Trop Jr is Back! (Yay)
The world’s largest short film festival – for kids by kids.
Trop Jr is returning in 2026, bigger, bolder and built for the next generation of Australian storytellers, filmmakers and creatives.
Open to young Australians aged 15 and under, Trop Jr is a national creative program that runs throughout the school year, giving kids a real platform to imagine, experiment and tell stories that matter.
Powered by the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF), the program supports students, teachers and families through virtual masterclasses, teacher guides and step-by-step learning resources everything a young filmmaker needs to bring their story to life.
No entry fee. No polished production pressure. Just big ideas, creative courage and stories told by young voices. The program culminates in a live Grand Final event in November, where finalists, families, educators and industry come together to celebrate Australia's most inspired young storytellers.
This is where tomorrow's filmmakers begin.
Key Dates
SUBMISSIONS
Submissions Open: Wednesday 12th August
Submissions Close: Friday 18th September
Trop Jr Grand Final: November 2026
MASTERCLASSES
Masterclass 1 Charlotte McLaverty: Thursday 7th May
Masterclass 2 Yianni Rowlands: Tuesday 2nd June
TROP JR 2026 TSI
Every year, Trop Jr introduces a Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), a unique item, word or symbol that must appear somewhere in every film entered. The TSI is a long-standing Tropfest tradition that ensures every film is made specifically for the festival, and it's often the spark that ignites the most creative and unexpected storytelling. This year's Trop Jr Signature Item is MAP.
Masterclasses
Powered by the ACTF, Masterclasses are a fantastic resource for students, educators and families throughout the Trop Jr journey. Hosted online by previous Trop Jr finalists, each session gives you a first-hand look at how they turned their ideas into reality, before guiding participants through a hands-on approach to making a short film scene using accessible techniques, Trop Jr education resources and everyday materials found around the home or classroom.
Each session runs for approximately 45 minutes and is suitable for Years 5–10 students, teachers, families and individual young filmmakers.
1. Masterclass with Charlotte McLaverty- 7th May
Charlotte will take attendees behind the scenes of the short film that earned her a finalist place in Trop Jr at only 15. She will speak about her creative process, including script development, storyboarding and pre‑production logistics.
Charlotte will also share practical filming tips for young creators, reflect on what she might approach differently if she remade her film today and talk about her current projects and how Trop Jr helped shape her pathway.
Watch Charlotte’s Masterclass here
2. Masterclass with Yianni Rowlands - 2nd June
In this session, Yianni will share his pre‑production process and walk attendees through an accessible overview of his animation and stop‑motion workflow. He will offer practical tips for emerging animators, reflect on what he might approach differently if recreating his Trop Jr films today and speak about his current projects and how Trop Jr helped guide his direction.
Attendees will then watch Yianni demonstrate a DIY stop‑motion animation set up that shows how imaginative filmmaking can be achieved with simple tools. Yianni will share tips on choosing a workspace, controlling light, creating backdrops from everyday materials and using household items to build a small set. He will also show how to secure a smartphone or tablet or webcam for consistent frame‑by‑frame capture including tricks for filming over multiple days.
Trop Jr Teacher Professional Learning
Watch the recording of this practical professional learning session from ACTF Education and Tropfest, designed to help teachers confidently embed Trop Jr in the classroom.
In this recorded virtual session, presenters unpack how Trop Jr can support creative learning across the curriculum, with a focus on short filmmaking, storytelling and student collaboration. The session steps through the range of classroom-ready resources available, including student worksheets and assessment-aligned tools that support participation in the Trop Jr competition.
Ideal for primary and secondary educators, this recording supports teachers to inspire young filmmakers while meeting curriculum goals and building creative confidence in the classroom.
