We've got good news! Just when you thought our record-breaking prize pool couldn’t get any better, our team is thrilled to announce the launch of a new award – the Outstanding Female Filmmaker Award, proudly sponsored by Women in Film & Television (WIFT NSW).
WIFT is Australia's peak film and TV advocacy body dedicated to elevating women in the screen industry. By providing professoinal development, mentorship programs, and industry resources, WIFT NSW helps women advance their careers and break down barriers in the industry.
For women working in film and television, WIFT membership offers heaps of benefits, including access to inclusive events and networking opportunities at festivals like SXSW, Sydney Film Festival and Cannes, industry insights, and a supportive community of like-minded professionals.
Their mission is to elevate the status of women and promote diverse and positive representation of women in screen-based media.
You can check out their memberships here (including a special offer for First Nations filmmakers).
This Saturday, at our Opening Night Screening & Awards we will honour the inaugural recipient of this award, celebrating the artistic excellence of female creatives in Western Sydney.
It’s been a long time coming! We’ve had WIFT NSW on our radar for a few years now – since we spotted them hosting virtual Q&A events during the pandemic (around the same time we started #WSF ONE). In fact, it was powerhouse local producer Yolandi Franken (Streets of Colour) who was curating the program of virtual events at the time!
WIFT NSW does great work connecting female filmmakers from across the state and supporting their advancement nationally.
Our aim here at Made in the West is to continue building these sorts of connections between local filmmakers and long-established industry organisations – we’re putting Western Sydney on the filmmaking-in-Australia map and we want EVERYONE to know about the hotbed of talent that lives, works and creates here!
You’ve seen us connecting in recent years with other national guilds like the Australian Production Designers Guild (APDG), Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) – all three are among our prize sponsors and, like WIFT, they exist for the benefit of their members, advocating for artists and supporting a stronger creative scene.
We want to see our connections with industry multiply and truly embed our Western Sydney creatives in Australia’s film and television scene.
So, we are absolutely delighted to have WIFT – the peak national body for women in film – sponsor the inaugural Outstanding Female Filmmaker Award in 2024!
The winner will receive a one-year WIFT Australia membership and mentorship package, providing individualised advice, resources and networking support that will surely help steer their career trajectory toward success.
BIG THANKS to WIFT for supporting Western Sydney filmmakers!! We look forward to strengthening our collaboration in the coming years.
This latest award now adds to more than $35,000 worth of filmmaker prizes that we will be awarding to local artists over the coming summer of #WesternSydneyFilm.
The winner is decided by our wonderful panel of judges, whose combined nominations reveal the top female creative among our 2024 cohort.
That means any one of the female filmmakers in the cast & crew lists of our 14 Official Selection films could receive the honour!
The Outstanding Female Filmmaker Award is more than just recognition. It offers real opportunities for women in film to advance their careers, connect with industry leaders, and inspire the next generation of storytellers in Western Sydney.
While the Australian film and television industry has seen progress in recent years, women remain underrepresented in key creative roles, particularly in directing and cinematography. In NSW, the state government has implemented initiatives to support gender equality, but systemic issues continue to hinder many women’s advancement into key roles.
In Western Sydney, now while the industry is growing, there's a need to provide more opportunities for emerging talent.
Made in the West is proud of our inclusive and collaborative community and let’s face it, as Australia’s largest cultural melting pot, we don’t have to try very hard to be diverse!
But that doesn’t mean that the balance between sisters and misters among our filmmakers is equal.
For example, we know that at Made in the West every year, about 40% of the films in our line-up are created by female filmmakers. That’s not counting all the cast & crew who worked on the films, just the lead creatives who are submitting films to the festival.
We’re super proud that there are plenty of awesome female filmmakers making some amazing work here out west!! And while 40% is respectable, we know we can do better.
Can we tell you another exciting number? 65% of student filmmakers that entered Made in the West Film Festival this year were women. How great is that?
It just goes to show that the future of women in film is brimming with opportunity here in Western Sydney.
Through initiatives like this award, and with such generous mentorship and support offered from WIFT, Made in the West is committed to helping generate real, impactful industry participation for women in our community.
We can't wait to reveal the recipient of the Outstanding Female Filmmaker Award this Saturday!
We hope you’ll join us there.
PS. Have you got your ticket? What are you waiting for!?! There’s only a handful of seats left and you don’t want to miss out! BOOK NOW!