The fifth in the series of festivals staged in Sydney, the event added the word "international" to its title for the first time. The Australian International Video Festival (AIVF) was billed as Australia's only specialised exhibition event dedicated to promoting Australian and international video art and artists. Presented by Electronic Media Arts (Australia), the event also included the First Australian Electronic Media Arts Conference held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Speakers included Gene Yougblood, Woody and Steina Vasulka and Joan Brassil.

The conference also presented a related exhibition of electrronic works produced using the Amiga computer graphic video works and a Macintosh Hypercard interactive video disc installation.

German artist Ulrike Rosenbach attended as an artist in residence, and presented a work using six video monitors, entitled "Zenboiler, a Phenomenon of Energy".

Brian Langer curated the Videoteque held at the Australian Centre for Photography as a continuous screening of 90-120 minute programs which could be viewed in the theatrette via projection screen or on TV-style video monitors.

The program also included a retrospective of Woody and Steina Vasulka's video works, an anthology of video art from Japan, a retrospective of Peter Callas, work from the UK and Europe, and a selection of Australian video.