The festival’s longest film took the largest prize as Miguel Gomes’ three-part six-hour Arabian Nights, premiered last month in Cannes at Directors’ Fortnight, took the headline Sydney Film Prize and accompanying AU$62,000.
Miguel Gomes’ Arabian Nights
Michael Ware and Bill Guttentag’s Only the Dead took the doco award, beating a field including recent Doc Edge titles Gayby Baby and Tyke Elephant Outlaw.
The four short film awards were shared around, with Sotiris Dounoukos’ A Single Body and Anthony Lawrence’s Grace Under Water taking the Oscar-qualifying live action and animated short awards.
The Sydney Film Festival ran 3 – 14 June. The award winners were
The Sydney Film Prize
Arabian Nights, directed by Miguel Gomes
The Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary
Michael Ware and Bill Guttentag for Only the Dead
Special Mention: The Lost Aviator directed by Andrew Lancaster
Short Film Awards
Dendy Live Action Short Award
A Single Body, directed and written by Sotiris Dounoukos
Yoram Gross Animation Award
Grace Under Water, directed and produced by Anthony Lawrence
Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director
Brooke Goldfinch for Red Rover
Special Mention: Ryan Griffen for You Turn
Event Cinema Australian Short Screenplay Award
Bluey, written and directed by Darlene Johnson
