening showcases a diverse collection of locally produced short films and footage  with an environmental focus, ranging from rare wildlife moments to animated visual storytelling. While all films in this Short Film showcase are under 10min, we also have a special category of ultra short "Swamp Clips" where special wildlife moments and striking natural details have been captured on film by local filmmakers and nature enthusiasts.
Presented to coincide with World Environment Day, the festival program invites audience to experience the beauty, atmosphere and ecological importance of the Hunter region through the power of film.