Made in the West FAQs

Are you wondering when the festival is? Made in the West Film Festival's Opening Night event is held at the end of November each year, kicking off a marathon summer season of Western Sydney films on the big screen. We are yet to announce the dates for the 2026 festival program. In 2025, we gathered at Event Cinemas Liverpool on Saturday 22 November and went on to screen multiple short film marathon screenings in Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Parramatta throughout the summer, in addition to our online MEGA Movie Marathon, which was available to stream around the world until Saturday 28 February. We ended the season with a Closing Night Awards Party at The Joan in Penrith. Keep an eye on our latest news (javascript:void(0))or follow us online (https://www.facebook.com/madeinthewest)to stay in the loop for our 2026 #SummerOfFilm screening dates.

Are you wondering where Made in the West short films are screening? Made in the West Film Festival's Opening Night Party and red carpet gala event is held at the end of November each year at Event Cinemas Liverpool. This season, we expect the festival to include multiple short film marathon screenings throughout the summer, in addition to bringing our three hour bumper line-up to the online MEGA Movie Marathon (https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/post/made-in-the-west-mega-movie-marathon-is-live-online)- available to stream around the world. We will close the #SummerOfFilm at the end of February with the Closing Night Awards Party. Keep an eye on our latest news (javascript:void(0))or follow us online (https://www.facebook.com/madeinthewest)to stay in the loop.

We don't put restrictions on what type of films you should be making, we just want you to make them with Western Sydney filmmakers! So our main criteria is that all films need to include at least one cast member, crew member or set location from Western Sydney. We want to see what you're working on currently, so we don't set any rules about special items or tag lines to include in your work. We want to see whatever Western Sydney filmmakers WANT to produce. So that means your film can be ANY genre - every year we have a range of entries, from documentaries and mockumentaries, to horror, action, comedy and drama shorts, plus animated films, music videos, web series episodes... pretty much everything and anything! Your final duration must be under 30 minutes. We know it's hard to keep some stories short, but it does mean a more exciting viewing experience for our live audience. If your work is longer than 30 minutes, you might choose to cut a shorter version just for the festival, or ask us about submitting a trailer. We do not require premiere rights (we think your stories deserve to be seen and shared far and wide) nor have any requirements for signature items in your film. See our Entry Criteria page for more information about the technical specifications required.(/film-festival-entry-criteria)

Are you wondering when entries open so you can submit a film to the festival? 2026 SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN Early bird entry fee ($35) is valid until 1 July at midnight. Main round entry fee ($40) is valid until 1 October at midnight. Late round entry fee ($50) is valid until 9 October at midnight. Student discounts apply throughout. We're looking forward to seeing what you've been working on, Western Sydney!

Wondering how to enter a film in the festival? It's very easy! SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025 ARE NOW CLOSED. Entries for 2026 will open in March. Review our entry criteria (https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/film-festival-entry-criteria)and use our online entry form (javascript:void(0))to submit your film details to Made in the West Film Festival. HOW TO SUBMIT A FILM: Step 1. Click on the PayPal link to make the required payment for Independent OR Student filmmaker – your selection determines which of the major awards you will go in the running to win. Save the Paypal reference number. Step 2. Fill out your film details, synopsis and contributor names on the entry form (javascript:void(0))- these details are used in our program line-up and award certificates, so be sure you have them spelled correctly! Enter your Paypal reference number and a link to your film which has been uploaded to an external website (YouTube or Vimeo). All films should be 1920 x 1080 HD or higher. Note: If you don't want to make your film public online, upload it as an 'unlisted' video and share the link / password with us. Step 3. Tick the box giving us permission to screen / promote your film and click submit.

