Feast your eyes upon this year’s festival poster! Welcome to the kaleidoscope. Just don’t stare into the centre for too long… we can’t guarantee where the rabbit hole leads! Since the early day of Made in the West, it has been something of a tradition for us to surprise you all with an amazing poster design that captures the personality of each year’s festival. This year, we knew we wanted to do something memorable, as a celebration of all the stories that have passed throug

A packed cinema, a buzzing red carpet, and local filmmakers watching their stories light up the big screen. There’s something special about Made in the West, and this year we’re turning 15! From a casual screening night among friends in 2012 to a festival season bringing Western Sydney stories to audiences in cinemas and online, we’ve come a long way. Our sponsors and partners have helped make that journey possible, and we’re inviting you to join us for our next chapter. Supp

The countdown can officially begin! Made in the West Film Festival is back for our 15th annual celebration of Western Sydney filmmaking, and this year we’re taking over the big screen for a whole summer of local films, filmmakers and festival events. Our Marathon #SummerofFilm kicks off at Event Cinemas Liverpool with our Opening Night Awards Gala on Saturday 28 November 2026. Join us on the red carpet, see who the jury has put forward for our first awards, and be part of the

Made in the West might be known for our annual film festival, but supporting Western Sydney filmmakers doesn’t begin and end when the cinema lights go down. Throughout 2026, the team behind the festival at Made in the West Creative is expanding our program of workshops, conversations and professional development opportunities designed to bring filmmakers together, strengthen skills and create better connections with the wider screen industry. From getting hands-on with profes

July’s #WesternSydneyFilm Online Networking Event was bigger than ever, with a record number of local filmmakers in the room, all eager to catch up and talk about the work happening on the local scene. Are you wondering when the next O.N.E is happening? Join us on Wednesday 30 September at 7pm for the next online hangout - book your ticket now to join us there! It's always great to welcome a mix of familiar faces and first-time attendees logging on from across Sydney to share

Our April #WesternSydneyFilm online networking session brought together filmmakers from right across the region for an evening of conversation, collaboration and creative exchange. Are you keen to join us at the next event? Tickets are NOW OPEN for the next online networking session on Wednesday 8 July and oh boy do we have some special guests for you! Check out the ticket page for more info and we'll see you there. It's always great to see a mix of familiar faces and first-

We’re excited to announce a professional development initiative for filmmakers, creatives and cinematographers, with the launch of the Behind the Lens workshop program on Saturday 16 May at Arts & Cultural Exchange (ACE) Parramatta. Presented in partnership with Panavision, Australian Cinematographers Society and ACE Parramatta, the workshops are designed to support emerging and mid-career screen creatives looking to deepen their understanding of cinematic storytelling, optic

What’s up #FilmFam? Ready to jump back on Zoom, check your mic isn’t on mute, and reconnect with the Western Sydney film community? We’re excited to announce our next #WesternSydneyFilm Online Networking Event, happening on Wednesday 22 April 2026 from 7pm–8.30pm (AEST). You can join us from wherever you are, whether that’s your home studio, kitchen table or couch, and be part of an evening built for connection, conversation and collaboration. Registration is open now. Grab y

Submissions are now open for the 15th annual Made in the West Film Festival. If you’ve made a short film featuring Western Sydney cast, crew or locations, we want to see it on the big screen! Made in the West Film Festival is one of the longest-running artist-led film festivals in Sydney, and it exists purely to spotlight the stories coming out of our region. Each year, Made in the West brings local stories to the big screen, connecting filmmakers with audiences, collaborator

We’re excited to share the official Red Carpet Highlights Reel from the 2025 Made in the West Film Festival. Hosted by Shetu Simone and featuring interviews with filmmakers alongside moments from this year’s program, the reel captures the energy, scale and spirit of Western Sydney’s film community at its best. From the moment the doors opened, the atmosphere was unmistakable. A full house, an electric crowd, and a red carpet filled with filmmakers enjoying the spotlight. As A

