First Frame to Festival Fame

Since 1954, Sydney Film Festival has been a proud champion of emerging Australian filmmakers, offering a vital platform for new voices to be seen, heard, and celebrated. To further encourage Australian talent, in 1970 a dedicated program and competition for Australian Short Films was introduced.

Now recognised as the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, the program has become a cornerstone of the Festival’s identity, launching the careers of many of Australia’s most influential filmmakers – this strand has seen early works from Jane Campion DNZM, Phil Noyce, Gillian Armstrong AM, Warwick Thornton, Kriv Stenders and Chris Noonan to name a few!

That ripple effect continues today. Sophie Somerville, a two-time Dendy winner (2021, 2023) returned to Sydney Film Festival in 2025 with her debut feature Fwends. On her experience Sophie writes:

“It was the first validation I ever got… I had a really positive, wholesome experience… I was reminded why making films is a good idea… I was able to keep making things and be like, ‘Oh, well, maybe it’ll get into Sydney again’ and I’ll get to have that fun experience and have an audience who will come and see it.”

“Having the Australian premiere of my first feature film in our most iconic building, the Opera House was such an amazing, generous, unexpected thing, and so inspiring for our small team and emerging filmmakers like me striving to find love and appreciation for their work.”

Sydney Film Festival’s work to platform Short Films extends beyond this dedicated competition and forms part of its overall curation, pairing Short Films alongside features throughout the program. This opens more doors for filmmakers to get their stories on the big screen. 

One of the greatest trajectories seen here was George Miller’s short Violence in the Cinema Part 1 screened at the 1972 Festival. Miller recalls: 

“Had that not happened, it would not have been taken up by Greater Union and released commercially. It was the thing that triggered us into doing a feature, which ultimately was Mad Max. It was a direct sequence of events.”

Empowering moments like these for Australian filmmakers is a passionate community of supporters who believe in the magic of storytelling and the importance of giving new voices a chance to shine.

In 2021, with the generous support of Animal Logic Entertainment (ALE), SFF created a dedicated role to strengthen the Shorts Program selection process, whilst nurturing a career in film curation and festival programming.

Since its inception, the Animal Logic Entertainment Fellowship has been held by Paul Matereke. Paul’s work as SFF’s Short Film Programmer has helped hundreds of filmmakers find their audience and gain confidence at a critical stage in their careers. Paul views and carefully considers every single submission to the Dendy Awards, which in 2025 alone totalled 520 films! 

“We are proud to support Sydney Film Festival through the Animal Logic Entertainment Fellowship. We began supporting the Fellowship in 2021 to enable the Festival to continue its excellence in short film programming, over the years we have been excited by the calibre of films that have come through the Dendy Shorts Program as well as the work of Paul the Fellow. Our continued support reflects a belief not only in the impact of the short film program for emerging filmmakers, but also in the importance of having a position to curate the now over 500 short films being submitted.”

Zareh Nalbandian, Founder and CEO, Animal Logic Entertainment’

Since garnering awards recognition for his leading performance in Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow, SFF Director’s Patron Orion Lee has founded charity Constellation Creatives.

Constellation Creatives is dedicated to promoting greater understanding of our shared humanity through film and television, championing the idea that screen stories are how we connect, gain empathy, and see the world through new eyes. 

Through Constellation’s support, winners of the Dendy Awards gain access to the Director’s Lab community – an energising group of film lovers, industry, and emerging philanthropists. This is where a short-film triumph can blossom into a network, a mentorship, and the next opportunity.

“We have partnered with Sydney Film Festival which champions diverse voices and provides a platform for emerging storytellers to showcase their talent and advance their careers. This includes support for initiatives such as the Director’s Lab, which nurtures new filmmaking talent.”

Orion Lee

The Director’s Lab is for anyone who believes in building the next generation of filmmakers and wants to play an active role in Sydney Film Festival’s commitment to discovering and supporting new talent. This growing community of donors is endorsed by Ambassadors Nash Edgerton, Mirrah Foulkes, Damon Herriman and Mia Wasikowsa. 

Their contribution includes an annual donation and ticketing package, and collectively they have big impact on what Sydney Film Festival achieves each year. Find out more about the Director’s Lab here

As we look to the future, SFF’s vision remains clear: to amplify new voices and build a more inclusive film community. With continued philanthropic support, we’ll keep opening doors and unlocking audiences for the storytellers of tomorrow.

Want to be part of this story? Consider making a one-off donation in support of Sydney Film Festival’s ongoing work to platform new voices or take a bigger step and join the Director’s Lab – a dedicate space for supporting emerging filmmakers at Sydney Film Festival.