Meet the Jury deciding our 2025 Awards

We're chuffed to bits to reveal this year's awards jury – and what a stellar line-up of judges they are!

We've got some familiar faces returning alongside some exciting new additions to the panel, and together they'll have the tough job of deciding who takes home our gorgeous crystal trophies at this year's festival.

But first, let us remind you – submissions are still OPEN! There's still time to get your short film in for consideration as part of this year's Official Selection.

ENTER YOUR FILM NOW before the Saturday 25 October deadline!

This year's program is going to be bigger and better than ever -- we can't wait to tell you what we have in store for you this summer!

All the best films of the year featuring cast and crew from Western Sydney will screen as part of the 2025 Made in the West Film Festival.

Could your film be selected to win one of the three top trophies? Or maybe you'll charm the audience and claim the coveted Audience Choice Award? Or win over the hearts of the masses as our People's Choice?

All films must feature at least one cast member, crew member, or location from Western Sydney. You can check the full entry criteria here.

We're getting closer to celebrating with you at Sydney's most exciting short film festival – this is our 14th annual event and we're planning to make it our biggest and best yet.

Come and celebrate Opening Night with us on Saturday 22 November at Event Cinemas Liverpool!

We're taking over the V-max big screen for our Opening Night celebrations with red-carpet photographers, champagne, friends and filmmaker networking, and of course, an incredible lineup of Western Sydney-made films on screen.

So save the date, grab your mates, and mark your calendars – it's going to be another night to remember!

Stay tuned to our social pages or use the pink banner at the top of the screen to sign up to our newsletter for updates on tickets, the official film selection, new screening venues, award nominees, and all the festival news you won't want to miss.

We've had some absolutely phenomenal submissions this year, and honestly if it were up to us to pick the winners, we'd be handing out trophies to everyone! Thankfully, we've got this amazing expert panel to help us make those incredibly difficult decisions.

This year, we've assembled a fantastic lineup of eleven judges whose keen eyes for storytelling and years of industry experience will help determine the winners of this year's festival.

Their collective scores will decide who takes home our beautiful crystal trophies for Best Music Video, Best Student Film, and Best in the West (for indie filmmakers).

Plus, they'll nominate our individual category winners, with nine awards up for grabs: Best Director, Screenplay, Cinematographer, Editor, Sound Design, Production Design, Original Music Score, Lead Actor and Supporting Actor.

And remember, the final judge is YOU!

That's right – join us on the red carpet this November to watch this year's incredible short film line-up and you can vote for the Audience Choice Award to send one lucky finalist home with our final trophy.

Or, tune in throughout the our summer-long MEGA Movie Marathon season to vote remotely for your favourite genre films and overall winner of the People's Choice Award!

Entry to the Opening Night screening is FREE and ticket registrations will open soon. You might even spot a few of our judges mingling on the red carpet!

So, without further ado, let's meet our 2025 awards jury:

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. He also 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 his 9th year on our judging panel!

HOLLY KAYE-SMITH 

Dr Holly 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're so excited to welcome Dr Holly back to the panel for the 4th time this year!

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 & TV projects, including classic Aussie movies such as The Thorn Birds, Cocktail, Australia Day, and Red Dog - True Blue.

This is Bryan's third time as a judge with Made in the West and we are absolutely stoked to have him back on the panel again this year!

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 (Man of Steel), 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're absolutely thrilled that Michael could join us again this year – it's his incredible 10th year with us!

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 Woman 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're so pleased Pearl can join us for the 2nd time on our judging panel this year!

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 winning reboot of Heartbreak High for Fremantle Media and Netflix.

His recent work includes Strife S2 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. We're absolutely stoked to have Neil on our judging panel for the 3rd time 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 board of Circa Contemporary Circus, 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.

This is the 3rd year Courtney is joining our Made in the West judging panel and we are so excited to have her expertise on board again!

CRAIG MORGAN 

Craig Morgan grew up in Lansvale and went to school in Cabramatta and Fairfield. As a former board-member of the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), Craig is a regular jury member for the Australian Academy of Cinematic and Television Arts (AACTA).

In 2018 he was inducted into the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) Academy. Craig holds a Graduate Diploma of Screen Music from Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) – his major project garnered international attention when it was selected in the 61st Berlin International Film Festival in 2011.

Craig holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from The Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney and was an Adult Nominee in the 2024 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards. This is the 8th time Craig will bring his incredible expertise to our judging panel and we are very thankful he could join us again!

PETER MILLYNN 

Peter Millynn is a freelance screen educator and practitioner with more than 30 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 16 years at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in both teaching and senior management roles. Peter has, at AFTRS, AFTT / IFSS and ISA, mentored and overseen the development and production of in excess of 950 student short films including numerous festival winners and 3 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. This is Peter's amazing 8th year on our judging panel and we're super pleased he's stuck with us through all these years!

NADINE TORNEY 

We're thrilled to welcome Nadine Torney to our judging panel for the first time this year!

Nadine is a producer, director, and writer whose work centres women and community-led stories exploring themes of cultural identity and belonging. She's produced films and screen projects in collaboration with TEDx, SXSW, Apple, Panavision, WIRES, and ActionAid that inspire, connect communities and drive change.

Her recent impact work includes Koala Rescuers, which follows WIRES volunteers saving Sydney Basin's last wild koalas, and Change Makers, documenting a community's fight against a proposed nuclear submarine base while transitioning to a clean energy economy. As a writer, her narrative stories celebrate underrepresented voices and regional perspectives.

As Chair of Women in Film & Television NSW (WIFT NSW), Nadine is a proud community partner of Made in the West and committed to industry mentorship and talent development for women and gender-diverse filmmakers in Western Sydney. She serves on MEAA's Equity & Diversity 'Represent' Working Charter Committee and is actively involved with the #SaveAustralianStories campaign for 20% Australian revenue investment into Australian stories.

A long-time supporter of Made in the West and Western Sydney filmmakers, she's excited to see this year's submissions and emerging voices. We can't wait for her perspective on this year's films. We're thrilled to welcome Nadine Torney to our judging panel for the first time this year!

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, currently screening on SBS. This is his incredible 12th time on our judging panel at Made in the West (yep, he has been with us since almost the very beginning of our awards!) and we are so pleased he is along for the ride once again.

Please give a huge round of applause for our 2025 jury!

From the entire team at Made in the West, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to this incredible panel for donating their time and expertise to judge this year's films. We appreciate it so much, and we can't wait to see the scores come in!

And remember, the panel's decision is final – their combined recommendations will determine who takes home three of our four gorgeous trophies and nine category prizes. But that's not where the story ends!

As always, YOU have the power to decide one of the biggest awards on Opening Night – the Audience Choice Award – when you vote in person on Saturday 22 November at Event Cinemas.

And if you who can't make it in person, we're happy to tell you that our MEGA Movie Marathon is returning again this year and will be available to view all summer long!

That's right – you'll be able to vote for all your favourite films this summer, and nominate them for awards categories including Best Horror, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Web Series, Documentary and Animation PLUS the People's Choice Award.

The MEGA Movie Marathon kicks off on Monday 1 December and runs right through summer to Saturday 28 February 2026. So there's plenty of time to rally your friends, family and the entire community to watch and vote for your favourites!

STAY TUNED because we've got some special announcements coming soon too - watch this space! It might just be the biggest news you've heard all month - you don't want to miss it.

We're looking forward to celebrating all the incredible work from Western Sydney filmmakers on screens this summer!

So, what are you waiting for? Submit your film now and we'll see you on the red carpet soon!