FAQ: Made in the West

What are the entry criteria for Made in the West films?

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 15 minutes - this is just so that we can screen plenty of local films on the night (usually about 20). We know it's hard to keep some stories short, but it does mean a more interesting viewing experience for our live audience. If your work is longer, you can cut a shorter version just for the festival or ask us about submitting a trailer.

See our Entry Criteria page for more information about the film specifications required.



How do I submit my film to Made in the West?

Wondering how to enter a film in the festival? It's very easy!

Use our online entry form 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 - 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.

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.



How do I get to Made in the West?

Are you planning how to get to the festival? Here are your public transport and parking options:

Event Cinemas is located on the top floor of Westfield Shopping Centre, on Elizabeth Drive in Liverpool.

PARKING: Access the Westfield carpark via George Street and drive up to the rooftop parking lot. Arrive after 6pm for free parking.

CARPOOL WITH YOUR GROUP BUBBLE: Arrive together, sit together and get home safely with your designated driver!

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: Stay at Quest Apartments Liverpool and use our discount code for 15% off the online rate! See FAQ #15 for more information.

TRAINS to Liverpool arrive every 15 minutes.

#T80 BUS: From Parramatta (every 15 mins)

#M90 BUS: From Bankstown (every 20 mins)

#802 BUS: From Fairfield (every 30 mins)

#872 BUS: From Campbelltown (every 30 mins)

Pedestrian access to the cinema is via the front entrance of Westfield Shopping Centre then take the first escalator to the roof.

ACCESSIBILITY: The cinema is wheelchair accessible. Please contact us if you require wheelchair accessible seating for the show.



Do you screen feature length films at Made in the West Film Festival?

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, doco's, 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 (usually one or two at the start of each segment) and we encourage you to get in contact with us if you're interested in having your film trailer shown on the night.

Of course, we're all aiming to build our repertoires and get working on larger projects, so hopefully as the sort of work we do gets bigger and better over time, so too will our program. We'd love to eventually include a feature film category in the festival.

Note: The Made in the West team is also available to help plan, promote and screen your feature film in a separate live screening event specifically for Western Sydney filmmakers. We have a large audience of local artists and film lovers that can help us roll out a great night. If this is something you are interested in, please contact us and tell us what you're looking for.



How many films are screened at Made in the West?

We try to screen as many films as we can in the time frame that we have! Usually that means we have time for about 15-16 films, but this year we're doubling that number because we have two huge cinema screens to share the films.

The 2021 VIP Awards Night will screen just over 2 hours of films and filmmaker awards throughout the night, with two half-hour intermissions and time to mingle before the final awards presentations, plus an afterparty to finish.

The 2021 Made in the West Marathon will screen 2.5 hours of films in all their glory on the V-max screen, again in two segments with a half-hour intermission in between.

The 2021 Online festival will screen 3 hours of films in three segments with two shorter intermissions during the night so you have time to take a break, refresh your drink and get back to the couch for more awesome films.

We'll make program announcements in November 2021 with the full list of finalist films screening at the festival this year!



How much are tickets to Made in the West / how can I book tickets?

Are you wondering how to book tickets to attend Made in the West?

All tickets are available via our Eventbrite ticketing site.

Tickets to our in-cinema events are FREE, though we need to to register your attendance so that we don't run over our seating capacity in each cinema.

This year we will have individual registration for all guests, so tickets will be booked separately but you can request group seating in a 'bubble' with your friends.

All ticket reservations have a two-step process -- first you reserve your ticket and note your seating 'bubble' group, then on the week of the festival you wil be sent your seating bubble allocation and you must accept your seat in order to confirm your attendance. Anyone who does not confirm their attendance will risk losing their ticket.

Made in the West Film Festival has always been a FREE event for audiences to attend and we want to keep it that way. Finding an audience for our films is one of the hardest aspects of filmmaking and we know that having a few hundred people to watch, laugh and consider your film as they see it on the big screen is such a valuable experience.

After the successes of 2020, we will be bringing the festival experience to folks at home once again this year with an online festival. 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. Your digital host will guide you through 3 segments of films with intermissions between and a live audience vote at the end.

All ticket holders will have 24hrs to watch the online festival marathon. We encourage you to invite as many friends, family, cast & crew to but tickets and share the festival experience with you from home and share the love for local films on screen.

Share pics of your festival antics using the hashtag #madeinthewest so we can follow you online!



I've entered the festival. How do I know if my short film will be screened?

