More Sponsors, More Opportunities for Western Sydney Filmmakers!

Our 15th anniversary celebrations are gathering momentum, and we’ve got another wonderful group of sponsors to thank!

Following our first sponsor announcement, we’re excited to introduce more of the organisations backing this year’s Made in the West award winners. This time, we’re shining the spotlight on our Prize Sponsors, who are donating practical tools, professional development and industry connections to help filmmakers take their next steps.

While our Screen Sponsors help cover the costs of delivering the festival, our Prize Sponsors contribute opportunities that our winners can carry into the year ahead. From developing a creative business to finding collaborators and preparing for the next production, these prizes have plenty to offer.

Please put your hands together for our next round of supporters!

Creative Plus Business

Making great work and building a sustainable creative career take a whole range of skills. Thankfully, Creative Plus Business is here to help with the business side!

Through training, mentoring and practical resources, the team helps creatives navigate the challenges of working for themselves.

We know exactly how valuable their advice can be and we’re delighted to have them supporting our filmmakers again.

This year, Creative Plus Business is donating a business mentorship package to our Rising Star Award winner, helping an emerging creative develop the knowledge and confidence to plan their next steps. They’re also donating workshops to student filmmakers, putting useful business skills within reach early in their careers.

A huge thank you to Monica and the team for helping Western Sydney creatives build a future around the work they love.

Irierootsini Photography

Actors, this one’s for you! Irierootsini Photography is returning with premium actor headshot packages for the winners of Best Actor in a Lead Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role and our Rising Star Award.

Professional headshots are an important part of an actor’s toolkit, introducing them to casting directors and helping them present themselves for future roles. These packages give our winners an opportunity to refresh their portfolios with portraits created by a local photographer who understands the value of a strong image.

Thank you to Emil and Irierootsini Photography for putting Western Sydney performers in the picture and supporting their next career opportunities!

Opening Act Films

There’s something special about festival alumni returning to support the next generation.

Founded by Western Sydney filmmaker and past festival award winner Pete Ireland, Opening Act Films is once again backing emerging talent with a practical addition to a filmmaker’s kit.

The Best Student Film winner will receive a 4K field monitor, ready to put to work on their next production. It’s a useful tool for any new filmmaker keen to get a clearer view of what’s being captured on set.

A big thank you to Pete and Opening Act Films for supporting the festival and Western Sydney filmmakers. We love seeing that spirit of generosity come full circle.

Australian Guild of Screen Composers

A great score can stay with you long after the credits finish. The Australian Guild of Screen Composers is helping us recognise the creative talent behind those memorable musical moments.

AGSC is donating a membership to our Best Original Music Score winner, connecting a local composer with a professional community dedicated to screen music.

It’s an opportunity to build industry relationships, access professional resources and continue developing a career composing for the screen.

Thank you to AGSC for celebrating the composers whose work gives our films so much feeling — and for helping strengthen connections between music makers and filmmakers.

Australian Production Design Guild

From the smallest prop to the world a story inhabits, production design gives filmmakers so many ways to tell us who their characters are.

The Australian Production Design Guild is supporting our Best Production Design winner with a membership, offering a connection to the wider professional design community.

For a filmmaker developing their craft, that connection creates opportunities to learn from other practitioners, discover industry resources and build relationships beyond their current production team.

Thank you to APDG for offering such a great prize for Western Sydney’s emerging production designers!

Australian Screen Sound Guild

The atmosphere of a place, the impact of a sound effect, the clarity of a conversation — there’s a lot of storytelling happening through our ears.

We’re delighted to welcome the Australian Screen Sound Guild back as a Prize Sponsor, donating a membership to our Best Sound Design winner.

Connecting with a professional community of screen sound practitioners gives our winner opportunities to exchange knowledge, develop their practice and build new industry relationships.

A huge thank you to ASSG for supporting the people who make our films sound as good as they look!

Australian Screen Editors

Editors know how much a moment can change with a single cut. Their decisions shape the pace, emotion and unfolding story of every film we watch.

Australian Screen Editors is returning to support our Best Editor winner with a membership, connecting them with a community that understands and celebrates the craft.

Through professional resources, industry events and opportunities to meet fellow editors, this prize offers support beyond the project that earned the award.

Thank you to ASE for championing Western Sydney editors and helping them stay connected as they shape their next stories.

Screen Producers Australia

Bringing a film to life takes creative vision, persistence and a whole lot of producing. Screen Producers Australia is helping our award winners build on all three!

SPA is donating two memberships: one for the Best in the West winner and one for the runner-up. These prizes will connect the recipients with the wider Australian producing community and opportunities for professional development.

They’re also contributing a Business Essentials course for one lucky award winner, offering practical learning to support the business behind the filmmaking.

Thank you to SPA for backing Western Sydney’s screen producers and helping them develop the knowledge and connections to keep making work.

Prizes That Help Keep the Cameras Rolling

What we love about these contributions is how much they offer beyond awards night. They give filmmakers tools to use, people to learn from and opportunities to approach their next project with fresh confidence.

To every sponsor sharing their expertise and resources with our community: thank you for investing in Western Sydney talent.

We encourage you to explore our Sponsors & Partners page, visit their websites and get to know the organisations supporting local film. Whether you’re looking for business advice, professional headshots or connections within your craft, there could be something there for you too.

We still have more supporters to introduce, with our full awards and prizes list coming soon!

We're counting down to the start of the festival and we can't wait to announce the full program soon. Have you seen the latest news? Here's what to expect in the weeks ahead!

You're invited to join us as our 15th anniversary season begins for Opening Night on Saturday 28 November, followed by three weekends of short film marathons at Event Cinemas Liverpool, and an entire summer of Western Sydney films in cinema and online.

Tickets open at the end of this week!