Community Film Festivals across the state have more to celebrate

Community film festivals across the state will bring audiences together for opening night events to remember as they celebrate and connect through film, with support from Screen NSW.

In its second year, Screen NSW’s Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund will deliver a total of $100,000 in funding to support 26 community film festivals across the state to elevate their opening night celebrations.

Taking place from Bondi Beach to Broken Hill, Byron Bay to Merimbula, these festivals showcase the strength and diversity of NSW screen culture. Through these events audiences can discover a wide range of storytelling, from culturally-focused programs to documentaries, short films, experimental works and youth-driven content.

The supported festivals reflect the variety of the NSW film industry, spanning internationally renowned events including Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Flickerfest and the Alliance Française French Film Festival, alongside grassroots and emerging festivals such as the Port Kembla Film Festival and S-Burst Film Festival.

With increasing operating costs presenting a significant barrier for many cultural organisations, the Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund is designed to help film festivals promote local connections, attract audiences and deliver memorable opening night events. The fund complements existing support available for film and community festivals in the state, including Screen NSW’s Audience Development Program. 

More information on the fund can be found here. Full details of the recipients are below. 

Screen NSW Executive Director Kylie Munnich said: 

“Community-driven film festivals are an important opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate, see their stories on screen and welcome new audiences with memorable events. These film festivals often present a valuable opportunity for diaspora communities across the state to create intercultural meeting points and support films rarely available in mainstream cinema. 

“However, with costs rising, we know these events are becoming harder to host. That is why Screen NSW is pleased to support 26 film festivals right across NSW to roll out the red carpet for their opening night events. The fund often supports smaller community organisations that run these film festivals, which are important to the broader ecosystem, while also creating exciting events for audiences in NSW to get out and enjoy.”  

Bangalow Film Festival Founder & Director Christian Pazzaglia said: 

"Screen NSW's support through the Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund played an important role in helping us create a memorable opening night for the 2026 Bangalow Film Festival. The funding enabled us to welcome international guests and transform our launch into a kaleidoscopic celebration of cinema, live performance, and community. Most importantly, it allowed us to create an opening night that captured the spirit of the festival from the very first moment, setting the tone for the rest of the event."

Full list of Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund recipients: 

• Africa Film Fest Australia, Sydney 
• Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, Sydney
• Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Sydney 
• Armenian Film Festival, Sydney
• Australian Women's Film Festival, Sydney
• Avoca Beach French Film Festival, Central Coast 
• Bangalow Film Festival, Bangalow
• Byron Bay International Film Festival, Byron Bay
• Far South Film Festival, Merimbula
• Flickerfest Film Festival, Bondi and Mullumbimby 
• Indian Film Festival of Sydney, Sydney 
• Irish Film Festival Australia, Sydney
• Lebanese Film Festival, Sydney
• Made in the West Film Festival, Western Sydney
• Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sydney 
• National Indian Film Festival of Australia, Sydney, Broken Hill and Dubbo
• Perfect Light Film Festival, Broken Hill 
• Persian Film Festival Australia, Sydney
• Port Kembla Film Festival, Wollongong 
• Queer Screen Film Fest, Sydney
• REELise Film Festival, Sydney
• S-Burst Film Festival, Western Sydney
• Shooshfest, Sydney
• SmartFone Flick Fest, Sydney
• South African Film Festival, Sydney
• Voices of Women Short Film and Script Festival, Sydney 

Image: Bangalow Film Festival 2026 Opening Night Event. L-R: Christopher Nelius, Louise Smith, Molly Lewis, Christian Pazzaglia, Carole Anne Kaufman and Lauren Elder. Credit: Olivia Katz.