2023 ON TRACK TO BE THE BIGGEST FESTIVAL IN OUR HISTORY

FINAL DEADLINE DATE - JULY 17, 2023 | NO EXTENSIONS, SORRY

With our venue partners EVENT Cinemas (in Sydney and Brisbane) and Cinema Nova (Melbourne), the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival and its interstate satellite screening events are shaping as the biggest days on the calendar for Australia's science fiction fans.

The programming committee is still actively seeking feature films and shorts for the 2023 line-up. Says Festival Director Simon Foster, "We are deeply committed to the relationship we have forged with FilmFreeway and the community of filmmakers who use it as their premium platform for submission. We are not going to markets to source titles or over-programming retrospective favourites. We want to bring new indie sci-fi to Australia audiences and know that FilmFreeway remains the best way to do that."

Key to the festival's success in 2023 will be the ongoing cultural alliances that have been established with leading organisations in our community. Guests of the festival in recent years have included The Goethe Institute of Australia, The Arabic Language and Culture Department of the University of Sydney and The Office of the Canadian Consulate General, to name just a few. "Key to the growth of the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival is our commitment to seeking out diaspora audiences so that international films will find a receptive audience and feel at home here in Sydney and Melbourne," says Foster.

Student films are crucial to the program, as evidenced by the recent collaboration with RMIT in Victoria to provide the World Premiere platform for their digital animation project, 'Beerbarians by Tankard'.

STAY INFORMED BY FOLLOWING THE FESTIVAL SOCIALS:
Website: https://www.sydneysciencefictionfilmfestival.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydneyScienceFictionFilmFestival/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SydSciFiFest
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CjNbBJl6ymUJC-dsZBl4A
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydscififest/

The Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival patron and the organisation's Board Members will preside over the following three honours:

THE RON COBB BEST FEATURE FILM: The feature (over 40 mins) that best exemplifies the vision, values and ambitions of the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival. Named in honour of the late Ron Cobb, an adopted son of Sydney and iconic conceptual artist on such films as Dark Star, Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Conan the Barbarian and The Abyss.

THE ADAM LEE MEMORIAL AWARD: Awarded to a figure in the science fiction/fantasy community who has exhibited a dedication to their life’s work and served the genre and its fanbase with the enthusiasm and passion. Adam Lee was a Melbourne film archivist and genre fan who passed away in July 2021.

BEST LIVE SHORT FILM (INTERNATIONAL) and BEST LIVE SHORT FILM (AUSTRALIA)

BEST ACTOR (Feature Film) and BEST ACTOR (Short Film)

BEST ACTRESS (Feature Film) and BEST ACTRESS (Short Film)

BEST DIRECTOR (Feature Film) and BEST DIRECTOR (Short Film)

BEST ANIMATION SHORT

BEST STUDENT SHORT

SSFFF AUDIENCE AWARD: The most popular feature film as voted upon by Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival audiences.

Terms and Conditions:

1. All filmmakers/applicants or entity submitting a film to the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival (hereafter known as “SSFFF”), accept and agree to comply with the following Terms and Conditions. The person submitting a film to SSFFF is hereafter known as ‘You’ or ‘Your’.

2. We welcome films from any country in the world. If the film is in any other language other than English, the submission requires embedded English subtitles.

3. We only accept films that have been produced during and after 2020. Films that are widely available via public screening platforms (Vimeo, YouTube, etc) or on the filmmaker's official website will not be considered.

4. All submission fees are non-refundable. Please do not ask for a full fee waiver. Waivers are only offered to films invited to screen by SSFFF.

5. How to submit:
• Complete and submit Your online submission form.
• Pay relevant submission fee
You will receive confirmation of Your successful registration

6. Student and Young Filmmaker category entrants must be registered in a recognised film school, university, college, high school, middle school or elementary school with proof of ID from the institution to qualify for the relevant fees. You must supply the following:
• Your Student ID
• Name of school, college or university
• Name of Your Course
• Lecture or teacher
• Email of lecturer or teacher

7. FAN FILMS: SSFFF will accept fan films to this festival. You must have all permissions from the copyright holder and/or franchise holder and/or intellectual property owner and reveal those for the SSFFF upon request.

8. Filmmakers submitting must supply:
• Production credits/contact details
• 5 (five) photos for promotional purposes, (min. resolution 1024 x 576 pixels)
• Press Kit for promotional use by SSFFF
• Film Poster
• A trailer and/or scene clips from the film (ProRes 422 Full HD; 1920x1080 or higher).

9.
a) A .DCP file on a formatted hard drive of the full film must be supplied for the SSFFF theatrical screening, unless an alternate format is otherwise agreed upon by SSFFF.
b) A video file in any single-file format (i.e. .mp4, .mov, .avi, .m4v, .mkv, .wmv, etc.) must be supplied in full HD resolution for online festival sessions.

10. Once a film is accepted by SSFFF and programmed, it cannot be withdrawn from the festival line-up, other than at the discretion of the SSFFF.

11. The SSFFF undertake to make every effort to adhere to the published schedule program. However, SSFFF reserves the right to alter this schedule and venue at any time for any reason. SSFFF does not accept any liability for any costs claimed to arise as a result of a change in the scheduling.

12. Awards may be presented during the SSFFF, at the discretion of the organisers and the Jury Panel (where applicable).

13. By submitting a film, You grant us the right to screen Your film at one or more SSFFF event, copy and/or reproduce, modify, adapt and any part thereof, up to one (1) minute of the film submission. We may also use Your submission and any other promotional material/photo’s and/or information submitted by You to communicate it to the public in all media, including via our website and publicity materials, or to advertise and promote SSFFF event(s), its products and services, or all, and to showcase Your film.

14. You own the copyright to Your film as its author and represent and warrant that You have (and will continue to have during the duration of SSFFF and thereafter) all necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions we need to use Your film and You will provide evidence of such on our reasonable request.

15. We accept no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities or injury incurred or suffered by any person as a result of submitting a film to SSFFF and its curation and all related events.

16. You indemnify and hold harmless SSFFF from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening materials entered.

17. By submitting, You agree that you have read and understood these terms & conditions of entry.

18. The SSFFF reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify or otherwise alter these 'Terms and Conditions' at any time. Unless otherwise indicated, amendments will become effective immediately.

For further information contact SIMON FOSTER, Festival Director.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Derick Muller

    Simon Foster and the team at The Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival are fantastic! Thank you for including our film in the festival line-up. The exposure you give us in Australia is absolutely amazing!

    February 2023
  • Maddy Leane

    I could not attend the festival in person as I am living overseas currently, however, it was a great experience being a part of the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival. My friends and family that attended had a fantastic time and in the lead-up to the festival, Simon was accommodating and informative. Overall it was a great experience and I'm looking forward to submitting again!

    September 2022
  • A brilliant festival with great communication. Felt very involved and in the loop even from the other side of the world! Thank you to all the team

    September 2022
  • Jimmy Gannon

    Simon and the rest of the SSFFF team are very passionate about all things Sci-Fi. They put on a great festival, and kept me informed of all updates regarding my film and the festival. It was so much fun watching my film in a cinema and hearing the audience reaction. I plan on submitting again when I finish my next film.

    September 2022
  • It was a real pleasure to be part of the festival, and a thrill to see my film up on a big screen. Simon was friendly and responsive and everyone who came along with us for the screening had a great time.

    September 2022