Meet the 2026 Awards Jury
Fifteen years of celebrating Western Sydney filmmakers, and the hits just keep coming!
As we prepare for our milestone festival season, we're excited to introduce the industry experts who will help us recognise the very best of local filmmaking in 2026.
Every year, our independent Jury brings a wealth of experience, fresh perspectives and a genuine appreciation for the craft of filmmaking.
Some have been with us since the beginning, others have watched the festival grow in recent years, and a few we're welcoming to the panel for the first time this season.
With so many incredible films coming out of Western Sydney, choosing our award winners is no easy task. That's why we call on our expert Jury to watch, assess and score the films, with their combined results determining the winners of our prestigious Jury Awards.
These awards celebrate outstanding filmmaking across a range of categories, from directing and cinematography to writing, performance and production. The winners will be revealed at our Opening Night Awards Gala on Saturday 28 November, including our most coveted honour, the Best in the West Award!
But the Jury doesn't get to have all the fun. Made in the West is an interactive film festival, and once our cinema season gets underway, it's YOUR turn to help decide who takes home an award!
Throughout the summer, audiences can watch our Official Selection in cinemas and through our online MEGA Movie Marathon, then cast their votes for the 2026 People's Choice Awards. These awards celebrate audience favourites across a range of genres, with the winners announced at our Closing Night Awards Party in February 2027.
And there's plenty of time to get involved! Our 15th anniversary season kicks off at Event Cinemas Liverpool on Saturday 28 November, followed by Sunday cinema sessions throughout December and more screenings, events and celebrations in February.
We'll be rolling out the red carpet for Opening Night, taking over the V-Max big screen with local films, award presentations, red-carpet photography and plenty of opportunities to celebrate with Western Sydney's filmmaking community.
Opening Night general admission is FREE, so you can come along and enjoy the spotlight, then invite your friends to join you for our full festival program at the cinema.
Keep an eye on our social media channels or sign up to our newsletter using the pink banner at the top of this page for all the latest festival news, ticket releases, award announcements and opportunities to vote.
Now, without further ado, let's meet the Jury members helping us celebrate the best of Western Sydney filmmaking in 2026!
BRYAN BROWN AM
Bryan Brown is one of Australia's most iconic and globally-renowned, AACTA award-winning, Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominated film, theatre and television actors. Born in Panania, Bryan's connection to Western Sydney continues to this day with the Bankstown Theatre named after him and his role as WestWords ambassador. He started New Town Films in 1983 with the simple philosophy: 'If you own it, they can't tell you that you can't be in it'.
Bryan was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the AACTA Awards in 2018 and has starred in more than 80 films and TV projects, including classic Aussie projects such as Breaker Morant, Two Hands, Cocktail, The Thorn Birds, Anyone But You and Boy Swallows Universe. We are thrilled to have him on the jury for our 15th annual Made in the West!
JULIE KALCEFF
Julie Kalceff is an International Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and producer who grew up in Western Sydney. A graduate of the Australian Film Television and Radio School, Julie created, wrote, directed and produced digital drama series Starting From Now, which has amassed over 260 million views. Her credits also include First Day, which she created, wrote, directed and co-produced. First Day Season 1 won an International Emmy Award, a Rose d’Or and a GLAAD Media Award. Season 2 was nominated for an Emmy Award, an AACTA Award, the MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Award and an ADG Award.
Julie also co-directed and co-wrote feature film documentary Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes, was a director on feature film anthology Here Out West, and set-up director on Season 2 of The PM's Daughter. We are so happy to welcome her back to the jury this year!
HILARY BALMOND
Hilary Balmond ASE is an award-winning documentary editor. Her passion is for cutting feature length documentaries but she can be found cutting anything from promos for the local Physie club to international factual television series. Most recently, Hilary Co-edited The Valley, which screened at Sydney Film Festival in 2026, and Dr Ann’s Secret Lives for ABC TV. Her other credits include ob-doc feature The Carnival, Disney+ doc series Matildas: World at Our Feet, and the ABC’s And We Danced.
Hilary was nominated at the Screen Editors Guild Awards for Best Editing in a Documentary Feature for The Skin of Others and shared the 2024 AACTA award for Best Editing in a Documentary for Rachel Perkins’ The Australian Wars.
