Rolling out the red carpet for 23 Film Festivals across NSW
The NSW Government is rolling out the red carpet for film lovers across the state as twenty-three community film festivals benefit from the Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund.
The Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund was introduced to support community film festivals ranging from genre-specific cinema to culturally diverse, regional, and emerging communities grow the reach and impact of their established film festivals.
This year’s recipients represent a wide range of festivals dedicated to celebrating cultural storytelling and engaging audiences with inspiring and thought-provoking films.
Festivals supported through the Fund are held right across the state, and include Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney, Lebanese Film Festival in Western Sydney, Perfect Light Film Festival in Broken Hill and Byron Bay International Film Festival in Byron Bay.
The Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund is part of the NSW Government’s broader commitment to develop and support the local film industry and build audiences and community engagement as part of the three-year NSW Screen & Digital Games Strategy.
The fund provides grants of up to $5,000 for established community film festivals to bring communities together in country cinemas and suburban centres to celebrate and connect through film.
Applications for the next round of the Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund will open later in 2025. More information on the fund can be found on the Screen NSW website.
Minister for the Arts John Graham said:
“We’re rolling out the red carpet to celebrate community film festivals across the state.
“The shared experience of a film festival is a powerful pull - your couch and TV just can’t match the exhilarating experience of attending a film festival.
“Community film festivals in particular play an important part in our rich cultural fabric, and their opening night events are an exciting opportunity to come together, roll out the red carpet and host a celebration for their audiences as well as showcase new work.
“Film fans across the state, from lovers of the iconic Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, to devotees of Penrith’s StarBurst Film Festival and Broken Hill’s Perfect Light Film Festival, will enjoy a chance to come together and celebrate their community with the support of this fund.”
Full list of Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund recipients:
- Africa Film Fest Australia (AFFA), Parramatta
- Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, Various locations across Sydney including Chippendale, Cremorne, Leichhardt, Moore Park, Paddington, Roseville and Warriewood
- Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Randwick
- Armenian Film Festival, Ryde
- Australian Women's Film Festival, Sydney
- Avoca Beach Theatre Annual French Film Festival, Avoca
- Bangalow Film Festival, Bangalow
- Byron Bay International Film Festival, Byron Bay
- Flickerfest Film Festival, Bondi and Mullumbimby
- Greek Film Festival, Leichhardt
- Inner West Film Fest, Marrickville
- Lebanese Film Festival, Bankstown
- Made in the West Film Festival, Liverpool
- Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sydney
- Perfect Light Film Festival, Broken Hill
- Persian Film Festival Australia, Leichhardt
- Polish Film Festival, Sydney
- Reelise Film Festival, Randwick
- SF3 - SmartFone Flick Fest, Paddington
- South African Film Festival, Randwick
- StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium, Penrith
- Sydney Underground Film Festival, Newtown
- Very Short Film Festival, Coffs Harbour