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{{Short description|Annual film festival held in Sydney, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox film festival
| name             = Sydney Film Festival
| logo             = Sydney Film Festival logo.svg
| image            = 
| image_size       = 
| caption          =
| number           = 
| host             = 
| directors        = Nashen Moodley
| location         = Sydney, Australia
| founded          = 1954
| awards           = The Sydney Film Prize
| language         = International
| date           = Opening: {{Start date|2025|6|4|df=y}} <br/> Closing: {{End date|2025|6|15|df=y}}
| website          = https://www.sff.org.au/
| chronology       = 
| main             = Current: [[72nd Sydney Film Festival]] 
| previous         = [[71st Sydney Film Festival|71st]]
| next             = 73rd
}}

The '''Sydney Film Festival''' is an annual competitive [[film festival]] held in [[Sydney|Sydney, Australia]], usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize.

{{as of|2023}}, the festival's director is Nashen Moodley.<ref name="sff2023">{{Cite web |date=20 June 2023 |title=The winners of the 70th Sydney Film Festival |url=https://www.sff.org.au/info/blog/the-winners-of-the-70th-sydney-film-festival/ |website=Sydney Film Festival}}</ref>

==History==
Influenced by the experience of Australian film makers with the [[Edinburgh Film Festival]] since 1947 and the festival connected with the annual meeting of the Australian Council of Film Societies held at [[Olinda, Victoria|Olinda]] in the [[Dandenong Ranges]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] in 1952, later [[Melbourne International Film Festival]], a committee sprang from the Film Users Association of New South Wales to establish a film festival in Sydney. The committee included [[Alan Stout (philosopher)|Alan Stout]], Professor of Philosophy at [[The University of Sydney]], filmmakers [[John Heyer]] and John Kingsford Smith, and Federation of Film Societies secretary David Donaldson.<ref name="Kaufman">{{cite journal | journal=Senses of Cinema | publisher=Senses of Cinema Inc | title=Looking Back, Looking Forward: the Sydney Film Festival at 50 | author=Kaufman, Tina | date=May 2003 | volume=26 | url=http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/festival-reports/sydneyff_50_preview/ | access-date=25 April 2005
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050415114242/http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/03/26/sydneyff_50_preview.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> | archive-date = 15 April 2005}}</ref> Under the direction of Donaldson, the inaugural festival opened on 11 June 1954 and was held over four days, with screenings at Sydney University. Attendance was at full capacity with 1,200 tickets sold at one guinea each.<ref name="Kaufman"/>

By 1958, the festival attracted its first international sponsored guest, [[Paul Rotha]], and advertising into the festival catalogue. The following year, the program expanded to seventeen days and by 1960 exceeded 2,000 subscribers with the introduction of the Opening Night feature film and party.<ref name=Webber-p7/> Censorship difficulties arose in the mid-1960s and continued until such time as the festival was granted exemption from censorship in 1971.<ref name=Webber-p9>Webber (2005), p. 9</ref>

From inception until 1967, the University remained the annual home of the festival. The following year, the festival moved to the Wintergarden in [[Rose Bay, New South Wales|Rose Bay]] where it remained for the ensuing five years. The historic [[State Theatre (Sydney)|State Theatre]] became the home of the festival in 1974,<ref name="Kaufman"/> and remains one of the festival venues to date.<ref name="state">{{cite web
 | url = http://www.statetheatre.com.au/HistoryGallery.aspx | title = History/Gallery – 1970s | year = 2010
 | work = State Theatre website | publisher = State The Theatre | access-date = 8 June 2011}}</ref> In 2007, the festival introduced a series of live gigs, shows and cabaret-style screening at the nearby Metro Theatre.

Owing to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]], the 2020 festival staged a reduced, online-only version, and in 2021 was delayed to open on 3 November with the audience limited first to 75 per cent capacity, increasing to 100 per cent from 8–21 November. The films were also available online.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Festival info| website=Sydney Film Festival|url=https://www.sff.org.au/info/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022043248/https://www.sff.org.au/info/|archive-date= 22 October 2021|url-status=unfit}}</ref>

==Description==
The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre, and includes [[feature films|features]], [[Documentary film|documentaries]], [[short films]], retrospectives, films for families and animations. Films are shown at venues across the [[Sydney central business district|Sydney CBD]], with films shown at the Dendy Opera Quays, [[Event Cinemas]] in George Street, the [[Art Gallery of New South Wales]], [[Ritz Cinema, Randwick|Ritz Cinemas]], [[Sydney Town Hall]], the [[Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney|Museum of Contemporary Art]] as well as the [[State Theatre (Sydney)|State Theatre]].{{cn|date=November 2021}}

{{as of|2023}} the festival's director is Nashen Moodley,<ref name="sff2023"/><ref name=abc2021>{{cite web | last=Jefferson | first=Dee | title=Sydney Film Festival's top prize goes to Mohammad Rasoulof's There Is No Evil, about capital punishment in Iran  | website=ABC News| publisher =[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date=14 November 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-14/sydney-film-festival-winners-mohammad-rasoulof-there-is-no-evil-/100619590 | access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> who commenced in early 2012, replacing [[Clare Stewart]].<ref name="SMH-2011-12-18">{{cite news |author=Gibbs, Ed |title=Festival boss will divide and conquer |date=18 December 2011 |access-date=3 February 2012 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/festival-boss-will-divide-and-conquer-20111217-1ozs8.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald }}</ref>

