Celebrating its 71st year, the Sydney Film Festival (SFF) has launched the inaugural First Nations Award, proudly supported by Truant Pictures. This award establishes the world’s largest cash prize in global Indigenous filmmaking, providing $35,000 to the winning First Nations filmmaker. Sydney Film Festival Introduces Inaugural First Nations Award
All films, including short films, featured within the festival’s First Nations program automatically qualify for consideration for the award, with the winner announced at the SFF closing night on June 16.
Diversity is the hallmark of this year’s film lineup, ranging from homegrown Australian First Nations voices to Māori and Sámi narratives, offering diverse ideas and rich perspectives from Indigenous storytellers.
In a World Premiere screening, stars of “Once Were Warriors,” Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis, reunite for “Ka Whawhai Tonu,” an historical epic about Aotearoa’s first land war, when vastly outnumbered Māori fought against colonial soldiers.
In “The Convert,” Guy Pearce stars as a British preacher caught up in 1830s Māori wars in Lee Tamahori’s sweeping historical drama.
The haunting history of the Stolen Generations looms large in “The Moogai” when 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 feature debut arrives direct from SXSW and Sundance.
From Aotearoa/New Zealand comes the directorial debut of actor Rachel House (“Hunt for the Wilderpeople”), “The Mountain.” Executive produced by Taika Waititi, the film centers on three children discovering friendship’s healing power through the spirit of adventure as they trek through New Zealand landscapes.
Another Aotearoa feature produced by Taika Waititi, “We Were Dangerous” by director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, follows three defiant girls caught in New Zealand’s history of eugenics.
In the debut feature from Sara Margrethe, “Ellogierdu – The Tundra Within Me,” an artist returns to her childhood home, reconnecting with her Sámi heritage and finding love with a reindeer herder.
Three First Nations shorts, “First Horse” (Aotearoa), “Tayal Forest Club” (Taiwan), and “Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue” (Aotearoa), will also individually compete for the award.
Screen Australia’s head of First Nations, Angela Bates, expressed her excitement about continuing the organization’s partnership with the Sydney Film Festival. “Sydney Film Festival has a long history of showcasing First Nations filmmakers and stories through the First Nations Program, and we’re delighted to continue our partnership in presenting this year’s selection,” she said.
“Following The Moogai’s successful screenings at SXSW and Sundance, it’s fantastic to see it acknowledged with an Australian premiere at Sydney Film Festival – and presented alongside such a diverse program of powerful narratives from around the world. This marks yet another step in First Nations’ storytelling remarkable journey and its global impact.”
Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley also shared her eagerness about the festival’s push for greater representation while also being significantly proud to be offering the largest cash prize in global Indigenous filmmaking history.
“From historical epics to poignant documentaries and captivating shorts, this year’s First Nation films are brimming with diverse ideas and rich perspectives from Indigenous storytellers,” she said.
“With the introduction of the inaugural First Nations Award, generously supported by Truant Pictures, we’re proud to offer the largest cash prize in global Indigenous filmmaking history, highlighting our ongoing dedication to elevating Indigenous voices in cinema.”
Sydney Film Festival runs from 5-16 June 2024. Tickets and Flexi-passes to Sydney Film Festival 2024 are on sale now.
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