When you submit your film to Made in the West, we ask for permission to show the film at the festival, in our online screening, and to feature it in our promo videos. We often work with local organisations to further promote finalist films, so sometimes we will contact filmmakers with these additional distribution opportunities (via online channels or live screenings), but we always get in touch and request new permissions. As filmmakers ourselves, we are committed to making sure filmmakers keep ownership (and profits) for your film. We will never ask you to hand over the rights to your film, nor will we request that you reserve your premiere for us (though you are welcome to!). You are welcome to continue share your film wherever & whenever you like and we look forward to helping you promote your work by also screening it at Made in the West.

If you have entered your film in Made in the West Film Festival, you'll be notified by email after submissions close with information about whether you have been selected as a finalist. If you are notified as a finalist, your film will be judged by our panel of industry professionals and screened at the festival at one or more of our screenings. All finalists will be notified by email with their screening times.

No, we don't currently include feature length films in the program at Made in the West. We know that many Western Sydney filmmakers are just starting out in the industry so short films, docos, music videos and web series are the main projects people are working on - understandably too, it's how we'll all get our names out there! We are happy to screen trailers for feature films that have been produced in Western Sydney and we encourage you to get in contact with us (javascript:void(0))if you're interested in having your film trailer shown at our Opening Night Party.

We try to screen as many films as we can in the time frame that we have! In 2025 we have expanded our program to include movie marathons screening at cinemas and arts centres throughout the summer. This means we have more films than ever before included in our Official Selection.(https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/official-selection) You can read the full program lineup here on our 2025 Program (https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/program)page. Keep an eye on our LATEST NEWS (javascript:void(0))or follow us online (https://www.facebook.com/madeinthewest)to stay in the loop!

Are you planning how to get to Opening Night or one of our Marathon Summer sessions? Here are the locations and addresses of our main festival venues: Event Cinemas Liverpool Event Cinemas is located on the top floor of Westfield Shopping Centre, on Elizabeth Drive in Liverpool. Pedestrian access to the cinema is via the front entrance of Westfield Shopping Centre then take the first escalator to the roof. Parking: Access the Westfield carpark via George Street and drive up to the rooftop parking lot. Arrive after 6pm for free parking. Accessibility: The cinema is wheelchair accessible. Please contact us (https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/contact-made-in-the-west)if you require wheelchair accessible seating for the show. Event Cinemas Campbelltown Event Cinemas is located within Macarthur Square Shopping Centre, on Gilchrist Drive in Campbelltown. Parking: Enjoy four hours of free parking with a valid Event Cinemas ticket. More information here.(https://www.macarthursquare.com.au/centre-info/location-and-parking)

Are you wondering how to book tickets to attend Made in the West? Tickets to our in-cinema Opening Night Party are FREE, though you need to register your attendance so that we don't run over our seating capacity. *Note: VIP reserved seating ($20) or Exclusive VIP Party access ($100) ticket options are also available. All proceeds go towards event costs. We also bring the festival experience to folks at home each year with our Online MEGA Movie Marathon. You can expect a bumper line-up of finalist films PLUS highlights and interviews from the red carpet filmed live on the night by our TV camera crew. Watch via Vimeo On Demand for $19.95. For the first time ever, we're bringing our Marathon Summer experience to cinemas and big screens around Western Sydney from December to February, including screenings in Parramatta, Penrith, Liverpool, Bankstown and Campbelltown. Tickets are only $10. Read the full program here. (https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/program) We encourage you to invite as many friends, family, cast & crew to buy tickets and share the festival experience with you in the cinema for our Opening Night, around town at our pop-up screenings or from home and share the love for local films on screen. Finding an audience for our films is one of the hardest aspects of filmmaking and we know that having people in the audience to watch, laugh and consider your film as they see it on the big screen is such a valuable experience. Help us bring people to see this year's films made by Western Sydney filmmakers!

No, Made in the West is an 18+ event. Many of the films will contain mature content. This means that all of the usual things (including strong language, sex scenes, adult themes, drug use and violence), will probably make an appearance at some point throughout the night. Note: If you are the parent or guardian of an under-age cast or crew member of one of our finalist films, feel free to contact us (javascript:void(0))to discuss your options.

