The Darwin International Film Festival (DIFF) returns to the Deckchair Cinema in September with 11 nights of screenings under the stars.

Highlights include Screen Territory’s Spark Short Film Initiative which this year carries the theme of courage. Three successful NT filmmaking teams will receive $30,000 in production funding from Screen Territory to produce a ten-minute short film to world premiere at DIFF 2024. Each team will be supported by an experienced Screen Industry story development mentor, while being assigned an executive producer and having access to some of the country’s top screen businesses including Panavision, Trackdown Studios and The Post Lounge .

The program also features the 2024 NT Australian Cinematography Awards which showcase the talent of those working in all aspects of cinematography in the territory. Attending this year’s event is special gues Peter James, who has shot a swag of Hollywood feature films, including Meet The Parents, Driving Miss Daisy, Mao’s Last Dancer, and 27 Dresses.

The festival coincides with the Screen Territory NT Screen Summit, consisting of panels and networking opportunities designed to grow, develop, and extend the local sector while facilitating connections and opportunities.

DIFF is now open to submissions from filmmakers with categories including Best of Northern Australia Shorts, Best of South East Asian Shorts, Australian Feature, and Australian Shorts.