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We acknowledge Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF are based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

First Nations Award

Diverse ideas and rich perspectives from Indigenous storytellers.

This year, Sydney Film Festival is excited to launch the inaugural First Nations Award, proudly supported by Truant Pictures. This Award establishes the world largest cash prize in global Indigenous filmmaking, rewarding $35,000 to the winning First Nations filmmaker.

From homegrown First Nations voices to Māori and Sámi narratives – these films are brimming with diverse ideas and rich perspectives from Indigenous storytellers.

Aaliyah Bradbury, First Nations Program Adviser

FIRST NATIONS AWARD PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY TRUANT PICTURES

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Guest
Fri Jun 7 at 6:00pm State Theatre

The Convert

Feature Guy Pearce stars as a British preacher caught up in 1830s Māori wars in Lee Tamahori’s (Once Were Warriors, 1993; Mahana, SFF 2016) sweeping historical drama. Toronto 2023.
Guest
Sat Jun 8 at 8:30pm Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 5

The Moogai

Feature A malicious spirit enters the home of a young Indigenous couple with a newborn baby. Based on his SFF-winning short of the same name, writer-director Jon Bell’s striking feature debut arrives direct from SXSW and Sundance.
Guest
Sun Jun 9 at 9:30am State Theatre

The Mountain

Feature Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) makes her directorial debut with this riotous and colourful drama about three children discovering friendship's healing power through the spirit of adventure. From executive producer Taika Waititi.
Guest
Sun Jun 9 at 8:00pm Hayden Orpheum Cremorne - Cinema 5

The Convert

Feature Guy Pearce stars as a British preacher caught up in 1830s Māori wars in Lee Tamahori’s (Once Were Warriors, 1993; Mahana, SFF 2016) sweeping historical drama. Toronto 2023.
Guest
Sun Jun 9 at 8:45pm Dendy Newtown - Cinema 1

The Moogai

Feature A malicious spirit enters the home of a young Indigenous couple with a newborn baby. Based on his SFF-winning short of the same name, writer-director Jon Bell’s striking feature debut arrives direct from SXSW and Sundance.
Guest
Mon Jun 10 at 4:15pm Ritz Randwick - Cinema 5

The Mountain

Feature Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) makes her directorial debut with this riotous and colourful drama about three children discovering friendship's healing power through the spirit of adventure. From executive producer Taika Waititi.
Guest
Wed Jun 12 at 6:00pm Dendy Newtown - Cinema 3

Ellogierdu – The Tundra Within Me

Feature An artist returns to her childhood home, reconnecting with her Sámi heritage and finding love with a reindeer herder, in this strikingly beautiful Toronto-selected debut feature.
Wed Jun 12 at 6:00pm Dendy Newtown - Cinema 3

Tayal Forest Club

Short Film Taiwan’s first Indigenous female film director Laha Mebow (Gaga, SFF 2023) shares a coming-of-age tale full of Tayal characters, settings, and symbols, about the complexities arising from her community’s interactions with contemporary society.
Guest
Wed Jun 12 at 6:15pm Ritz Randwick - Cinema 5

The Convert

Feature Guy Pearce stars as a British preacher caught up in 1830s Māori wars in Lee Tamahori’s (Once Were Warriors, 1993; Mahana, SFF 2016) sweeping historical drama. Toronto 2023.
Guest
Thu Jun 13 at 6:00pm Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 9

We Were Dangerous

Feature From director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and executive producer Taika Waititi, We Were Dangerous is a funny yet frightening drama following three defiant girls caught in New Zealand’s history of eugenics.
Thu Jun 13 at 6:00pm Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 9

Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue

Short Film A young speech therapist disconnected from her Tongan heritage lies about her Tongan language skills to get a job. Out of her depth, she must find a way to communicate or else she risks her patient’s life. Sundance 2024.
Fri Jun 14 at 6:00pm Palace Norton Street - Cinema 3

Tayal Forest Club

Short Film Taiwan’s first Indigenous female film director Laha Mebow (Gaga, SFF 2023) shares a coming-of-age tale full of Tayal characters, settings, and symbols, about the complexities arising from her community’s interactions with contemporary society.
Guest
Fri Jun 14 at 6:00pm Palace Norton Street - Cinema 3

Ellogierdu – The Tundra Within Me

Feature An artist returns to her childhood home, reconnecting with her Sámi heritage and finding love with a reindeer herder, in this strikingly beautiful Toronto-selected debut feature.
Guest
Fri Jun 14 at 8:35pm Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 4

