Our Organisation

Sydney Film Festival takes place at its flagship venue the State Theatre, as well as cinemas in the CBD, Newtown, Cremorne, Randwick, and more, screening films you won’t usually find in the multiplex. 12 films are selected for the Official Competition, which celebrates “courageous, audacious and cutting-edge” cinema with a $60,000 cash prize. Sydney Film Festival also presents eight other cash awards over the course of the festival.

Sydney Film Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW; the Federal Government through Screen Australia; and City of Sydney the Festival’s Principal Local Government Partner. Sydney Film Festival also runs the Travelling Film Festival year-round, taking the best of international and Australian cinema to 22 regional centres around the country.

In 2025, Sydney Film Festival turns 72. Sydney will experience big feels with extraordinary cinema, red carpets, talks and parties with filmmakers all across Sydney including the iconic State Theatre.

Sydney Film Festival reflects the unique experiences of people, communities and cultures across Australia and around the world through cinema.

Storytelling has always been one of the crucial ways for us to comprehend and navigate challenging times, because the empathy embedded within stories connects us deeply to one another. When we experience these stories together in a packed cinema, that feeling of community is even more pronounced.

SFF is proud to offer a stage for emerging talent and established filmmakers from diverse cultural backgrounds whose viewpoints might otherwise go unseen. There’s never been a better time for us to listen to one another, and to experience the sheer multiplicity of voices across the more than 200 films from 69 countries that SFF presented this year.

These films will generate a wide range of reactions and interpretations. We all share a responsibility to be respectful of other opinions, ensuring that everyone involved with the Festival has a positive experience.

This year more than ever, we encourage you to get out of your comfort zone, engage in constructive dialogue, and be inspired and challenged by the films you see.

Gillian Armstrong AM, Cate Blanchett AC, Bryan Brown AM, Jane Campion DNZM, Jan Chapman AO, Nicole Kidman AC, Baz Luhrmann, Dr George Miller AO, Sam Neill DCNZM OBE, Phillip Noyce AO, Rachel Ward AM, Hugo Weaving AO