Lisette McAllister-Liew with the 2026 Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best Best Film award which was won for melancholia.

The WA Made Film Festival has officially announced the return of its Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best smartphone filmmaking competition, along with the official theme for 2027.

Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best invites established filmmakers, independent filmmakers, students, and the general public to submit a smartphone masterpiece to be considered for a special event screening during the next WA Made Film Festival which will run February 19 – February 28, 2027.

The 2027 theme is Cheese, giving filmmakers the option to explore a range of genres. The theme Cheese can be as subtle as the filmmaker wants it to be, such as eating, buying or cooking cheese, taking a photo and saying “cheese!”, or simply using the word cheese are just some samples to help filmmakers get started.

“Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best continues to grow bigger and better,” says Festival Director Matthew Eeles.

“We’re receiving more and more submissions every year, which is testament to the WA filmmaking community who are constantly looking for new ways to express themselves creatively through film. Over the years we’ve received a selection of truly world class productions which are nothing short of impressive. We can’t wait to see what everyone cooks up for the 2027 event”

The Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best event screening will be held at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, and will include a before and after party, drinks and food, networking opportunities and an awards ceremony which will include a major cash prize of $1000 for Best Film decided by a jury of industry professionals.

At the 2026 festival which was held earlier this year, Lisette McAllister-Liew’s smartphone film melancholia won the $1000 Best Film prize at the Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best screening with Jackson Cogger-Clee’s Prepoured Beer winning the Audience Choice Award.

The festival’s 2026 Smart Jury was made up of respected WA filmmakers Miley Tunnecliffe (Proclivitas), Jason Robert Lester (Bleederville) and Jaron Herren (2021 Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best Best Film winner).

WA filmmakers will have until the end of the year to complete their films with submissions for Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best opening along with regular feature film, short film and documentary submissions on Monday, 3 August and closing Tuesday, 1 December 2026.

More details about the WA Made Film Festival can be found at wamadefilmfestival.com.au

Disclaimer: Cinema Australia founder and editor Matthew Eeles is the festival director of the WA Made Film Festival.