The final winners of the 2025 Made in the West Film Festival have officially been announced — and what a season it’s been! Our Closing Night Party brought together Official Selection finalists, Western Sydney industry leaders, sponsors, crew and festival fans for one last celebration of the stories that lit up our screens this summer. Big thanks to The Joan for partnering with local artists like us, and to Penrith City Council for your support! It was big. It was heartfelt. I

Have you got your tickets to the Closing Night Awards Party yet? Book now and join us to celebrate the final awards of the festival and an EPIC season for Western Sydney film! After an enormous Summer Season of Screenings across four locations in Western Sydney, we have so much to celebrate. Thirty-six films, eighteen screening events, and hundreds of audience members later, it’s clear: Western Sydney Film is on the rise! Now all that's left to do is celebrate Closing Night!

Since his first year of uni, Richard Ayat has been part of our Opening Night celebrations, volunteering front-of-house to help welcome audiences through the doors. Three years on, as part of his professional industry placement, Richard had the chance to join our team as an Event Management intern and he jumped at the chance. The role meant that he could work with us from September through to November in the lead-up to the festival, learning the ins and outs of festival coordi

Made in the West Film Festival is heading into its final month of February screenings, and there’s still so much to see, vote for, and celebrate! After weeks of cinema screenings, powerful stories, and movie marathons held across Western Sydney, we’ll be bringing the season to a close with a Closing Night Party on Saturday 28 February from 7–9pm at THE JOAN in Penrith. This is your chance to come together with filmmakers, audiences, and supporters to celebrate the films, the

The wait is over – Made in the West Marathon Summer Sessions are HERE! After announcing our expanded festival format back in October, we're absolutely buzzing to finally share the full details of our in-person pop-up screenings happening across Western Sydney this summer. This is it, Western Sydney! Your chance to see local stories on the big screen in YOUR neighbourhood. We've curated eight unique film sessions, each running around 90 minutes and packed with the best short f

Made in the West's MEGA Movie Marathon returns to screens around the world this summer for all our friends and family across the country and around the globe – we can't wait to bring all the glamour of the festival red carpet to you at home! We're streaming NOW ONLINE & ON DEMAND to small screens anywhere in the world from Monday 1 December through Saturday 28 February. For just $13 USD you can watch the full MEGA Movie Marathon featuring 3-hours of content and 16 incredible

We want to give a massive shout-out to everyone who played a part in making the 2025 Made in the West Opening Night Gala a resounding success! We've got a lot to be grateful for! Not only do we get to throw the most epic bash of the year for our local filmmaking community, but we also have the incredible opportunity to spotlight the amazing talent and stories from our region. All of this, mind you, happens with a dream team of friends who see our vision for a thriving, suppor

Congratulations everyone! Last night's event was spectacular, with a packed red carpet and 300 people who came out in style to celebrate the launch of our biggest festival season yet! The red carpet was buzzing before the show, packed with filmmakers, cast, crew, and our festival photographers at the media wall. Our TV crew captured filmmaker interviews while the bubbles flowed and sponsors and judges had a chance to meet the filmmakers who submitted films this year. To every

We're getting ready to roll out the red carpet for Made in the West 2025! This Saturday 22 November at 6pm, we're kicking off the biggest ever celebration of local filmmakers in Western Sydney. Join us at Event Cinemas Liverpool for a night of amazing short films, red carpet glamour, and epic awards. Tickets close at 6pm today (Friday) - grab yours NOW if you haven't already . And of course, if you can't make it this Saturday then please join us over the summer instead! Start

Fourteen years into this incredible journey, and we've never felt more grateful for the support that surrounds Made in the West. This year has been one of transformation, growth, and bold new beginnings – and none of it would be possible without the incredible organisations, businesses, and community champions who believe in Western Sydney's creative future. Connecting with local businesses and allies in the arts industry is at the heart of our mission: to raise awareness of