About
Nestled between the mountains and oceans on the oldest continent on earth and only a short drive from Australia’s largest city, the Central Coast Film Festival is an exciting new platform for storytelling, innovation and exceptional filmmaking. The festival will take place November 1 - 9, 2025, and is a 9-day celebration of independent filmmakers and storytelling from around the world!
We screen features, shorts, experimental films, music videos, animations, and documentaries. The festival accepts films of every genre and seeks to highlight passionate creative voices and stories that express individuality in all its forms. We are a film festival run by filmmakers for filmmakers.
Central Coast Film Festival screens at Ettalong’s Cinema Paradiso, a one-of-a-kind Mediterranean-themed complex in Australia. The premises is home to several screens, a range of food and dining venues and is close to several accommodation options. It is the perfect place to escape from the city or to come and enjoy films. The festival's unique location is a breeding ground for culture, collaboration and escapism. It is the perfect destination to unite with filmmakers from Australia and around the world.
Stay connected via our website and social media for more information, and join the celebration of film and story
Our Team
Shane Emmett
Festival DirectorShane Emmett has been acting extensively on television and film for many Australian and international productions. He has played the leads in major Australian musicals and won many international awards for both his acting and filmmaking, including:
Best film at Tropfest New York
IF Awards
Edinburgh Film Festival
Best International Actors at the Move Me International Film Festival Belgium
Shane has also been a juror on the Asian Academy Creative Awards jury board since 2018 and founded Tar & Feather Publishing, which focuses on indie magazines and books.
Carley Edmonds
Festival DirectorA seasoned producer, manager, and team leader with over 15 years of experience in creative industries, Carley specialises in working with creative teams to bring a vision to life efficiently and effectively. With a career spanning Australia and the United Kingdom, Carley has worked with heavyweights ITV, BBC, Foxtel, Nine Network, Network Seven and SBS, in addition to boutique production companies and partnering with numerous media and creative agencies. Project highlights include;
SBS World Cup
SBS Eurovision
Foxtel Rebrand
Launches: SBS On Demand, SBS Viceland, SBS Food, SBS World Movies, Foxtel Air, Fox Footy and Foxtel iQ3
Through Palm Studios, a performing arts studio with over 200 students, Carley continues producing screen and live shows.
Timothy Wilde
Festival DirectorA product of comic books, television, film and role-playing games and Oscar Wilde. Timothy began storytelling to be on Star Trek and pursued acting but fell in love with the art of writing and graduated from AFTRS with a Master's in writing film, television and interactive media. He quickly moved into directing and producing. Timothy has written for popular international films and television series, including the Emmy award-winning, BAFTA-nominated "Primeval Evolved" and several renowned Australian TV series while penning and directing numerous short films screened in international festivals, including Cannes, St Tropez, Palm Springs, and Manhattan Short. He's also written games for Sony and Nintendo. Career Highlights include:
Australian Writer's Guild award for best interactive
The John Hinde Award for Outstanding Science Fiction.
Teaching writing for the screen, trans-media and multi-platform at Metro Screen
Creating the award-winning and SPAA-nominated interactive murder mystery “Precinct 13” for 13th Street and NBC Universal,
The Australian Director's Guild nominated him for best director in an original online medium.
Timothy continues to push the boundaries of storytelling through his production company, Space Gorilla while educating established and would-be storytellers on the power of dramatic storytelling.
Max White
Venue Manager and Festival Coordinator
David Liam
Technical Manager and Festival Coordinator
Zander Czerwaniw
Industry Liaison and Festival Coordinator