Patrons of the festival include [[Gillian Armstrong]], [[Cate Blanchett]], [[Jane Campion]], [[Nicole Kidman]], [[Baz Luhrmann]], [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]], and [[Sam Neill]] among others.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Organisation|url=https://www.sff.org.au/about/our-organisation/|access-date=2021-11-05|website=Sydney Film Festival|language=en}}</ref>

==Competition and film prizes==
Although a small number of prizes existed from the mid–1980s, prior to 2007, the Sydney Film Festival was classified by the [[FIAPF|International Federation of Film Producers Associations]] (FIAPF) as a Non-Competitive Feature Film Festival. On 10 September 2007, the Festival announced it had received funding from the New South Wales Government to host an official international competition, which rewarded "new directions in film". The FIAFP has since classified the Sydney Film Festival as a Competitive Specialised Feature Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fiapf.org/intfilmfestivals_2011_sites02.asp |title=Competitive Specialised Feature Film Festival |work=International Film Festival |publisher=FIAPF |year=2011 |access-date=5 July 2011}}</ref>

{{as of|2024}} the total prize pool was worth {{AUD|200,000}}. Prizes were awarded in the following categories:<ref name=awards2024>{{cite web | title=Awards | website=Sydney Film Festival | date=24 June 2024 | url=https://www.sff.org.au/program/awards/ | access-date=20 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211234924/https://www.sff.org.au/program/awards/| archive-date=11 Feb 2025| url-status=live}}</ref>
* Sydney Film Prize (awarded to the most "audacious, cutting-edge, and courageous" film in the Official Competition; endorsed by FIAPF): {{AUD|60,000}} cash prize
* Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award (for a filmmaker based in New South Wales "whose work stands for innovation, imagination and high impact"): {{AUD|10,000}} cash prize
* Documentary Australia Award for Australian documentary: {{AUD|20,000}} cash prize
* Sustainable Future Award: {{AUD|40,000}} cash prize
* First Nations Award, supported by Truant Pictures (new in 2024; the largest cash prize for Indigenous filmmaking in the world, open to First Nations filmmakers from around the globe): {{AUD|35,000}}
* Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films:
**Dendy Live Action Short Award: {{AUD|7,000}} cash prize
**Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director (named after Armenian-American film and theatre director [[Rouben Mamoulian]],<ref name=sff2011-news3>{{cite web |url=http://www.sff.org.au/public/news/sydney-film-festival-2011-announces-winners-of-the-dendy,-yoram-gross-animation-crc-awards/ |title=Sydney Film Festival 2011 announces winners of the Dendy, Yoram Gross Animation & CRC Awards |work=News |publisher=Sydney Film Festival |date=19 June 2011 |access-date=5 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316174628/http://www.sff.org.au/public/news/sydney-film-festival-2011-announces-winners-of-the-dendy,-yoram-gross-animation-crc-awards/ |archive-date=16 March 2012  }}</ref> who first presented the award in 1974): {{AUD|7,000}} cash prize
**Yoram Gross Animation Award (sponsored by Sandra and Guy Gross in honour of [[Yoram Gross]]): {{AUD|7,000}} cash prize<ref name=awards2024/>
**[[AFTRS]] Craft Award: {{AUD|7,000}} cash prize
* Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award 
*[[GIO Insurance|GIO]] Audience awards (announced in the week after the festival):<ref name=awards2024/>
**Audience Award for Best Australian Feature
**Audience Award for Best Documentary
**Audience Award for Best International Feature
**Audience Award for Best International Documentary

Past awards have included:
* The CRC Award for Best Australian Feature-length Film with a Multicultural Perspective (presently sponsored by the Community Relations Commission For a Multicultural NSW) – established in 1992<ref name=sff2011-news3/>
* Peter Rasmussen Innovation Award – established in 2009<ref name=sff2011-news4>{{cite web |url=http://www.sff.org.au/public/news/2011-peter-rasmussen-innovation-award-winner/ |title=2011 Peter Rasmussen Innovation Award winner |work=News |publisher=Sydney Film Festival |date=19 June 2011 |access-date=5 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316174637/http://www.sff.org.au/public/news/2011-peter-rasmussen-innovation-award-winner/ |archive-date=16 March 2012  }}</ref>

