How will you help fuel the festival in 2025?

Made in the West is community loved and community backed. What started in 2012 as a film screening night among friends has grown into one of the biggest celebrations of local film on the region's arts and cultural calendar.

We're no longer just a festival, but a celebration, a movement, and home for hundreds of Western Sydney film practitioners.

Whilst the founding team at Made in the West Creative handles the planning, production and promotion, we do rely on the incredible Western Sydney filmmaking community to help make the festival possible in so many ways. This year, we're asking you to consider how you'd like to be involved and contribute to Made in the West Film Festival.

Here's the truth about Made in the West - it doesn't exist without you!

Every single aspect of our festival, from the red-carpet glamour at Event Cinemas Liverpool to the global reach of our MEGA Movie Marathon, relies on people like you stepping up and saying "I want to be part of this."

Whether you're a filmmaker, an arts organisation, a local business, or simply someone who believes in the power of Western Sydney stories, there's a place for you in the community.

The magic of Made in the West isn't just what happens on our festival night, it's the months of collaboration, support and shared excitement that builds up to that moment when 300+ film lovers gather to celebrate local talent.

It's the partnerships that extend our reach throughout the year, the volunteers who create a welcoming space, the sponsors who make our prizes possible, and the filmmakers who trust us with their stories.

When we say Made in the West is community backed, we mean it - literally. Every trophy handed out, every film screened, every moment of celebration exists because our community chooses to invest in Western Sydney filmmakers.

And in 2025, we want that community to include you.

Financial contributions through sponsorship remain one of the most impactful ways to support Made in the West. Our sponsorship tiers from Prize Sponsorship through to Platinum Screen Sponsor packages are designed to work for organisations of all sizes who want to champion Western Sydney's filmmaking scene.

When you become a sponsor, you're not only getting your branding featured on screen and recognition in the community – you're also investing in the next generation of Australian storytellers and helping create pathways for diverse voices to reach national and international audiences.

Your support helps fund our year-round activities, from networking events to skills development opportunities, and ensures we can continue growing the Western Sydney screen ecosystem.

Whether you're a local business wanting to connect with the growing creative community here out west, or an industry organisation looking to support emerging talent, sponsorship creates meaningful and lasting connections.

But we know not every supporter can offer financial backing, and that's where in-kind partnerships become incredibly valuable.

Prize donations and service contributions can often mean a lot to emerging filmmakers.

Think about equipment packages, editing suite access, sound mixing sessions, headshot photography, workshop opportunities, or mentorship programs. These contributions create real pathways for career development and skills growth.

We're also calling for amazing people to join our crew and be part of the festival magic firsthand. Whether you're interested in hosting as our MC, working behind the scenes as a runner, connecting with audiences through merchandise sales, or welcoming guests as front of house volunteers, every role contributes to creating an unforgettable experience.

Our crew members consistently tell us that working with Made in the West is one of their favourite experiences of the year!

You'll gain industry experience, build professional networks, develop new skills, and most importantly, be part of something that genuinely matters to the Western Sydney creative community.

From paid positions like MCs, merch assistants and camera operators, to volunteer opportunities that offer networking and portfolio benefits, there's bound to be a role that matches your interests and availability.

For our filmmaker community, submitting your film to the festival program is perhaps the most direct way to contribute to Made in the West. Every submission strengthens our lineup and demonstrates the incredible diversity and quality of Western Sydney filmmaking.

When you submit your film, you're not just entering a competition – you're contributing to a collective celebration of our region's creative capacity.

The films that make up our program each year tell the stories of our communities, showcase our locations, and highlight the talents of our cast and crew. They create the heart of our festival experience and prove year after year that Western Sydney filmmakers are creating work that deserves to be seen, celebrated, and shared with the world.

Our Australian Cultural Fund crowd funder offers another meaningful way to support Made in the West whilst claiming tax-deductible benefits. These contributions help cover event costs for the festival and every donation, regardless of size, contributes directly to building a thriving screen culture in Western Sydney. 

Best of all, donors will receive their name in the credits at the end of the night come festival time!

Beyond our Opening Night Party on Saturday 22 November (save the date!), we're also hosting screenings across Western Sydney throughout the summer!

We're actively seeking arts & cultural organisations across the Greater Sydney region that might be keen for some new and engaging summer programming to put their hand up to host a community screening event.

Our Western Sydney summer marathon pop-up screenings create additional opportunities for audiences to discover Western Sydney films whilst providing easy-to-organise, high-impact programming for cultural venues.

They also extend the life of our festival over the entire summer season and create new connections between filmmakers and communities across the region!

If you're part of an organisation looking for authentic, locally relevant content that will engage your audience this summer, hosting a pop-up screening could be the perfect partnership.

Whether you're a gallery looking for projected entertainment, a community centre wanting to bring people together, or a cultural institution seeking accessible programming, we can curate a selection of Western Sydney films that suits your audience and venue. Let us know if you're interested!

In the end, your support, in whatever form it takes, directly impacts hundreds of filmmakers who call Western Sydney home.

In return for your participation, you'll join a family of community partners making a real difference, while also getting promotional benefits across our festival screens, highlights videos, awards, and program materials.

We'd like to extend our biggest thanks to the supporters who've already joined Made in the West 2025: Event Cinemas Liverpool, Western Sydney University, Screen NSW, Luke Walker Productions, Opening Act Films, Still Searchin' Productions and Made in the West Creative. We're particularly thrilled to welcome SWR 99.9 FM as our media sponsor for 2025 – their partnership means we can reach even more people across Western Sydney and invite them to be part of our community celebration.

These organisations understand that supporting Made in the West means investing in culture, community and creativity. They've chosen to be part of a movement that's putting Western Sydney film on the map and creating opportunities for local talent to thrive.

But we need more supporters to make 2025 our most extraordinary festival yet.

We need organisations willing to sponsor us and support a thriving community, individuals ready to volunteer their time, filmmakers brave enough to share their stories, and advocates who'll help us extend our reach throughout the year.

The question isn't whether Made in the West will happen in 2025 – it's HOW extraordinary we can make it, together!

How will you get involved? Whether you're ready to become a major sponsor, contribute prizes or services, join our crew, submit your film, support our crowd funder, or host a summer screening, we want to hear from you. 

Even small gestures like using the pink banner at the top of the screen to sign up to our newsletter, or forwarding one of our emails onto family and friends would mean the world!

If you know someone who'd love to support our exciting and inclusive filmmaking scene, please share this with them or get in touch with us.

We'd love to explore how they can be part of something special that's changing the landscape of Australian film, one Western Sydney story at a time.

Get in touch through our Contact Us page and let's start a conversation about how you can help make Made in the West 2025 absolutely extraordinary.

 Because when our community comes together, the magic we create is unstoppable!