The winners of the 73rd Sydney Film Festival

After 12 days, with more than 100 filmmaker guests and – for the second year in a row – a record-breaking box office achievement, the 73rd Sydney Film Festival came to a spectacular conclusion at the State Theatre tonight. At the official closing night ceremony, the prestigious Sydney Film Prize was awarded in person to acclaimed Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev for his explosive thriller Minotaur.

The winner of the $60,000 cash prize for ‘audacious, cutting-edge and courageous’ film was selected by a prestigious international jury headed by Brazilian Oscar-nominated-film director, Kleber Mendonça Filho.

On awarding the Sydney Film Prize to prolific Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur, the Jury said in a joint statement:

“This is a film about something which unfortunately never goes out of style, which is power used to crush people. And it’s all done in a way that feels strongly Hitchcockian, strongly cinematic. The Sydney Film Prize goes to this chronicle of contemporary Russia which is Minotaur by Andrew Zvyagintsev.”

Known for his engrossing and provocative portraits of contemporary Russian society, Andrey Zvyagintsev has been a powerful force in international cinema since his Venice Gold Lion winning debut The Return in 2003. As well as screening Minotaur in competition, the 73rd Sydney Film Festival hosted a masterclass with Zvyagintsev prior to his win.

Making his first visit to Australia, Zvyagintsev was in Sydney to accept the award in person.

As part of Sydney Film Festival’s prestigious awards program, New Zealand and Australian filmmakers Mataslia Freshwater and Lachlan McLeod were awarded the Sustainable Future Award $40,000 cash prize, the largest environmental film prize in the world, for Sukundimi Walks Before Me, a powerful doc following an Indigenous PNG community’s campaign to preserve their future. The award is made possible by philanthropic support by Amanda Maple Brown, and The Guardian is the official media sponsor of the award.

Jury statement from jury members Amanda Maple Brown, Emma Camp, and Jordon Giusti: “Sukundimi Walks Before Me is an incredibly important and timely documentary depicting the immense power of grassroots resistance in a world deeply impacted by colonialism and corporate greed. Masterfully told with reverence and respect for the majestic Sepik River flowing throughout the film, it follows the individuals and communities fighting to save the river, and their livelihoods, from destruction by the proposed Frieda River Project by PanAust, a Brisbane-based, Chinese owned mining company.”

The 2026 recipient of the $20,000 Documentary Australia Award was announced as Australian filmmaker Vee Shi, for Time and Tide, a compelling, hybrid docu-drama on a multigenerational family navigating the pressures of familial obligation.

The jury, comprised of Ben Lawrence, Hannah Buck, and Kiki Fung remarked: “The Jury thoroughly enjoyed the range of films presented in the program for the Documentary Australia award.

This year’s award goes to a film that challenged our ideas of what documentary can be and what it can do. This transcendent work delivered raw and authentic emotion, demonstrating the capacity of filmmaking not only to capture a process of healing, but also to create the conditions for it.

At once a deeply personal and intimate family portrait, the film also painted a broader picture of the collective experience of contemporary China. For these reasons, together with its bold formal vision and impeccable visual language, the Jury is proud to present the Documentary Australia Award to Time and Tide.”

The recipient of the largest cash prize for First Nations filmmaking, the $35,000 First Nations Award proudly supported by Truant Pictures, is Banchi Hanuse for Ceremony, a hybrid film that traces memory, ceremony, and the ripples of colonialism.

The jury, comprised of Beck Cole, Mark Coles Smith, and Shozo Ichiyama, remarked: “This year’s program showcased an extraordinary selection of new works that celebrated and solidified the visions of First Nation film makers from across the world. What made this year’s selection particularly special, was seeing the strong presence of Indigenous creatives through out all aspects of the production process, signalling a new chapter of shared storytelling and community strength in our industry. As a striking example of this broader theme, the Jury have determined the feature documentary Ceremony Directed by Banchi Hanuse as the winner of this year’s First Nations Award. Filmed across ten years, and utilising a range of immersive storytelling techniques, Ceremony is a deeply layered, complex and intimate journey into the history and landscape of the Nuxalk people. A moving declaration of sovereignty that leaves you championing for the hearts and homeland of her community. “

Also acknowledged at the ceremony were the five short film prizes awarded for The Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films at a ceremony held on Saturday night.

The $7,000 Dendy Live Action Short Award was awarded to Maŋutji (Catching Eyes), directed by Siena Mayutu Wumarri Stubbs.

The $7,000 Yoram Gross Animation Award was awarded to Our Choir Has Always Been Travelling, directed by Judith Pungarta Inkamala, Marjorie ’Nunga’ Williams and Nelson Armstrong, who were also was awarded The Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award for Screenwriting as co-writers on the film, with an additional cash prize of $7,000.

The $7,000 Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director was presented to Cristabel Sved, director of Date 3.

The AFTRS Craft Award for Best Practitioner (a $7,000 cash prize) went to Angelina Kovacs and Sophie Ravant, production designers of Flesh Fruit.

The jury, comprised of Emilie Lesclaux, David Ma, and Leela Varghese, remarked: “Australia is a vast country. Sometimes we forget that there are communities and lives incomprehensibly different from our own. In these films, we see that life can be unsettling, painful, wacky, sensual, and tender. We want to give a special mention to all the actors who embodied these feelings. In each film, the performances were wonderful. It is a generous act to share your little plot of life, and we want to express our gratitude to all the filmmakers for doing so. In the end, we were moved by the films driven by love. A love for their home, their community, and their people.”

The $10,000 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award, bestowed by Screen NSW to a trail-blazing NSW-based screen practitioner, went to writer/director Fadia Abboud