===Winners of the Sydney Film Prize===
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2023}}
{| class="wikitable" 
! Year
! Film
! Director
! Countrie(s)
! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Hunger (2008 film)|Hunger]]''
| [[Steve McQueen (director)|Steve McQueen]]
| Ireland, United Kingdom
|
|-
| 2009 
| ''[[Bronson (film)|Bronson]]'' 
| [[Nicolas Winding Refn]]
| United Kingdom
|
|-
| 2010 
| ''[[Heartbeats (2010 film)|Heartbeats]]''
| [[Xavier Dolan]]
| Canada
| <ref>{{Cite web |date=14 June 2010 |title=Heartbeats takes Sydney Film Fest prize |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-06-14/heartbeats-takes-sydney-film-fest-prize/866898 |website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2011 
| ''[[A Separation]]''
| [[Asghar Farhadi]]
| Iran
|
|-
| 2012 
| ''[[Alps (film)|Alps]]''
| [[Yorgos Lanthimos]]
| Greece
|
|-
| 2013
| ''[[Only God Forgives]]'' 
| [[Nicolas Winding Refn]]
| Denmark, France
|
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Two Days, One Night]]'' 
| [[Dardenne brothers]]
| Belgium, France, Italy
| <ref>{{Cite web |date=15 June 2014 |title=Two Days, One Night wins Sydney Film comp |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/two-days-one-night-wins-sydney-film-comp/8wce2doqm |website=[[SBS News]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Arabian Nights (2015 film)|Arabian Nights]]'' 
| [[Miguel Gomes (director)|Miguel Gomes]]
| Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Aquarius (film)|Aquarius]]''  
| [[Kleber Mendonça Filho]]
| Brazil, France
|
|-
| 2017
| ''[[On Body and Soul]]''
| [[Ildikó Enyedi]]
| Hungary
|
|-
| 2018
| ''[[The Heiresses (2018 film)|The Heiresses]]''
| [[Marcelo Martinessi]]
| Paraguay
|
|-
|  2019
| ''[[Parasite (2019 film)|Parasite]]''
| [[Bong Joon-ho]]
| South Korea
|
|-
| 2020
|colspan="3" align="center" {{N/A|''Festival cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia|COVID-19 outbreak]]''}}
|-
| 2021
| ''[[There Is No Evil]]''
| [[Mohammad Rasoulof]]
| Germany, Czech Republic, Iran
|
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Close (2022 film)|Close]]''
| [[Lukas Dhont]]
| Belgium, France, Netherlands
| <ref>{{Cite web |last=Tulich |first=Katherine |date=2022-06-19 |title=Lukas Dhont's 'Close' Wins Best Film Prize at Sydney Festival |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/close-sydney-film-festival-1235298223/ |access-date=4 July 2023 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228051913/https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/close-sydney-film-festival-1235298223/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 2023
| ''[[The Mother of All Lies]]''
| [[Asmae El Moudir]]
| Morocco, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
| <ref name="sff2023"/>
|-
| 2024
| ''[[There's Still Tomorrow]]''
| [[Paola Cortellesi]]
| Italy
| <ref>Sandy George, [https://www.screendaily.com/news/the-buzziest-films-with-australian-audiences-at-the-sydney-film-festival-2024/5194592.article "The buzziest films with Australian audiences at the Sydney Film Festival 2024"]. ''[[Screen Daily]]'', 17 June 2024.</ref>
|-
| 2025
| ''[[It Was Just an Accident]]''
| [[Jafar Panahi]]
| Iran, France, Luxembourg
| 
|}

==Festival directors==
{{col-start}}
{{col-break}}
* David Donaldson (1954–1957)<ref name="Kaufman"/>
* Valwyn Edwards (1958)<ref name=Webber-p7>Webber (2005), p. 7</ref>
* [[Sylvia Lawson]] and Robert Connell (1959)<ref name=Webber-p7/>
* Lois Hunter (1960)<ref name=Webber-p7/>
* Patricia Moore (1961)<ref name=Webber-p8>Webber (2005), p. 8</ref>
* Ian Klava (1962–1965) – Inaugural full-time paid director<ref name=Webber-p8/>
* [[David Stratton]] (1966–1983)<ref name=Webber-p8/><ref name=Webber-p11>Webber (2005), p. 11</ref>
{{col-break}}
* Rod Webb (1984–1988)
* Paul Byrnes (1989–1998)
* Gayle Lake (1999–2004)
* Lynden Barber (2005–2006)
* [[Clare Stewart]] (2007–2011)<ref name="SMH-2011-05-25">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/reel-deal--film-festival-finds-its-footing-20110524-1f2cw.html |title=Reel deal – film festival finds its footing |date=25 May 2011 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Maddox, Garry |author-link=Garry Maddox |access-date=11 July 2011 }}</ref>
* Nashen Moodley (2012–present)<ref name="SMH-2011-12-18"/>
{{col-end}}

==See also==
*[[Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival]]

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book | author = Gillan, Edward (designer) | title = An Oral history of the Sydney Film Festival: 40 years of film  | publisher = Sydney: Sydney Film Festival | year = 1993| isbn = 0-9596235-1-5 |pages=32}}
* {{cite thesis | title=A History of the Sydney Film Festival, 1954–1983 | author=Webber, Pauline | url=https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/20050/1/01front.pdf | year=2005 | type=MA | publisher=[[University of Technology Sydney]]  }}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sff.org.au/ Official Site]

{{Sydney Film Festival}}
{{film festivals}}
{{Sydney events}}
<!-- {{coord missing|New South Wales}} not a place -->

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sydney Film Festival| ]]
[[Category:Film festivals in Sydney]]
[[Category:1954 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Film festivals established in 1954]]