The 65th annual Sydney Film Festival took place from 6 to 17 June 2018 in Sydney, Australia. The festival opened with Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek's romantic comedy film The Breaker Upperers. It closed with Brett Haley's musical comedy-drama film Hearts Beat Loud.
Marcelo Martinessi's drama film The Heiresses won the most prestigious award of the festival, Sydney Film Prize.
Juries The following people were named as the festival juries:
Sydney Film Prize Lynette Wallworth, Australian artist and filmmaker Bianca Balbuena, Filipino producer and writer Chris Letcher, South African film composer Ewen Leslie, Australian actor Yoshi Yatabe, programming director of Tokyo International Film Festival
Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary Shameela Sadat, South African filmmaker Melanie Miller, American film producer Maya Newell, Australian filmmaker
Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films Miranda Harcourt, New Zealand actress Stephen Basil-Jones, executive vice president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Kylie Du Fresne, Australian film producer
Official selection Opening and closing films English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Breaker Upperers Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek New ZealandHearts Beat Loud Brett Haley United States
In competition English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Ága Milko Lazarov Bulgaria, Germany, FranceBlacKkKlansman Spike Lee United States Daughter of Mine Figlia mia Laura Bispuri Italy, Germany, Switzerland The Heiresses Las herederas Marcelo Martinessi Paraguay, Germany, Brazil, Uruguay, Norway, FranceJirga Benjamin Gilmour AustraliaLeave No Trace Debra Granik United StatesMatangi/Maya/M.I.A. Stephen Loveridge United Kingdom, United States, Sri LankaThe Miseducation of Cameron Post Desiree Akhavan United States One Day Egy nap Zsófia Szilágyi Hungary The Seen and Unseen Sekala Niskala Kamila Andini Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia, QatarTransit Christian Petzold Germany, FranceWajib Annemarie Jacir Palestine, France, Germany, Colombia, Norway, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
Documentary Australia Foundation Award English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Backtrack Boys Catherine Scott AustraliaChina Love Olivia Martin-McGuire Australia, ChinaDying to Live Richard ToddAustraliaFinke: There & Back Dylan RiverGhosthunter Ben LawrenceI Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story Jessica LeskiIn the Land of Wolves Grace McKenzieOyster Kim BeamishRocKabul Travis Beard Afghanistan, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, TurkeyTeach a Man to Fish Grant Saunders Australia
Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Asian Girls Hyun LeeAustraliaBarbara Larissa Behrendt, Marieka Walsh Bubble Hobab Ronak Taher Drum Wave Natalie Erika JamesJudas Collar Alison JamesLost & Found Andrew Goldsmith, Bradley SlabeNursery Rhymes Tom NoakesOn Hold Jake Nielsen, Matthew PrednySecond Best Alyssa McClellandTied Stephanie Davison, Isabella Spagnolo
Special Presentations English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)3 Faces Jafar Panahi IranAmerican Animals Bart LaytonUnited StatesDon't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot Gus Van SantFoxtrot Samuel Maoz Germany, France, Switzerland The Guilty Den skyldige Gustav Möller Denmark The Insult L'insulte Ziad Doueiri France, LebanonJuliet, Naked Jesse PeretzUnited StatesThe Kindergarten Teacher Sara ColangeloManto Nandita Das IndiaMirai Mamoru Hosoda JapanPope Francis: A Man of His Word Wim Wenders Italy, Switzerland, Germany, FranceWest of Sunshine James Raftopoulos AustraliaThe Wife Björn Runge Sweden, United Kingdom The Wild Pear Tree Ahlat Ağacı Nuri Bilge Ceylan TurkeyYou Were Never Really Here Lynne Ramsay United States, United Kingdom, France
