Submissions Open For Sydney Film Festival 2027, With $205,000 Up For Grabs

Sydney Film Festival have officially opened their submissions for the 2027 festival, with filmmakers from Australia and around the world invited to submit their work.

Returning for its 74th edition, the June festival will premiere a compelling mix of features, documentaries, and short films, with eligible submissions going in the running to score in Sydney Film Festivals biggest prize pool yet, with a total of $205,000 on offer.

“For more than 70 years, Sydney Film Festival has connected bold filmmakers with audiences ready to discover new work,” said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. 

“Offering our biggest prize pool yet, including an increased First Nations Award, is a clear commitment to the artists who make this Festival what it is. We can’t wait to discover the films that will shape the 2027 program.” 

The Sydney Film Festival 2027 Prize Pool

Among the most prestigious of the festival’s 2027 awards are the Sydney Film Prize ($60,000), awarded to the most “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film; the Sustainable Future Award ($40,000), the world’s largest environmental film prize, recognising a film that deepens audiences’ knowledge and awareness of the impact of the global climate emergency; and the First Nations Award ($40,000), which stands as the largest cash prize in the world for First Nations filmmakers. 

Other notable prizes on offer nex year include the Documentary Australia Award ($20,000), which knowledges excellence in Australian documentary production; the five Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films ($7,000 each), which recognises the best Australian short film; and the Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award ($10,000), presented by Screen NSW to a trailblazing NSW-based screen practitioner. 

As Australia’s only FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) accredited festival, SFF is an Academy Award qualifying Festival and a major platform for films in the Asia-Pacific Market. 

Submitting To Sydney Film Festival

Submissions are open now via FilmFreeway until 26 February 2027 across all categories. Features and documentaries of any length can be submitted across the Festival program, and every feature-length film selected for the Festival will automatically be entered into the running for the Sydney Film Prize.

Otherwise, filmmakers should check the full eligibility requirements, including premiere status, before entering. Submission fees apply across all programs and awards, except for the Screenability and First Nations programs, which are fee-waived.

For more information, visit sff.org.au/info/submissions.