Specsavers is handing the decision over to Australians, officially opening public voting for the Specsavers x Flickerfest TVC Competition 2026, where film fans are invited to vote for their favourite “Should’ve gone to Specsavers” short film.
Now in its third consecutive year, Specsavers once again partnered with Flickerfest, Australian short film festival, to champion emerging Australian filmmaking talent. The expanded competition invited creatives from across the country to produce an original 30‑second ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ television commercial, offering the winner the chance to win up to $70,000 as part of a $150,000 total prize pool.
Following a nationwide call‑out, where more than 160 entries were received from filmmakers across Australia and after a rigorous judging process, five finalists were selected and will now compete for the major prize, with the winning film to be determined by public vote.
The five finalists
Sammy Lewis – Garbologist– a stop motion adventure that unfolds during the weekly rubbish collection.
Justin Villar – The Chase– a high-octane pursuit through the streets of Melbourne.
Edvard Christie – The Expert– a wine connoisseur uses his refined senses to identify a wine – but one sense is in need of assistance.
Hannah Dougherty – Sketch Artist – The victim of a bag snatch describes the culprit in great detail to a police sketch artist.
Muraya Moore – Fishtank – A young man “sees” a potential love interest for the first time through a fish tank.
Each finalist film delivers a fresh, light-hearted take on the Specsavers sight gag format and will premiere at Flickerfest’s flagship Bondi film festival from the 23rd of January February 1, with the winner of the competition being announced on the closing night of the festival.
“This is the third year of our partnership, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to work with the team at Specsavers again to be able to support and nurture Australian creative’s through this wonderful career initiative,” said Festival director Bronwyn Kidd.
“At Flickerfest we are committed to finding pathways to support Australian filmmakers beyond our festival and it’s fantastic to partner with Specsavers who support us in our vision to discover, reward and further career opportunities for Australian talent in such a meaningful way. I’m so excited to see audiences’ reactions to these talented finalist films over the coming weeks.”
“I want to extend a big thank you to all the talented directors who took the time to create and submit an entry to the competition. We were blown away by the quality of the submissions,” concluded Anri McHugh head of marketing awareness and consideration at Specsavers.
“By showcasing new creative voices through Flickerfest and inviting the public to be part of the decision, we’re not only celebrating emerging talent but also reinforcing the simple human insight at the heart of the ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ platform—that when people don’t see clearly, everyday moments can go humorously wrong.”