Focus on Italy English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)A Ciambra Jonas Carpignano Italy, France, United States, Germany The Ark of Disperata La vita in comune Edoardo WinspeareItalyBeautiful Things Giorgio Ferrero Daughter of Mine Figlia mia Laura Bispuri Italy, Germany, Switzerland Friends by Chance Tutto quello che vuoi Francesco Bruni ItalyNico, 1988 Susanna Nicchiarelli Italy, Belgium
Features English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)America Town Jeon Soo-il South KoreaAnchor and Hope Carlos Marqués-Marcet Spain, United KingdomBeirut Brad Anderson United States The Blood of Wolves 孤狼の血 Kazuya Shiraishi JapanBrothers' Nest Clayton Jacobson Australia Butterflies Kelebekler Tolga Karaçelik Turkey The Charmer Charmøren Milad Alami Denmark, SwedenThe Children Act Richard Eyre United StatesChocolate Oyster Steve Jaggi AustraliaDisobedience Sebastián Lelio United States An Elephant Sitting Still 大象席地而坐 Hu Bo ChinaThe Great Buddha+ Huang Hsin-yao Taiwan Hard Paint Tinta bruta Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon Brazil The Hungry Lion 飢えたライオン Takaomi Ogata Japan In the Aisles In den Gängen Thomas Stuber GermanyLean on Pete Andrew Haigh United Kingdom, United States The Line Čiara Peter Bebjak Slovakia, UkraineMehsampur Kabir Chowdhry IndiaMektoub, My Love: Canto Uno Abdellatif Kechiche France Mug Twarz Małgorzata Szumowska Poland No Date, No Signature بدون تاریخ، بدون امضاء Vahid Jalilvand Iran Number 37 Nommer 37 Nosipho Dumisa South Africa A Paris Education Mes provinciales Jean-Paul Civeyrac France Pig خوک Mani Haghighi IranPuzzle Marc Turtletaub United StatesRafiki Wanuri Kahiu KenyaThe Reports on Sarah and Saleem Muayad Alayan Palestine, Netherlands, Germany, MexicoThe Rider Chloé Zhao United States Samui Song ไม่มีสมุยสำหรับเธอ Pen-ek Ratanaruang Thailand, Germany, NorwayThe Seagull Michael Mayer United StatesSearching Aneesh Chaganty United States A Season in France Une Saison en France Mahamat-Saleh Haroun France Season of the Devil Ang Panahon ng Halimaw Lav Diaz PhilippinesThe Second Mairi Cameron AustraliaSkate Kitchen Crystal Moselle United StatesStrange Colours Alena Lodkina AustraliaSupport the Girls Andrew Bujalski United States The Taste of Rice Flower 米花之味 Pengfei Song ChinaTouch Me Not Adina Pintilie Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, France, BulgariaTyrel Sebastián SilvaUnited StatesA Vigilante Sarah Daggar-NicksonWe the Animals Jeremiah Zagar Wrath of Silence 暴裂无声 Xin Yukun ChinaZama Lucrecia Martel Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Portugal, United States
International Documentaries English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Ancient Woods Sengirė Mindaugas Survila Lithuania, Estonia, GermanyBisbee '17 Robert GreeneUnited StatesChef Flynn Cameron YatesThe Cleaners Moritz Riesewieck, Hans Block Germany, BrazilCold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders Joe Berlinger United StatesThe Deminer Hogir Hirori SwedenThe Distant Barking of Dogs Simon Lereng Wilmont Denmark, Finland, SwedenEx Libris: The New York Public Library Frederick WisemanUnited StatesFilmworker Tony ZierraGenesis 2.0 Christian Frei Switzerland Habaneros Havana Julien Temple United KingdomHalf the Picture Amy Adrion United StatesThe Ice King James Erskine United Kingdom Inland Sea 港町 Kazuhiro Soda JapanInventing Tomorrow Laura Nix United States, Mexico, India, IndonesiaJill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible Axel Grigor AustraliaJohn McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection Julien Faraut FranceKusama: Infinity Heather Lenz United StatesThe Long Season Leonard Retel Helmrich NetherlandsLots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle Gustavo Salmerón SpainMcQueen Ian Bonhôte United KingdomA Murder in Mansfield Barbara Kopple United StatesOf Fathers and Sons Talal Derki Germany, Syria, Lebanon, QatarOn Her Shoulders Alexandria Bombach United StatesThe Other Side of Everything Mila Turajlić Serbia, France, QatarOver the Limit Marta Prus Finland, Germany, PolandThe Poetess Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff GermanyThe Prince of Nothingwood Sonia Kronlund France, Germany, Qatar Speak Up À voix haute Stéphane de Freitas, Ladj Ly FranceThat Summer Göran Hugo Olsson Sweden, United States, DenmarkThree Identical Strangers Tim Wardle United Kingdom, United States The Venerable W. Le vénérable W. Barbet Schroeder France, SwitzerlandWestwood: Punk, Icon, Activist Lorna Tucker United KingdomWhispering Truth to Power Shameela Seedat South Africa, NetherlandsWik vs Queensland Dean Gibson AustraliaYellow Is Forbidden Pietra Brettkelly China, New Zealand Young Solitude Premières solitudes Claire Simon France
