Sydney Film Festival 2027 submissions open with $205k prizes
The 74th Sydney Film Festival will unfold in cinemas across Sydney from 9 to 20 June 2027. Organizers have opened submissions for this edition and announced a record prize pool totaling $205,000, the largest in the festival's history. Filmmakers from Australia and around the world are invited to enter their work for consideration in the program that serves as a major Asia-Pacific platform.
The full $205,000 prize pool encompasses several key awards. Topping the list is the Sydney Film Prize valued at $60,000. The Sustainable Future Award offers $40,000 and holds the distinction of being the world's largest environmental film prize, supported by donors. Thanks to sponsor Truant Pictures, the First Nations Award has been raised by $5,000 to reach $40,000, establishing it as the largest cash prize available anywhere for First Nations filmmakers. Further awards include the Documentary Australia Award at $20,000, the Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award at $10,000 given by Screen NSW to an innovative NSW practitioner, and five Dendy Awards each providing $7,000.
Australia's longest-running short film competition features five Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, each worth $7,000. These comprise the Dendy Live Action Short Award for the best Australian fiction short film, the Rouben Mamoulian Award for best Australian short film director, the Yoram Gross Animation Award for best Australian animated short film, the AFTRS Craft Award for excellence by a craft practitioner in an Australian short film, and the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award for Screenwriting given to an emerging writer from the shortlist.
Submissions are accepted in multiple categories for features and documentaries of varying lengths. These include Australian Features in fiction over 40 minutes, International Features over 40 minutes, the Documentary Australia Award open to any length, the Sydney Film Festival First Nations Award at $40,000 courtesy of Truant Pictures, the Sustainable Future Award at $40,000 courtesy of donor support, and the Screenability Program dedicated to filmmakers living with disability.
International short filmmakers may submit to specialized categories such as FLUX: Art+Film, which accepts works under 15 minutes that are innovative, avant-garde or experimental. Another option is Freak Me Out for horror, action or cult arthouse pieces also limited to under 15 minutes.
Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley stated, “For more than 70 years, Sydney Film Festival has connected bold filmmakers with audiences ready to discover new work. Offering our biggest prize pool yet, including an increased First Nations Award, is a clear commitment to the artists who make this Festival what it is. We can’t wait to discover the films that will shape the 2027 program.”
As Australia’s only FIAPF accredited festival, the Sydney Film Festival serves as an Academy Award qualifying event and provides a major platform for films in the Asia-Pacific market. Past participants in 2026 included Andrey Zvyagintsev who accepted the Sydney Film Prize in person for Minotaur and Academy Award nominee Kleber Mendonça Filho who led the Official Competition jury. Every feature-length film selected is automatically considered for the Official Competition and thus eligible for the Sydney Film Prize of $60,000.
Submissions close on 26 February 2027 and must be made through the FilmFreeway platform. Fees apply for most programs and awards, though the Screenability and First Nations programs are fee-waived. Filmmakers are advised to review the complete eligibility requirements, including premiere status, prior to entry. All categories from Australian and international features to the Dendy Awards and Documentary Australia Award are available for submissions now.
