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Filmmakers across Australia and around the world have just weeks to finalise their submissions for the 67th Sydney Film Festival (3 – 14 June 2020).

Each year, the Sydney Film Festival presents a diverse slate of films from Australia and around the world. In 2019, over 280 films from 63 countries were screened to an audience of more than 180,000.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the 2020 Sydney Film Festival. Entries are open to features, documentaries and short films. Get to it!

Submissions for the Festival are being accepted through FilmFestivalLife. Closing dates: 31 January 2020 for international productions, 28 February 2020 for Australian productions, Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, and Documentary Australia Foundation Award.

The 2020 season will mark the 51st year of the Festival’s Australian short film competition, making it the oldest short film competition in Australia. Since 1970, the competition has served as a launch pad for emerging Australian film talent, spring-boarding countless directors, producers and actors towards international success.

Entries are open to features, documentaries and short films in all categories of the Festival program, including competitive sections:

  • The Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF) Award for Australian Documentary. The prize is supported by Documentary Australia Foundation with a $10,000 cash partnership. Winners are Academy Award-eligible.
  • The Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films Live Action Award and Best Director (the Rouben Mamoulian Award) – both winners receive cash prizes of $7,000 sponsored by Dendy Cinemas, who have supported the Awards for 32 years. Winners are Academy Award-eligible.
  • The Yoram Gross Animation Award, named in memory of the Australian animation producer and director Yoram Gross, provides a $5,000 cash prize to the best Australian animated short film. Winners are Academy Award-eligible.
  • The Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award, which provides a cash prize of $5,000.

The Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films and the DAF Australian Documentary competition are open exclusively to Australian productions.

Before entering, Festival organisers urge all entrants to review the submission requirements closely, to ensure all entries meet premiere status and broader eligibility requirements. A small fee applies. Head to: www.sff.org.au/about/submissions for full eligibility criteria and submission details.

Sydney Film Festival encourages committed filmmakers to submit via FilmFestivalLife. With monthly subscriptions and pro accounts FilmFestivalLife is the smartest way to save money with a strategic approach. Join the platform where award-winning filmmakers and quality festivals meet.

DEADLINES

The closing dates for entries are:

  • International productions 31 January 2020
  • Australian productions 28 February 2020
  • Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films 28 February 2020
  • Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Best Documentary 28 February 2020