Connect Online This April with #WesternSydneyFilm
- Made in the West Film Festival
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 15
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 your free ticket and join us online.
If you’ve joined us before, you’ll know this isn’t your typical networking event. It’s part live TV show and part interactive game experience, with guest interviews, quick-fire networking and a choose-your-own-adventure style ending.
You’ll rotate through breakout rooms, meet new collaborators, reconnect with familiar faces, and actually have conversations that go somewhere. Whether you’re camera-shy or love the spotlight, there’s space for everyone to jump in at their own pace.
This time around, we’re bringing together a group of filmmakers who are actively creating, collaborating and building momentum in the industry right now.
Matt Vella returns as our networking champion and community connector. As the force behind Western Sydney Filmmakers Hangout, Matt has spent years bringing creatives together across the region. He’ll be joining us to share insights from his latest projects, including Nannu and upcoming feature The Undesirables.
Michelle Kaldy is a documentary photographer and filmmaker working in the impact space, with a focus on stories that drive social and environmental change. Her recent film River Town People was recognised with the Outstanding Female Filmmaker award at Made in the West Film Festival.
Laneikka Denne is a writer and actor whose work has featured across multiple festival years. Her screenwriting debut Oi took out Best in the West, and she was also recognised with the Rising Star award. Her latest documentary project The Real Pleasure is currently in development with Screen Australia.
Bina Bhattacharya is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and director, and a strong collaborator within the Western Sydney creative community. She leads Gemme de la Femme Pictures and is currently working with Made in the West on Stage to Screen, an educational video series about how to adapt a Fringe Festival theatre show into a web series.
Our networking sessions are open to anyone working in, or looking to step into, the screen industry, including directors, writers, producers, actors, cinematographers, editors, composers, designers, students and industry professionals alike. Whether you’re looking for collaborators, developing a new idea, or just keen to stay connected, this is a space where those conversations can happen.
RESERVE YOUR TICKET NOW and join us at 7pm on Wednesday 22 April to talk films and filmmaking in Sydney!
And while we’re proudly Western Sydney-focused, anyone interested in working with our creative community is very welcome to join.
There’s something unique about our community. It’s collaborative, resourceful and full of people willing to back each other and make things happen. Most of us are “slashies”, working across multiple roles and bringing a mix of skills to every project. That openness is what keeps the scene moving, and it’s exactly what these sessions are designed to support.
Joining the event is simple. Register for a ticket and we’ll send you a secure Zoom link a few hours before the event, and you can join from your desktop, tablet or mobile.
Bring your drink of choice, get comfortable, and settle in for an evening that’s relaxed, energising and entertaining.
As we head into another big year for Made in the West, there’s never been a better time to reconnect, meet new collaborators and be part of what’s next.
Did you hear? Submissions are now open for the 15th annual Made in the West Film Festival! Earlybird prices apply until 1 July.
If you're keen to find out more, come and join us at the networking event and we'll be happy to tell you all about it.
REGISTER NOW and we’ll see you online on Wednesday 22 April at 7pm!