Our Organisation

Sydney Film Festival takes place at its flagship venue the State Theatre, as well as cinemas in the CBD, Newtown, Cremorne, Randwick, and more, screening films you won’t usually find in the multiplex. 12 films are selected for the Official Competition, which celebrates “courageous, audacious and cutting-edge” cinema with a $60,000 cash prize. Sydney Film Festival also presents eight other cash awards over the course of the festival.

Sydney Film Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW; the Federal Government through Screen Australia; and City of Sydney the Festival’s Principal Local Government Partner. Sydney Film Festival also runs the Travelling Film Festival year-round, taking the best of international and Australian cinema to 22 regional centres around the country.

In 2026, Sydney Film Festival turns 73. Sydney will experience big feels with extraordinary cinema, red carpets, talks and parties with filmmakers all across Sydney including the iconic State Theatre.

Our commitment to an inclusive and welcoming Festival

Sydney Film Festival reflects the unique experiences of people, communities, and cultures across Australia and around the world through cinema. Amid global uncertainty and increased polarisation, film festivals like ours play an indispensable role in promoting ideas, discussions, and new connections.

With a proud 73-year history of bringing inspirational stories to our audiences, this year’s program features more than 240 films from 70 countries. We embrace bold storytelling that covers themes of identity, resistance, and social change, including the vital perspectives of First Nations filmmakers, whose voices are central to Australia’s cultural landscape. We champion filmmakers who confront difficult truths and share powerful experiences – whether exploring historical injustices, critiquing social conventions, or imagining entirely new worlds.

Stories and discussions of this nature will naturally provoke strong responses and sometimes disagreement. We believe that great art thrives in dialogue rather than silence, and we provide a platform where diverse voices can be heard lawfully and creatively. While we do not expect audiences to agree with every perspective presented, we do require all public discourse and engagement surrounding the festival to be held in a lawful manner.

The Sydney Film Festival has zero tolerance for racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, and any form of discrimination, harassment, or vilification based on gender, sexuality, disability, or cultural background. Our priority is to ensure the Festival remains an inclusive and welcoming environment for all audiences, filmmakers, volunteers, and staff.

We invite everyone to view the films with an open mind, to be inspired and sometimes challenged. To see the world through a different lens and engage in the shared joy of cinema.

Gillian Armstrong AM, Cate Blanchett AC, Bryan Brown AM, Jane Campion DNZM, Jan Chapman AO, Nicole Kidman AC, Baz Luhrmann, Dr George Miller AO, Sam Neill DCNZM OBE, Phillip Noyce AO, Rachel Ward AM, Hugo Weaving AO