The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre
An innovative multi-arts hub in the heart of Blacktown City.
Blacktown Shorts Film Festival is back for 2025!
The fbi.radio award winning program is seeking short film proposals from western Sydney filmmakers. For the second year in a row, we have partnered with Sydney Opera House to premiere 3 new short film commissions in October 2025.
The selected films will have a clear connection to Blacktown’s culture and community. We encourage shooting on a location in Blacktown or casting local talent – anything that helps promote local storytelling and sustainable creative practice in Blacktown. At its core, Blacktown Shorts Film Festival celebrates our diverse and vibrant community.
We welcome creatives of all levels and films of all genres to apply, whether that be narrative, documentary, animation, etc.
Successful applicants will receive:
- Up to $7,000 of funding to develop their short film proposal;
- Industry mentorship from Festival Curator, Vonne Patiag and an Associate Curator;
- The opportunity to premiere their work at the iconic Sydney Opera House;
- Ongoing screening opportunities;
- Potential media exposure.
Read through 2025 Blacktown Shorts Film Festival, Expressions of Interest Guidelines for further detail.
Key Dates
Applications open: Monday 9 June 2025
Applications close: Monday 30 June 2025
Need some assistance?
If you have further questions or require assistance with your application, you can contact us at blacktownarts@blacktown.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 9839 6558 Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Bios
Vonne Patiag is an AACTA, AWGIE, Logie and SPA Award-nominated Filmmaker and Actor based in Western Sydney. His credits include Significant Others (ABC), The Unusual Suspects (SBS), Here Out West (ABC), Too Many Ethnics, Tomgirl (SBS), and Halal Gurls (ABC).
He was a participant in the prestigious TIFF Filmmaker Lab 2021 in support of the feature adaptation of Tomgirl and was part of the Talent USA Delegate 2022 sponsored by Screen Australia.
In 2020 he produced and co-wrote The Unusual Suspects with Aquarius Films, and feature film anthology Here Out West with Co-Curious and Emerald Productions. His latest short ‘Too Many Ethnics’ premiered at Flickerfest in 2023.
You can find Vonne on Instagram here
This project is presented by Blacktown Arts in partnership with the Sydney Opera House and supported by Blacktown City Council.