Europe! Voices of Women in Film English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 3 Days in Quiberon 3 Tage in Quiberon Emily Atef Germany, Austria, FranceL'Animale Katharina Mückstein AustriaCobain Nanouk Leopold Netherlands, Belgium, Germany Entrepreneur Yrittäjä Virpi Suutari Finland The Heart Hjärtat Fanni Metelius SwedenHoliday Isabella Eklöf Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey The Marriage Martesa Blerta Zeqiri Kosovo, AlbaniaA Mother Brings Her Son to Be Shot Sinéad O'Shea Ireland, United Kingdom Scary Mother საშიში დედა Ana Urushadze Georgia, Estonia Tower. A Bright Day. Wieża. Jasny dzień Jagoda Szelc Poland
Family Films English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)The Breadwinner Nora Twomey Ireland, Canada, LuxembourgThe Changeover Miranda Harcourt, Stuart McKenzie New Zealand Dressage درساژ Pooya Badkoobeh IranMaya the Bee: The Honey Games Noel Cleary, Sergio Delfino Australia, GermanyPick of the Litter Dana Nachman, Don HardyUnited StatesSkate Kitchen Crystal Moselle
FLUX: ART+FILM English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 24 Frames ۲۴ فریم Abbas Kiarostami Iran[Censored] Sari Braithwaite Australia Dragonfly Eyes 蜻蜓之眼 Xu Bing ChinaInstructions on Parting Amy Jenkins United StatesLek and the Dogs Andrew Kötting United Kingdom, France, ChileLooking for Oum Kulthum Shirin Neshat Germany, Austria, Italy, Qatar, Lebanon The Pure Necessity Die reine Notwendigkeit David Claerbout BelgiumTerror Nullius Soda_Jerk Australia
Sounds on Screen English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Bad Reputation Kevin Kerslake United StatesI Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story Jessica Leski AustraliaMatangi/Maya/M.I.A. Stephen Loveridge United Kingdom, United States, Sri LankaRocKabul Travis Beard Afghanistan, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, TurkeyRyuichi Sakamoto: Coda Stephen Nomura Schible United States, JapanWhitney Kevin Macdonald United Kingdom
Freak Me Out English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)The Field Guide to Evil Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, Katrin Gebbe, Calvin Reeder, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, Peter Strickland, Yannis Veslemes, Can Evrenol, Ashim Ahluwalia United States, Poland, Hungary, India, Germany, Austria, Turkey, GreeceGhost Stories Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman United Kingdom Good Manners As Boas Maneiras Juliana Rojas, Marco DutraPiercing Nicolas PesceUnited StatesThe Ranger Jenn WexlerUpgrade Leigh Whannell AustraliaWhat Keeps You Alive Colin Minihan Canada
The Box Set English title Original title Director(s) Original network Production countrie(s)Deep State Robert Connolly, Matthew Parkhill Fox United Kingdom
Essential The festival paid tribute to the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki, selected by film critic David Stratton. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Crime and Punishment (1983) Rikos ja rangaistusAki KaurismäkiFinland Shadows in Paradise (1986) Varjoja paratiisissaAriel (1988)Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)Finland, Sweden The Match Factory Girl (1990) Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö La Vie de bohème (1992) Finland, France, Sweden, Germany Drifting Clouds (1996) Kauas pilvet karkaavat Finland The Man Without a Past (2002) Mies vailla menneisyyttäFinland, Germany, France Lights in the Dusk (2006) Laitakaupungin valotLe Havre (2011) France, Finland, Germany
Classics Restored