The 73rd Sydney Film Festival closed on June 14 after a record-breaking twelve-day run, with Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev accepting the Sydney Film Prize for Minotaur in person in one of the ceremony's most anticipated moments.
The international jury, chaired by acclaimed Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, praised Minotaur in terms that acknowledged the current moment in European political life. 'This is a film about something which unfortunately will never go out of style, which is power used to crush people,' Mendonça Filho said.
The 2026 edition screened 248 films from 81 countries. Nineteen films came directly from the Cannes Film Festival, including several major prize winners, which the festival described as one of the strongest international lineups in SFF history. The total prize pool reached $200,000 distributed across local and international filmmakers.
The GIO Audience Awards went to The Fox, directed by Dario Russo, for Australian Feature; Rodeo Dreams, directed by Rhian Skirving and W.A.M. Bleakley, for Australian Documentary; La Bola Negra for International Feature; and American Doctor for International Documentary.
The opening night film was Silenced, a documentary by Australian director Selina Miles about human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, which drew a standing ovation at the State Theatre.
All SFF trophies are handmade in Sydney.
