It’s almost time to close the door on film submissions for this year, so you know what that means… we're ready to reveal this year’s judges!
We’re super excited to introduce a new addition to the judging panel for 2024, alongside some new faves and a few veterans who’ve been long-time supporters of Made in the West.
Together, these talented individuals have the unenviable task of deciding who wins our top awards at this year’s festival.
But before we get to the big reveal, let us remind you – we’re on the final stretch! This is your final call – ENTER YOUR FILM NOW!
Submissions close this Friday 25 October at midnight, so there’s still time to get your short film in for a chance to be part of this year’s Official Selection.
Could your film take home one of our top trophies? Or will you charm the audience and claim the Audience Choice Award?
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 just five weeks away from celebrating with you at Sydney’s most exciting short film festival – can you believe it, this is our 13th annual event!
Come and celebrate with us on Saturday 30 November at Event Cinemas, Liverpool.
We’re taking over the Vmax big screen for a night of red-carpet glamour, champagne, friends and filmmaker networking, and of course, a stunning lineup of Western Sydney-made films on screen.
So save the date, grab your friends, and mark your calendars – it’s going to be a night to remember!
Stay tuned on our social pages for updates on tickets opening soon, the official film selection, award nominees, and all the news you won’t want to miss.
We’ve had some incredible submissions so far this year, and if it were up to us to pick the winners, well, let’s just say we’d be handing out trophies left and right! Thankfully, we’ve got an expert panel to help us make those tough decisions.
This year, we’ve assembled an incredible lineup of ten judges whose sharp eyes for storytelling and years of experience will help determine the winners of this year’s festival.
Their collective scores will decide who takes home our gorgeous crystal trophies for Best Music Video, Best Student Film, and Best in the West (for indie filmmakers).
Plus, they’ll nominate the individual category winners, with nine awards up for grabs: Best Director, Screenplay, Cinematographer, Editor, Sound Design, Production Design, Original Score, Lead Actor, and Supporting Actor.
And don’t forget, the most important judge is YOU!
That’s right – join us on the red carpet from 6pm on Saturday 30 November to watch this year’s best short films and you can vote for the Audience Choice Award!
Entry to the festival screening is FREE and ticket registrations open on 1 November. You might even spot a few judges on the red carpet!
So, without further ado, let’s meet the judging panel for 2024:
PEARL TAN
Pearl Tan is the founder and director of Pearly Productions, a creative boutique creating content with a focus on diverse stories. She is the Discipline Lead in Directing at AFTRS. In 2020, Pearl was listed in the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australian Awards and named the most influential in the Arts and Culture category.
In 2016, Pearl was named a Woman of Influence by the Australian Financial Review and Westpac. She has been on the AFTRS Council and the Screen Australia Gender Matters Taskforce. She was Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Equity Diversity Committee within the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and held positions on the MEAA Board and the National Performers Committee for Actors Equity. She was on the board of the Australian Directors Guild as Vice President in New Media, after serving as the NSW Chapter Head. We’re so pleased she can join us this year for the 1st time on our judging panel!
NEIL SHARMA
Neil Sharma is a Sydney based director and writer and proud AFTRS alumni. Mentored by Oscar winning auteur Taika Waititi and acclaimed director Jeffrey Walker, his directing credits include the International Emmy nominated reboot of Heartbreak High on Netflix, the recent remake of Mother and Son on the ABC, and the SBS Digital Original series Appetite.
Neil cut his teeth in the industry as an assistant director on productions such as Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legened of the Ten Rings, Mad Max: Furiosa, Mortal Kombat and The Dressmaker. Other projects he has worked on include Thor: Love and Thunder, Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Lion, The Cry and Picnic at Hanging Rock. His extensive on-set experience and invaluable mentorships have put him in a very small pool of film makers who can creatively, efficiently, and effectively conceptualise and navigate a film production, of any scale and genre. You can check out his work online here. We’re stoked to have Neil on our judging panel for the 2nd time this year!