Made in the West Film Festival has an in-cinema Opening Night screening, in-person pop-up screenings around Western Sydney plus an online screening. At Made in the West, you can vote for your favourite film! We know the judging panel is pretty awesome and they have their own ideas on who should take home a trophy, but we also want YOU to vote for your favourite so we can send someone home with our Audience Choice Award or the People's Choice Award. OPENING NIGHT SCREENING: Doors open at 6pm! Arrive before 7pm for red carpet photos with Western Sydney filmmakers, then at 7:30pm settle into your cinema chair for our a stellar line-up of locally produced short films. There will be two segments of films with intermission between at 9pm. You'll find out the winners of our nine individual category awards throughout the night and at 11pm we'll host a live audience vote to decide the winner of the Audience Choice Award! Final trophy presentations conclude at 11:20pm. ONLINE MEGA MOVIE MARATHON: Watch all the films from home and vote for the People's Choice Award! Settle in for an EPIC movie marathon at home on the couch with your friends and family this holiday season with our new ON DEMAND online festival. Pause the screening during the intermission so you can refresh your snacks and then catch some of the highlights and interviews from the red carpet! Vote for your favourite films at the end of the show and we'll announce the winners at the end of festival season. POP-UP SCREENINGS: We've partnered with six cinema and arts / cultural organisations around Western Sydney to bring 16 additional screening opportunities to life for our Marathon Selection films, connecting local artists with audiences for the first time ever. Each screening will contain a curated set of films from the festival line up, plus networking and filmmaker meet and greets.

We can't wait to bring the festival experience to people at home again this year, complete with filmmaker interviews and festival highlights from the red carpet. Throughout December to February Western Sydney films will be screening online and on demand to viewers across the world! Are you wondering how to attend the online festival? It's easy! Just follow the ON DEMAND link on our Vimeo page and click 'HIRE' to purchase your festival experience. Settle in for an EPIC movie marathon at home on the couch with your friends and family this holiday season, featuring all finalist films in the line-up. Pause the screening during the intermission so you can refresh your snacks and then catch some of the highlights and interviews from the red carpet! Vote for your favourite films at the end of the show and we'll announce the winners at the end of the online festival season. Host an online watch party and share pics of your at-home festival experiences with us using the hashtag #madeinthewest You can follow us on socials (https://linktr.ee/madeinthewest)for a look behind the scenes and follow the finalist filmmakers to see them celebrating another awesome year of festival films (links will be shared closer to the festival date).

Are you looking to screen short films at your next live event? Good news! With permission from the artists, Made in the West can licence films from previous festival years to anyone looking to screen local stories at your next event or exhibition. We can help curate a selection of films that will respond to your brief, whether to amplify creatives from your local area, respond or speak to a particular topic, highlight a certain genre, or films made by female-identifying artists. Whatever you're after, our catalogue has options to satisfy! For more information or a quote, check out our content provision service (https://madeinthewestcreative.com.au/our-services/content-provision)via Made in the West CREATIVE. For artists: When you submit your film to Made in the West, we ask for permission to show the film at the festival, in our online MEGA Movie Marathon screening, and to feature it in our promo videos.   We often work with local organisations on additional projects that further promote the local filmmaking community, so sometimes we will contact filmmakers to request new permissions for additional screening opportunities. In such cases, there is often a small licensing fee paid to you for participating in the project.   As filmmakers ourselves, we are committed to making sure filmmakers keep ownership (and profits) for your film. We will never ask you to hand over the rights to your film, nor will we request that you reserve your premiere for us (though you are welcome to!). If you have a film that you are looking to screen, or a screen that needs short film content, please contact us (https://www.madeinthewest.com.au/contact-made-in-the-west)today and let's talk about how we can collaborate.

Get in contact with us - we're happy to help! Find our contact details on the Contact Us page or fill out the email form to ask a question :)(javascript:void(0))