The Swan Perth International Women In Film Festival (Swan PIWIFF) has announced it’s full program, with 50 shorts and documentaries celebrating five years of the festival.
Running every October, Swan PIWIFF is Perth’s only locally-ran women’s-focused film festival, with a mission of championing female-identifying filmmakers from across the world. This year’s festivities will run from Wednesday, October 14, to Sunday, October 18, at Luna Leederville, The Backlot, SAE University College, and the Tribe Hotel Perth.
Headlining the 2026 program is the world premiere of South Australian documentary Drift Her, exploring Australia’s first all-female drift crew, The Glitter Gang, and the effort they’ve made in creating a safe space for women in motorsport.
Drift Her screens as a double-feature with Life We’ve Known, a Perth-made short documentary that explores the idea of Matrescence, or the profound transformation of becoming a mother. The short follows acclaimed West Australian composer Elise Reitze-Swensen and the making of her 20-track electronic album exploring matrescence in sound, also titled Life We’ve Known. The album won the $50,000 Minderoo Artsit Fund Award earlier this year.
Another highlight is the mini-feature session In The Making, presenting a slice of life from the South West. The film celebrates Albany’s ecosystem of local artists, interviewing creatives throughout the region’s studios, sheds and living rooms about their crafts, including scrimshawing, glassmaking and more.
The remainder of the program is screened at curated, themed sessions – for example, Dahlia Night screens dark-themed suspense thrillers and horror shorts, while Beetroot Shorts collects off-beat shorts from around the world.
The Swan Perth International Women In Film Festival runs from Wednesday, October 14, to Sunday, October 18. Explore the full program and buy tickets at swanfilmfestival.org