Hilary grew up in South West Sydney and is proud to support our growing community. She joined us in July at one of our #WesternSydneyFilm Online Networking Events, and we are so pleased to now welcome her to the festival jury for the first time too!
NEIL SHARMA
Neil Sharma is an International Emmy Award-winning director, based in Sydney. Mentored by Oscar winning auteur Taika Waititi and acclaimed director Jeffrey Walker, his directing credits include the International Emmy and AACTA award-winning reboot of Heartbreak High for Fremantle Media and Netflix.
His recent work includes Strife Season 2 for Binge and Made Up Stories, the psychological drama Critical Incident for Stan, and the dramedy remake Mother and Son for Wooden Horse and the ABC. His SBS Digital Original Series Appetite premiered at the 2023 CANNESERIES Festival as the only Australian project invited into competition.
Neil cut his teeth in the film industry as an assistant director on productions such as Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Mad Max: Furiosa, and Mortal Kombat. He's also a strong supporter of our community and we are so happy to welcome him back to the jury this year!
NOEL BURGESS
Dr Noel Burgess is a member of the Australian Guild of Screen Composers board, and works as a lecturer in production and performance at Western Sydney University. He is a composer, producer, engineer, and performer with a prolonged career at the intersection of music and technology for stage and screen. He is best known for work as Vision Four 5, Chili Hi Fly and AapogeE, and TV shows like CJ the DJ and a range of commercial projects.
He is passionate about bridging industry, community, and education and sees these domains as inseparable elements of a vibrant and sustainable creative practice career.
We are so pleased to welcome Noel to the jury for the first time this year!
NADINE TORNEY
Nadine Torney is an impact-driven producer, director and writer working across documentary, independent film and storytelling. She is Chair of WIFT NSW and a member of the MEAA Equity & Diversity Committee, where she supports emerging filmmakers and advocates for a more accessible Australian screen industry.
Nadine has been recognised as an Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) Leading Light and is a member of the Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA). Her work centres on women, culture and community with collaborations including SXSW, Apple, Panavision and WIRES. She has produced films for TEDx - Transitions and was Impact Producer on A Clean Start - The Orange Sky Story (2026) and The Policewoman (2026).
A long-time supporter of Made in the West, Nadine is passionate about the role Western Sydney plays in shaping a more representative Australian screen culture. She advocates for increased mentorship, accessibility and talent development for women and gender-diverse filmmakers, while supporting greater opportunities for emerging and underrepresented voices across the industry. We are very happy to welcome Nadine back to the jury!
PEARL TAN
Dr Pearl Tan is a multidisciplinary creator whose work spans directing, writing, producing, editing and performance in the screen and audio industry. Alongside her creative work Pearl is an educator—currently the Discipline Lead in Directing (MA) at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
Pearl has been recognised in the Most Influential Asian-Australian Awards and listed in the 100 Women of Influence. She has served on numerous boards including AFTRS, Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Australian Directors' Guild, Co-Curious and more.
Her creative work and cultural leadership is underpinned by a PhD in Creative Practice from the University of New South Wales. Her research included the creation of a multi-award-winning fictional podcast entitled Diversity Work which gained accolades at the Webby Awards, New York Festivals Radio Awards, Signal Awards and more. We are so pleased Pearl can join us again this year!
COURTNEY GIBSON
Courtney Gibson provides strategic and business advisory services to arts, screen and creative industries organisations through her consultancy C-Type.
Courtney has extensive experience in screen development, commissioning and production at ABC TV, Nine, SBS, Southern Star Entertainment, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland and the South Australian Film Corporation.
Currently on the advisory board of Inclusively Made, she's a former board member at ACE Parramatta and Australians in Film, Hollywood. With a background as a producer, Courtney is passionate about developing industry partnerships and fostering a more diverse screen industry. We are really excited to have Courtney joining the panel again this year!
HOLLY KAYE-SMITH
Dr Holly Kaye-Smith is a content creator and social change-maker who has dedicated her life and research to creating change through inspiring communication and empowering other people to do the same. Dr Holly is in demand all over the world, frequenting podcasts, publications, and conferences to advise about sustainability issues and creative content solutions.
She was the host of Enquiring Minds and The Why Generation at TVS Television Sydney, and of course, you would have seen her on the red carpet at Made in the West too, as she hosted our red carpet interviews in 2020 and 2021.
