SFF takes risks, curating films that platform under-represented voices and tackle provocative and important topics. The audience relies on the Festival to deliver films that open our eyes to new ideas and diverse perspectives. It aims to push back against mono-cultural on-screen representation and deliver a Festival that reflects the diversity of our community and celebrates its differences.

Donations from individuals help the Festival play an active role in effecting change, improving access and creating opportunities for people to work with SFF. If you’d like to support an SFF initiative or if you’d like to speak to someone in our Philanthropy and Partnerships Team to find out more, please get in touch via the contact details at the bottom of this page.

THE ARCHIVES RENEWAL

As SFF evolves and grows, understanding the Festival’s extraordinary heritage and finding new ways to share its story are crucial to its future. The Archives Renewal Project honours this legacy. It aims to document, preserve, share and celebrate SFF’s remarkable journey from film society gathering to iconic international Festival – a story made up of not only films, talks and filmmaker guests, but a community of passionate film lovers and thousands of transformative cinematic experiences. Read more about the project and make a donation on the Archives Renewal page or visit the revitalised Living Archive website.

SFF DATA SYNDICATE
supported by Nick and Sandra Fairfax, The Ivany Foundation, Anne and Mark Lazberger and WeirAnderson Foundation

One of Sydney Film Festival’s key strategic priorities is to redesign and re-establish its data systems and digital resources. Facing an increasingly virtual and dramatically disrupted post-pandemic landscape, SFF’s digital capabilities are in urgent need of an overhaul to keep the Festival competitive, agile and viable.

The SFF Data Syndicate is a collective of major donors who are providing significant funds to support SFF’s acquisition of a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) system and marketing automation platform. These tools will allow SFF to use data to create more intelligent and effective marketing campaigns, which will help the Festival find and engage new audiences. With the Data Syndicate’s generous support, SFF aims to become a cultural sector leader in data science and digital marketing.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
supported by Andrew Cameron AM and Cathy Cameron

Andrew and Cathy Cameron are committed to helping passionate young arts workers develop their skills to further their careers and to help build sustainable arts organisations. Their generous gift to Sydney Film Festival provides support for a full-time position in the Festival’s Development Team, where the recipient will learn the business of building a strong and resilient arts sector through philanthropy and sponsorship and help to grow a secure financial base for SFF.

SFF PROGRAMMER
supported by Animal Logic Entertainment

With the generous support of an Animal Logic Entertainment Fellowship, SFF has created a new position for an emerging programmer with a view to developing their career through first-hand experience and mentoring opportunities.

PROMOTING GENDER EQUITY IN THE SCREEN SECTOR
supported by the Women’s Giving Collective

Sydney Film Festival is determined to use its formidable and respected platform to help support and promote female filmmakers in order to reach 50/50 representation of female and male filmmakers in the screen sector. The Women’s Giving Collective provides funds to underpin SFF’s four key pillars of focus to make this happen:

• SFF nurtures women in film through industry events which help women build networks both in Australia and across the world – Europe! Voices of Women in Film networking events, festival industry events, panel discussions on issues facing women in the industry.
• SFF empowers women in film through seeking out partnerships and opportunities for the festival to support and champion mentoring programs
• SFF promotes the work of women in film through conscious programming including Europe! Voice of Women in Film, David Stratton’s Ten Trailblazers in 2019, and through public talks.
• SFF celebrates women in film through exhibitions, dinners, panel discussions and events.

Women’s Giving Collective donors make a $3,000 annual donation which helps the Festival to champion new initiatives and host panel discussions, exhibitions and filmmaker networking events. It also supports the Europe! Women In Film filmmaker attendance at each Festival. If you’d like to know more, please get in touch using the contact details below.

TRAVELLING FILM FESTIVAL
supported by Anthony and Suzanne Maple-Brown

43 years ago, SFF Director David Stratton threw some film reels in the back of his car and set off to present SFF films across regional Australia. Thus emerged the Travelling Film Festival. Now, all these years later, TFF still brings features and documentaries to remote areas, facilitating discussion and social cohesion through shared experiences. If you’d like to support the Travelling Film Festival, you can make a donation to directly support the Festival which tours to 22 regional locations across NSW, QLD and NT.

The ongoing support of Anthony and Suzanne Maple-Brown enables the Festival to connect regional audiences with filmmakers through guest attendance at NSW TFF locations (or filmmakers videos in their absence). The Festival is seeking similar gifts to secure the same benefit for regional audiences in Queensland and NT.

ACCESS and INCLUSION
supported by Vivienne Selwyn

Through Vivienne’s generous support, SFF has developed a Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) which provides a framework for the Festival’s ongoing commitment to improving access and inclusion across its program. Ongoing support from Vivienne enables the Festival to continually improve accessibility across the organisation and its program.

OTHER INITIATIVES

Other Sydney Film Festival initiatives that are increasing our reach and range of perspectives include a focus on Indigenous voices through the First Nations Program, drawing attention to critical issues across the globe through International Documentaries, and highlighting voices of filmmakers with disability in Screenability. If you’d like to support one of these initiatives, please get in touch with the Philanthropy and Partnerships Team.