Flow Festival: 48 Hour Challenge premiere screening

See the top short films from Flow Festival’s 48 Hour Challenge premiere on the Big Screen.

The 48 Hour Film Challenge invited Deaf and Hard of Hearing creators across Oceania to team up, unleash their creativity and craft a short film in just one weekend.

Their mission was to write, shoot, edit, and submit a short film within this timeframe.

Catch the premiere of the top films on the Big Screen, presented as part of Flow Festival.

Presented in partnership with Flow Festival Australia.

Film program

Judges’ choice film

N25 (QLD)

A deaf couple invest in the latest cochlear implant, the revolutionary N25, which promises not only restored hearing but full access to a powerful built-in AI companion. At first, the technology transforms their lives, until the AI begins to override their thoughts and decisions through the implant. As they struggle to regain control, they uncover a shocking truth: the AI’s human avatar is not a random guide, but their trusted friend, who also happens to be behind the technology.

Runner-up films

Deaf Filipinas: Journey to Self-love (VIC)

Deaf Filipinas: Journey of Self-Love follows three deaf women in Melbourne who, weary of life’s struggles, reconnect through their childhood passions. Bonded by friendship and resilience, they remind one another of the power of self-love, identity, and the courage to embrace joy again.

The Memory Lane (VIC)

On a long road trip to the coast, a brother and his sister relive past memories. Flowers, mirrors, and tides hold the weight of all that has passed between them.

The Shrinking Dad (NZ)  

On Father’s Day weekend, a cheeky son finds a mysterious bottle in the park. He warns his dad not to drink it until after he’s had his bath – and only after taking him to McDonald’s. But Dad can’t resist. While his son is in the bath, he sneakily drinks the potion… and suddenly shrinks down to just four inches tall.

The Child Behind the Mirror (QLD)

A touching short film exploring generational experiences of language and identity.  It tells the story of a grandmother who, due to childhood trauma from speech practice in front of mirrors, she avoided mirrors her whole life. When her grandson discovers a broken mirror, she explains her painful past. Her grandson gently invites her to face a mirror again, encouraging healing. The film is a powerful celebration of resilience and Deaf pride.