Opening Night After Party with WSFH

Made in the West Film Festival has proudly called Liverpool home for 8 fantastic years, and we’re thrilled to be returning to showcase the incredible talent of Western Sydney filmmakers once again in 2025.

We think it’s just awesome that locally made films are being screened on V-max at EVENT Cinemas. And this year, we’re showcasing more films than ever before with our Marathon cinema sessions - screening films throughout the summer and not just one night! Check out the full program here.

If you’re planning on coming along to Opening Night, grab your tickets now! Since announcing the Official Selection, we have less than 100 tickets left - get in quick to avoid disappointment. We’ve got a huge cinema, comfy leather armchairs, a live host, cocktails from the bar, hot food and snacks waiting for you.

A big shout-out to Teoni, Chris, and the entire team at Event Cinemas Liverpool for the unwavering support they’ve shown for the local filmmaking community. Their commitment to bringing our stories to the big screen is truly inspiring, and together, we’re building a thriving film-going culture right here in Western Sydney.

Their commitment to bringing our stories to the big screen is truly inspiring, and together, we’re building a thriving film-going community right here in Western Sydney.

Speaking of which, have you seen Liverpool EVENT is offering $12-14 movie tickets right now? Along with our Sunday Marathon Summer screenings that are the cheapest summer cinema tickets at $10, there’s never been a better time to hit the cinema and soak in the big screen magic.

We’re planning a fabulous Opening Night celebration on Saturday 22 November with our Screening & Awards Night, featuring 14 short films plus trailers from several feature films and TV series made in Western Sydney this year. Doors open at 6pm for red carpet photos and mingling with the filmmakers.

With two jam-packed segments, an incredible lineup of short films, filmmaker awards & prizes, and a live audience vote for the highly coveted Audience Choice Award, the energy will be electric all evening!

If you’re not ready to call it a night after the final trophy presentation – we don’t blame you! And guess what? You’re in luck.

We’ve partnered with Western Sydney Filmmakers Hangout to bring you an exclusive networking after party!

It’s only a short 700m walk from Event Cinemas to The Macquarie Hotel (via Macquarie Street Mall), and we’re stoked to have Matthew C. Vella from Western Sydney Filmmakers Hangout as our host.

Western Sydney Filmmakers Hangout is a grassroots community gathering where local filmmakers come together a few times a year to talk about their work, share projects, find new collaborators, and support each other on creative journeys.

WSFH host, Matt Vella, also collaborates with Made in the West on #WesternSydneyFilm Online Networking Events, our community events for Western Sydney screen practitioners – making him the ideal host to keep the festivities going into the night!

Head on over to The Mac at 11.30pm to chat with other filmmakers, toast to the winners, debate the judges’ picks, decide what other sessions you’re going to attend, and celebrate with the #WesternSydneyFilm community.

Matt has won several awards at Made in the West over the years, including Best Student Film for his first short Bleeding Backs in 2016, and the Audience Choice Award in 2018 for his outrageous comedy She’s Not Your Type.

He also recently celebrated an incredible slate of projects at his Vellamatt Entertainment Showcase, featuring collaborations with local screen practitioners James Peniata, Maria Tran, Luke Agius, Chris Elena, Luke Agius, and Bina Bhattacharya.

"Made in the West feels like filmmaker's Christmas,” says Matt. “It’s like a big family reunion where everyone gets together and also a good reminder of the awesome work our film community is producing."

So don’t just watch the magic – be part of it! Grab your ticket, join us for the Opening Night screening, and afterwards, toast to JUST THE START of a fantastic festival season.

With free parking after 6pm at the cinema, you can car pool with your mates and arrive right at the door. You could even book a stay at Quest Liverpool Serviced Apartments or the brand-new Meriton Suites nearby, so you can hang out until late without worrying about the last train home or a late-night Uber.

And of course, there are plenty of ways to enjoy this year’s festival films if you can’t join us in person on Saturday 22 November for Opening Night.

We’ve recently announced our summer-long program for the 2025 festival – now featuring special pop-up screenings across Western Sydney!

Made possible thanks to Liverpool City Council and Penrith City Council, We’re bringing local stories to local screens and connecting artists with audiences like never before.

We've put together 8 different short film marathon sessions that will be screening in five different locations throughout the summer season, so you won’t have to travel far to catch the year’s best short films near you.

You can find Western Sydney films screening in Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Parramatta this year - see our program for dates and details and book your ticket soon!

PLUS, our 2025 MEGA Movie Marathon kicks off on Monday 1 December and will be available to view online and on demand.

We’re hosting another kick-ass show online this year! We've hand picked a fantastic line-up for our national and international audiences and it’s only $20 to enjoy a massive 3-hour marathon of short films Made in the West.

The full movie marathon features 16 films plus filmmaker interviews and all the action from the red carpet. This is our sixth annual online movie marathon, and let us tell you, we’ve got another serious #couchfest for you and your mates to enjoy!

Vote for your favourite films after ANY of our summer screenings and help decide who takes home the end-of-season genre awards (plus prizes from Event Cinemas and Dingoo) and the Panavision camera equipment rental prize pack valued at $3,500 for our prestigious People’s Choice Award, set to be announced at our final screening of the season at The Joan, Penrith!

We’ll also be announcing the recipients of our new Next Generation awards – Rising Star and Outstanding Female Filmmaker – both taking home incredible prizes thanks to WIFT NSW, Creative Plus Business, Australians in Film, Irierootsini Photography, and Screen Producers Australia.

There are so many ways to get involved in this year’s Made in the West Film Festival, and we’re beyond excited to share another outstanding lineup of 36 films with the world.

Every shared resource, every bit of advice, and each word of encouragement we give each other lifts the whole community. Helping each other produce better films and tell richer stories – inspiring each other – is ultimately what Made in the West is all about, and it has helped us put Western Sydney’s creative filmmaking scene on the map.

Get your tickets now for the Opening Night Gala, MEGA Movie Marathon online and screenings in your local Western Sydney venues this summer!

However you’re joining us, we’re very happy to be hosting you at the 2025 festival.