Say hello to your 2025 festival hosts!
- Made in the West Film Festival
- Nov 21
- 6 min read
We're getting ready to roll out the red carpet for Made in the West 2025!
This Saturday 22 November at 6pm, we're kicking off the biggest ever celebration of local filmmakers in Western Sydney. Join us at Event Cinemas Liverpool for a night of amazing short films, red carpet glamour, and epic awards.
And of course, if you can't make it this Saturday then please join us over the summer instead!
Starting in December, we're bringing festival films to you ONLINE and ON-DEMAND with the Made in the West MEGA Movie Marathon.
You can binge-watch a huge 3-hour lineup of films, see all your favourite filmmakers on the red carpet, and experience the magic of Made in the West from wherever you are this summer. It's going to be a total #couchfest!
And for those of you who want to get out the house and join us for a string of short film marathons on the big screen this summer, we have 8 different movie marathons lined up to showcase local film talent at some awesome Western Sydney venues. Check out our 2025 Program for more information.
Of course, our incredible hosts are lined up to deliver all the good vibes at this year's festival! From the red carpet to the big screen and beyond, they've got you covered.
So, whether you're joining us in person or online, get ready for a cinematic adventure like no other! Made in the West is bringing you the best of the West this season.
It's time to meet your fabulous hosts!
DEE SINNARKAR
We're thrilled to welcome Dee Sinnarkar as your MC for the night! This Saturday, Dee will be your host in the cinema, welcoming our 300-strong crowd and guiding you through the year's best short films. She's got the energy, the warmth and the charisma to make everyone feel right at home.
Dee is a Sydney-based singer, actor, model and performer with an incredible versatility across genres – from mainstream pop and R&B to Bollywood.
Her songs have racked up over 40,000 views on YouTube, aired on TV channels and been promoted by Tourism Australia. She's also starred in lead roles for major brand campaigns including Visa Asia, Holden Australia, NSW Transport and Woolworths. Trained at world-class institutions including NIDA and New York Film Academy, Dee has appeared in films and TV series alongside showbiz names like Jackie Chan, Jessica Mauboy, Elisabeth Moss and Rodger Corser.
If that wasn't enough, Dee is also an award-winning poet who used to write for Hallmark cards in India! She's a nature lover, enjoys photography and is a tomboy at heart. We can't wait to have her on the mic bringing her infectious enthusiasm to Made in the West! You can find and follow Dee on Instagram here.
SHETU SIMONE
We're excited to welcome back Shetu Simone – podcaster, performer, model and all-round superstar – as your red-carpet host! Shetu will be interviewing Official Selection filmmakers and industry guests, capturing all the behind-the-scenes magic for our highlights reel and online festival coverage.
You might remember she rocked the red carpet a couple of years ago and was our Festival MC last year too – we love having her around!
Shetu has a passion for audio production and sound editing, which she developed during her time at Nova FM. Some of you might recognise her from the BAE Podcast – available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts – where she chats with her friends about all things wellness, their upbringing in Western Sydney and what it's like being young and Black.
She also recently had a stint working in community engagement at Darlinghurst Theatre, a community theatre in the city with a passion for pushing boundaries and ensuring diversity on stage and behind the scenes. She's an amazing host and conversationalist and super smooth on the mic – we can't wait to see her in action on the red carpet! You can follow her on Instagram here.
PRUDENCE BERNADETTE
Say hello to Prudence Bernadette – also known as theARTGRL – who'll be co-hosting our MEGA Movie Marathon this year!
Prudence is an accomplished actress, director, and musician, renowned for her innovative perspective and demonstrated leadership within the film, music, and media industries. As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Moonshot Thinking, she leads both production studio Prudent Pictures and the independent record label Lonely Friday Records.
Her recent work includes composing and performing as a thereminist on the film Bad Vibrations (directed by Nicole Delprado), as well as directing, executive producing, composing, and editing the documentary Subculture: The Whovians, which delves into the dynamic transformation of dedicated fans into creative contributors.
Currently, Prudence is developing the feature-length family comedy Weddings, Engagements or a Death in the Family. In addition, she's preparing to launch whisper/dance, an interactive and experimental film that examines contemporary dating and relationships through a Shakespearean, gothic lens.
When she's not creating films or making music on her Moog Theremini, you'll find Prudence helping us all find our zen with her synth meditation tracks. She's a creative powerhouse with sharp humour and fearless creativity – we're thrilled to have her as one of our marathon anchors! Follow Prudence on Instagram here.
JAMES PRESTON
We're stoked to have James Preston return this year as co-host of our MEGA Movie Marathon!
James has a wealth of experience on camera – he's an ACRA award-winning broadcaster (Best Commercial Radio Music Host 2020/21) and a national TV host with Fox Sports and Sky News.
We love to see him kicking goals with sports commentating and presenting – he recently flew to England to lead the coverage of the 2024 Touch Football World Cup, in addition to regularly presenting for the NRLW and the Pacific Championships for Fox League, as well as Kayo Sports, Stan Sport, 9Now and 7+.
Before he turned his talents to broadcasting, James performed as a rapper opening for Billboard chart-topping artists Ja Rule and Xzibit, plus he's had a few acting appearances in feature films and lead roles in TVCs, short films and web series.
If you're a long-time festival supporter then you might recognise James from a few years back as he's been our festival MC and red carpet host before – we love his work! We're excited to have him back helping us bring the energy and excitement to our online marathon this summer. Follow James on Instagram here.
ROSS PAGE
You know him. You love him. And it just wouldn't be Made in the West without Ross!
Ross is a podcaster, filmmaker, actor and singer, and a co-director at Made in the West CREATIVE working with the team that plans and produces Made in the West each year.
He'll be presenting awards throughout the night and getting you cheering for this year's films as we celebrate our incredible filmmakers.
Ross founded Made in the West Film Festival in 2012 – back when we were just a group of film students running a film night in the old Roxy Hotel, with just a projector and a laptop stacked on top of an old amp and a couple of milk crates on stage (you can read more about THAT in our 10th Anniversary Magazine, available for sale on the night!). He's passionate about building an audience for local films, and many years later from that first film screening, he's now bringing Western Sydney films to a wider audience than he ever imagined, and generating regular paid work opportunities for the film talent in our community, through Made in the West Creative.
Ross is also the host of The Pagey Train podcast where he interviews local artists and creatives including actors, musicians, filmmakers and entrepreneurs. You can check out the podcast episodes on YouTube, Spotify (with video) and IHeartRadio. You'll meet Ross at the start of the night, and then throughout the show as we announce our individual category awards and major trophy prizes. Check out the nominees here and our awesome list of trophies, awards and prizes here, and of course, follow Ross on Instagram here!
We'd like to say a HUGE thanks to our amazing 2025 festival hosts!
We're looking forward to seeing them in action this Saturday - it's going to be a blast!
Don't miss out! Grab your FREE tickets NOW before 6pm Friday!
We've got a killer lineup of films for you this year, from some of Western Sydney's most talented filmmakers.
Plus, we have an incredible gaggle of supporters and fans who are just as excited as we are to celebrate another year of #WesternSydneyFilm.
We're looking forward to hosting you there!