We are excited to have Dr Holly back for her fifth year judging Made in the West!
MICHAEL BUDD
Michael Hamish Budd is an Australian film actor, director and producer who received nationwide and international press as the Director/Producer for Ruby's Choice, starring Jane Seymour OBE and Jacqueline McKenzie. Michael has directed Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe and AACTA Award winners.
He is best known as an actor for playing the Zion Controller in The Matrix Reloaded and Esmael alongside Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, and Sigourney Weaver in The Cold Light of Day. Michael is the first Australian born of African American descent to direct, produce and star in a feature film in Australia.
Owner of Amazing People Pictures, Michael's Ruby's Choice premiered at the 37th Santa Barbara International Film Festival where it was nominated for Best International Feature Film. We are so proud to welcome back Michael for another year on our festival jury.
PETER MILLYNN
Peter Millynn is a freelance screen educator and practitioner with more than thirty years experience in the industry as an actor, writer, musician, recording studio operator, production accountant, production manager and producer. He has also written comedy for both radio and television, and has worked extensively in music videos, TVCs, short film and feature films.
Peter was employed for sixteen years at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in both teaching and senior management roles. He has, at AFTRS, AFTT / IFSS and ISA, mentored and overseen the development and production of over 950 student short films including numerous festival winners and three Academy Award nominees.
Peter's credits in production include Kokoda, Undressing Vanessa and The Saviour. In 2023 he co-produced the award-winning documentary The Power of Activism. We are so happy to welcome Peter back to the jury this year!
DAVID BYRNE
David Byrne heads up production company The Rusty Cage and has over a decade of experience producing film and television content for global audiences. He grew up in the Blue Mountains and the idea of being a TV producer seemed a world away, but now he creates everything from commercials and promotional material, to documentaries and television series. Currently, he's working on several documentaries covering topics including domestic violence, history and adventure sport.
David produces the long-running television series The Travel Bug and picturesque My Greek Odyssey, exploring the Greek Islands on a super yacht. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome David back for another year on our judging panel!
IQBAL BARKAT
Dr Iqbal Barkat is a digital artist and filmmaker who teaches screen production at Macquarie University and is a proponent and practitioner of community and participatory arts, specialising in works involving a combination of actors and non-actors, often including fictional elements at the intersection of digital media with other art forms. He is co-director and producer of the documentary This is Our School.
Iqbal has been behind the scenes at Made in the West since the earliest days of our annual awards program – since we were just young pups fresh out of film school!
If it weren’t for him, we probably wouldn’t even be here, so we appreciate him being with us on this journey over the last 15 years.
A big thank you to our 2026 Jury!
From the entire team at Made in the West, we'd like to extend a huge thank you to our wonderful Jury members for generously sharing their time, experience and expertise with us this year.
We know that judging so many fantastic films is no small task, and we're incredibly grateful for the care and consideration each Jury member brings to the process.
We can't wait to see how their combined scores shape this year's awards. And stay tuned because our full PRIZE LIST is coming soon!!
So, prepare yourselves, friends - it's time to get ready for another big summer of Western Sydney films at the cinema. With our Jury hard at work and another incredible collection of locally made films ready for the big screen, the countdown to our 15th anniversary festival is officially on.
Our Marathon #SummerofFilm kicks off on Saturday 28 November 2026, with our Opening Night Awards Gala at Event Cinemas Liverpool.
Join us on the red carpet as we celebrate our filmmakers, reveal the winners of our prestigious Jury Awards and launch our biggest festival season yet!
And that's just the beginning. Throughout December and into the new year, we'll be screening our full 2026 Official Selection in cinemas, giving you plenty of opportunities to discover new favourites, support local talent and cast your votes for the People's Choice Awards.
We've also got a few surprises up our sleeves, but we're keeping the details under wraps for now and we can't wait to share more with you soon!
So mark Saturday 28 November in your calendar, and leave some room for a few more cinema dates while you're at it. Explore the program, discover films that surprise you, bring your friends and make a summer of it!
Fifteen years of local stories, incredible talent and unforgettable nights at the movies.
We can't wait to celebrate this milestone with the filmmakers, audiences and supporters who make it all possible!
We’ll see you on the red carpet soon.