Ever fancied seeing your work on the big screen? Or are you just fancy? It’s only 4 weeks until the prestigious Sydney Film Festival closes entries for their 2017 consideration. “Whether it be a feature film debut, the latest short, or an immersive documentary, the Festival encourages all interested filmmakers to submit their films for consideration ahead of the deadline,” says festival director Nashen Moodley. The festival this year runs from 7 – 18 June, and promises to be even bigger than last year’s huge selection.
Entries are open to features, documentaries and short films (under 40 minutes) in all categories of the Festival program, including:
- The Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF) Award for Australian Documentary. The competition is supported by Documentary Australia Foundation with a $10,000 cash prize for the winner.
- The Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films Live Action Award and Best Director (the Rouben Mamoulian Award) – both winners receive cash prizes of $7,000 sponsored by Dendy Cinemas, who have supported the Awards for 29 years. The winner of the Live Action Award is eligible for Academy Award consideration.
- The Yoram Gross Animation Award, named in memory of the Australian animation producer and director Yoram Gross, provides a $5,000 cash prize to the best Australian animated short film. Winners are Academy Award-eligible.
- The Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award (cash prize $5,000).
Both the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films and the DAF Australian Documentary competition are open exclusively to Australian films. Last year’s festival screened 250 films were screened to an audience of almost 180,000 – so there’s always a chance your film could be the next festival hit.
READ MORE: Our full coverage of Sydney Film Festival 2016
While it won’t seem like festival time until the rain conclusively settles into Sydney, filmmakers will have to think ahead. SFF advises that a small fee applies, and before entering, Festival organisers urge all entrants to read the submission requirements closely to ensure that all entries meet premiere status and broader eligibility requirements.
Head to: http://www.sff.org.au/submissions for full eligibility criteria and submission details