Ka Whawhai Tonu

Feature Once Were Warriors stars Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis reunite for a historical epic about Aotearoa's first land war, when vastly outnumbered Māori fought against colonial soldiers.
Guest
Sat Jun 15 at 1:00pm State Library of NSW

The Mountain

Feature Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) makes her directorial debut with this riotous and colourful drama about three children discovering friendship's healing power through the spirit of adventure. From executive producer Taika Waititi.
Sat Jun 15 at 3:30pm Dendy Newtown - Cinema 1

Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue

Short Film A young speech therapist disconnected from her Tongan heritage lies about her Tongan language skills to get a job. Out of her depth, she must find a way to communicate or else she risks her patient’s life. Sundance 2024.
Guest
Sat Jun 15 at 3:30pm Dendy Newtown - Cinema 1

We Were Dangerous

Feature From director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and executive producer Taika Waititi, We Were Dangerous is a funny yet frightening drama following three defiant girls caught in New Zealand’s history of eugenics.
Sat Jun 15 at 8:00pm Palace Central Cinemas - Cinema 1

Je'vida

Feature The first film shot entirely in the Skolt Sámi language, award-winning director Katja Gauriloff's Je'vida tells the story of a Sámi woman in Finland facing the past she struggled to hide.
Sat Jun 15 at 8:00pm Palace Central Cinemas - Cinema 1

First Horse

Short Film It’s 1826, and Aotearoa is on the cusp of colonisation. A young Māori girl’s encounter with a dying man and his horse exposes her to the best and worst of her rapidly changing world.
Sun Jun 16 at 2:30pm Palace Norton Street - Cinema 3

Je'vida

Feature The first film shot entirely in the Skolt Sámi language, award-winning director Katja Gauriloff's Je'vida tells the story of a Sámi woman in Finland facing the past she struggled to hide.
Sun Jun 16 at 2:30pm Palace Norton Street - Cinema 3

First Horse

Short Film It’s 1826, and Aotearoa is on the cusp of colonisation. A young Māori girl’s encounter with a dying man and his horse exposes her to the best and worst of her rapidly changing world.
Guest
Sun Jun 16 at 3:45pm Ritz Randwick - Cinema 5

Ka Whawhai Tonu

Feature Once Were Warriors stars Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis reunite for a historical epic about Aotearoa's first land war, when vastly outnumbered Māori fought against colonial soldiers.
Guest

The Convert

Feature Guy Pearce stars as a British preacher caught up in 1830s Māori wars in Lee Tamahori’s (Once Were Warriors, 1993; Mahana, SFF 2016) sweeping historical drama. Toronto 2023.
Guest

Ellogierdu – The Tundra Within Me

Feature An artist returns to her childhood home, reconnecting with her Sámi heritage and finding love with a reindeer herder, in this strikingly beautiful Toronto-selected debut feature.

First Horse

Short Film It’s 1826, and Aotearoa is on the cusp of colonisation. A young Māori girl’s encounter with a dying man and his horse exposes her to the best and worst of her rapidly changing world.

Je'vida

Feature The first film shot entirely in the Skolt Sámi language, award-winning director Katja Gauriloff's Je'vida tells the story of a Sámi woman in Finland facing the past she struggled to hide.
Guest

Ka Whawhai Tonu

Feature Once Were Warriors stars Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis reunite for a historical epic about Aotearoa's first land war, when vastly outnumbered Māori fought against colonial soldiers.

Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue

Short Film A young speech therapist disconnected from her Tongan heritage lies about her Tongan language skills to get a job. Out of her depth, she must find a way to communicate or else she risks her patient’s life. Sundance 2024.
Guest

The Moogai

Feature A malicious spirit enters the home of a young Indigenous couple with a newborn baby. Based on his SFF-winning short of the same name, writer-director Jon Bell’s striking feature debut arrives direct from SXSW and Sundance.
Guest

The Mountain

Feature Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) makes her directorial debut with this riotous and colourful drama about three children discovering friendship's healing power through the spirit of adventure. From executive producer Taika Waititi.

Tayal Forest Club

Short Film Taiwan’s first Indigenous female film director Laha Mebow (Gaga, SFF 2023) shares a coming-of-age tale full of Tayal characters, settings, and symbols, about the complexities arising from her community’s interactions with contemporary society.
Guest

We Were Dangerous

Feature From director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and executive producer Taika Waititi, We Were Dangerous is a funny yet frightening drama following three defiant girls caught in New Zealand’s history of eugenics.
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