COURTNEY GIBSON
Courtney Gibson is a consultant at C-Type, providing strategic and business advisory services to arts, screen and creative industries organisations, particularly in government and business sectors. She is a former board member at ACE Parramatta and has extensive experience in screen commissioning and financing roles, working previously with Screen NSW and Queensland, SA Film Commission, Jungle Entertainment, ABC TV and SBS.
With a background as a producer, Courtney is passionate about developing industry partnerships and fostering a more diverse screen industry by ensuring opportunities for communities and individuals historically under-represented in the creative industries sectors can thrive. This is the 2nd year Courtney is joining our Made in the West judging panel and we are excited to have her on board!
MICHAEL BUDD
Michael Hamish Budd is an award-winning actor, director and producer, best known for playing Esmael, alongside Henry Cavill and Sigourney Weaver in The Cold Light of Day and playing the Zion Controller in The Matrix Reloaded. He recently directed the award-winning feature film Ruby’s Choice, starring Jane Seymour and Jacqueline McKenzie, and scored a nod for Best Director at the 2021 Australian Screen Industry Awards. His directorial debut, Love of my Life, starred Logie winner Peter O’Brien and his second feature film Life of the Party, starring Holly Brisley, premiered in cinemas around the country in 2017. He is the owner of production company Amazing People Pictures and his feature film Enter Sanctum was released in 2020. We’re stoked that Michael could join us again this year – it’s the 9th year he’s been with us!
HOLLY KAYE-SMITH
Dr Holly is a content creator and social change-maker. She 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 excited to welcome Dr Holly back to the panel for the 3rd time this year!
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 very proud to welcome David back for his 8th year on our judging panel!
CRAIG MORGAN
Dr 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), Tropfest, Tropscore and KidzFlickz - and in 2018 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 ‘PIG’ was an Official Selection 61st Berlin International Film Festival in 2011. Craig holds a Master of Science (MSc) Research publication from Macquarie University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from The Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney. This is the 7th time Craig will bring his expertise to our judging panel and we are very thankful he could join us!
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’s credits in production include Undressing Vanessa, Kokoda and The Saviour.
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. This is Peter's 7th year on our judging panel and we’re super pleased he’s stuck with us!
WENDY CHANDLER
Dr Wendy Chandler is an animation specialist and award-winning filmmaker based in the Blue Mountains. Former producer at Parasol Productions, she has directed numerous short films such as Union Street, Vengeance, The Summer of 77 and produced and co-directed the animation series Heirlooms. AFTRS alum Wendy has a Doctorate in Creative Arts and is now lecturing in screen media at WSU. She is a strong advocate for improving lives and educational opportunities for the people of Timor-Leste through her work with the Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters and Blue Mountains Together for Timor and has worked at Casa de Produção Audiovisual training young filmmakers in Timor-Leste. We’re so happy to have Wendy on our judging panel for the 4th time this year!
IQBAL BARKAT
Dr Iqbal Barkat is a digital artist and filmmaker. He 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 11th time on our judging panel at Made in the West (yep, he has been with us since the start of our awards) and we are very pleased he is along for the ride once again.
Please give a huge round of applause for our 2024 judges!
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 gorgeous crystal 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 of the night – the Audience Choice Award – when you vote in person on Saturday 30 November at Event Cinemas.
For those of you who can’t make it in person, we’re thrilled to announce that our Online MEGA Movie Marathon is returning this year and will be available to view all summer long!
That’s right – you’ll be able to vote for your favourite films right there from the couch at home, including categories like Best Horror, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Web Series, Documentary and Animation PLUS the People’s Choice Award.
The MEGA Movie Marathon kicks off in December and runs through to the end of January 2025. So there’s plenty of time to rally your friends, family and the entire community to watch and vote for their favourites!
We can’t wait to see all the incredible work from Western Sydney filmmakers on screens this summer.
So, what are you waiting for? Submit your film before the deadline this Friday – and we’ll see you on the red carpet soon!