68th Sydney Film Festival

The Sydney Film Festival Sydney Film Festival runs in cinemas 3–14 November 2021. SFF On Demand online program runs 12-21 November.

The 68th Sydney Film Festival with Screen Australia’s First Nations Department, and through a new partnership alignment with Deutsche Bank, continues to celebrate First Nations storytelling from Australia and around the world.

“Sydney Film Festival is committed to First Nations storytelling and proud to showcase these impactful films,” said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “From Australian First Nations filmmaker Larissa Behrendt’s rousing documentary following a group of NRL stars as they create a pre-game performance to meet the famous haka in Araatika: Rise Up!; to Canada-New Zealand production Night Raiders, a thrilling sci-fi tale of Indigenous resistance directed by Cree/Métis filmmaker Danis Goulet and executive produced by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, SFF 2014), to Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr’s powerful slow-burn thriller, Wild Indian, this year’s program of First Nations films deal engagingly with issues both contemporary and historical.”

“We are thrilled to invite cinephiles from across the country to enjoy SFF’s offering online this year: 56 feature-length films and 13 shorts from the Festival’s film strands.”

Staff picks

The First 54 years – An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation. A step-by-step guide to colonial occupation from director Avi Mograbi, using Israel’s 54-year occupation of the Palestinian territories as a case study.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye: The astonishing rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker featuring a barnstorming performance from Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty). TIFF 2021.

Shoplifters of the World: This heartfelt tribute to the music and lyrics of the Smiths tells the story of a fan who, devastated by the band’s split, hijacks a local radio station. Inspired by true events.

Best Summer Ever: A fresh take on the classic teen musical genre, packed with song and dance. A hit with the critics and winner at SXSW, Heartland, Portland and Sarasota Film Festivals.