Festival Director Nashen Moodley was pleased to open his fourth Festival to a packed auditorium including; the film’s director Brendan Cowell; producer Kath Shelper; executive producer Jonathan Duncan; actors, Patrick Brammall, Alex Dimitriades, Harriet Dyer, Jeremy Sims, Aaron Bertram, Robyn Nevin, Jack Thompson, Laura Dundovic, Elly Oh and Leon Ford; and musicians Sarah Blasko and Art vs Science.

NSW Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant, spoke at the Opening Night Gala, saying Australian films are the strong flavour of this year’s festival. “The local film industry is firing on all cylinders with over 51 Australian productions screened over 12 days at this years’ festival including; six features, 10 feature-length documentaries, 12 short documentaries, and 22 short fiction films, together with some of the best cinema in the world,” he said.

“Sydney is already the film capital of Australia, we’re now setting our sights on the Southern Hemisphere. This will require a co-ordinated effort from Screen NSW, other government agencies and industry to lure more big productions to Sydney.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore also spoke, welcoming audiences to come and experience all the Festival has to offer, including the Festival Hub at Sydney’s Town Hall. “Sydney is only the second city ever to be nominated as a UNESCO city of film. I encourage everyone to come to see the latest cinema from our own filmmakers and from filmmakers across the globe; to hear stories from different cultures, about different ideas and different ways of life; and with fresh eyes, take a look at who we are as Australians,” she said…more

For more info on the festival please visit website.

– Originally Posted June 4, 2015

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