Pulari Film Festival: Stories, Community, and Cinema in Melbourne.

Pulari Film Festival is a warm, community-driven celebration of short films that brings Melbourne’s creative talent, especially the Malayali and wider Indian diaspora, onto the big screen. Curated by Pulari Victoria Inc., the festival champions fresh voices, compact storytelling, and the joy of watching films together. Whether you are an emerging filmmaker shooting on weekends or a seasoned creator polishing your next festival run, Pulari is about access, encouragement, and audience connection.

What sets Pulari apart is its focus on shorts across various genres, including drama, documentary, experimental, animation, and comedy, paired with an inclusive atmosphere. Screenings are carefully curated to maintain high energy with tight runtimes, diverse subjects, and plenty of surprises. An Audience Choice Award lets viewers cheer for their favourites, while jury recognitions spotlight craft in direction, writing, cinematography, editing, performance, and sound.

Beyond the screenings, the festival becomes a creative meet-up. Filmmakers mingle with students, community leaders, and curious first-timers. Q and A sessions break down how stories were made on realistic budgets. Informal networking opens doors to collaborators, actors, and mentors. For newcomers, it is a practical crash course in festival etiquette, from packaging a submission and clearing music to writing a clear logline and promoting a film without a studio behind you.

Pulari also welcomes volunteers and sponsors who believe in nurturing local arts. Volunteers gain hands-on event experience. Sponsors connect with a diverse, engaged audience while supporting a grassroots platform that turns raw ideas into finished films.

Thinking of submitting next time? Start early, craft a tight script, keep the runtime lean, secure permissions, and export clean captions. Most of all, tell a story only you can tell. At Pulari Film Festival, intimate and authentic perspectives shine brightest.