The Director’s Chair – Conversations with the world’s leading filmmakers

Sydney-born filmmaker Amy Wang won big at SXSW Austin with her debut feature Slanted, about a Chinese-American aspiring prom queen who undergoes ‘ethnic modification surgery’. After presenting the film in her hometown, Amy took to The Director’s Chair to talk about the harrowing event that inspired the story and the experience of working with rising star McKenna Grace.

After winning the Audience Award in the World Cinema Competition at Sundance, North Macedonian hit DJ Ahmet made its Australian debut in-competition at the Sydney Film Festival. Director Georgi M. Unkovski speaks about the many years that story took to come together, and the unexpected film that inspired him to enter the business.

10 Sydney Film Festival 2025 titles have earned Oscar nominations, including four films in both the international feature and feature documentary categories.