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 festival screenings. The 2021 Offical Selection will screen at the VIP Awards Night on Saturday 4 December, plus go in the running to win awards and prizes. Nominations for individual category awards will be announced after the judging process is complete, in the final fortnight before the festival. The 2021 Made in the West Online Festival showcases ALL finalist films in a huge 3-hour at-home marathon one week later, which includes all the action and filmmaker interviews from the red carpet. All finalists will be notified by email with their screening times.



What's the format of the night / when does the event finish?

Made in the West 2021 has an in-cinema screening 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.

SATURDAY 4 December at EVENT CINEMAS, LIVERPOOL:

Doors open at 6pm! We'll screen 20 short films in two or three segments and there will be cocktails and networking in the breaks. Vote for the Audience Choice Award at the end of the night!

10-12 DECEMBER at our ONLINE FESTIVAL:

Watch all festival films from home and vote for the People's Choice Award!



My question wasn't answered. Help me!

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 :)



Is Made in the West an all-ages event?

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 to discuss your options.



Will Made in the West hold the rights to my film if I submit?

When you submit your film to Made in the West, we ask for permission to show the film at the festival and to use 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.



What date is Made in the West Film Festival being held in 2021?

Are you wondering what date the festival is? Made in the West 2021 will be held in December! VIP AWARDS NIGHT: Saturday 4 December 2021 at Event Cinemas, Liverpool. MADE IN THE WEST ONLINE FESTIVAL: Friday 10-Sunday 12 December online. Keep an eye on our LATEST NEWS or follow us online to stay in the loop!



When do submissions open / close this year?

Are you wondering when entries open so you can submit a film to the festival? Submissions are open for Made in the West 2021! CLOSING DATE: 29 OCTOBER Early bird entry fee ($35) is valid until 30 July at midnight. Main round entre fee ($40) is valid until 15 October at midnight. Late round entry fee ($50) is valid until 29 October at midnight. We're looking forward to seeing what you've been working on, Western Sydney!



How is COVID-19 impacting festival plans? Will the festival be Covid-Safe?

Made in the West Film Festival is scheduled for Saturday 4 December 2021, with an online screening event planned for one week later. Stay tuned for announcements later in the year! Current restructions allow 100% audience capacity at cinemas. We will be proceeding with caution and listening carefully to the advice of the NSW Government in regards to public gatherings. You can read all the details about our plans to Host a Covid-Safe Festival on our news blog as we release information during the year. The best part is, we'll ALSO be bringing the red carpet to YOU at home too. Stay tuned for more announcements later in the year! If the health risk escalates before the date, we'll be asking our VIP filmmakers to join us for a virtual awards night instead. Hosted in a digital format and featuring all the good vibes of a virtual red carpet event, we'll award our top trophies to the best Western Sydney filmmakers of 2021 and capture their reactions so we can share them with you at home. If for any reason the festival is cancelled entirely, then all short films already submitted will go into the 2022 film submission pool. Follow us on Facebook or keep an eye on our news blog to stay in the loop.



How do I attend the online festival?

We can't wait to bring the festival experience to people at home for the second time this year, complete with filmmaker interviews and festival highlights from the red carpet. Tickets will open in November 2021. Are you wondering how to attend? It's easy! If you have a ticket then you will recieve a notification before we go live with the link with instructions on how to attend online. You will have 24hrs to watch the show. Bear in mind that the online festival is only available to ticket holders, so make sure your friends and family have reserved too! 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 FB or Insta for a look behind the scenes with SSP and follow the 2021 finalist filmmakers to see them celebrating another awesome year of festival films (see the online program for links). Remember to cast your vote for your favourite film and once we tally the final numbers, we’ll announce the winner of the 2021 People’s Choice Award!



Can I get a discount for local accommodation?

Are you looking for accommodation options? Thanks to Quest Apartments Liverpool, we're able to offer you a 15% discount on any online rates - the code we're about to give you is valid for one whole year! Of course, we're particularly thinking about festival night -- why not make a night of it and stay local so you don't have to worry about getting home late? You can check out in the morning and have breakfast in the Macquarie Mall then head home feeling great! The festival finishes at midnight so we recommend car pooling with your group bubble! Parking is free after 6pm. Assign a designated driver to get you all home safely, or take up our 15% discount offer for festival attendees and stay at Quest Apartments. Here's how to get the deal:

Use the promotional code 'WFF' to get a 15% discount off the daily best available pricing via Quest.com.au. This code is valid until end of December 2021 and applicable for all room types at Quest Liverpool.

It's as simple as that!