From the ties that bind families, unfiltered stories of survivors and getting caught in community gossip, the Blacktown Shorts Film Festival has returned for 2024 with a sold-out event at one of Australia’s most iconic venues, the Sydney Opera House.
The Blacktown Shorts Film Festival, hosted by Blacktown Arts and Blacktown City Council, offers local emerging creatives a platform to share their voices, develop their skills, and advance in the western Sydney film industry.
Each year the festival has grown, beginning in 2019 at Blacktown Showgrounds, then to the Skyline Drive-In Blacktown in 2023 and now, in 2024, it has taken over the Sydney Opera House!
The selection of films throughout each year of the festival have represented Blacktown’s diverse and vibrant community by engaging local creatives, providing insights into Blacktown City’s local cultures and filming on locations in Blacktown City.
Through the beautiful cinematography of this year’s line-up residents might recognise familiar locations such as Nurragingy Reserve at Doonside and Blacktown CBD’s Main Street.
Since its inception, western Sydney writer, producer and actor Vonne Patiag, has selected and curated the program while also supporting the commissioned filmmakers with industry knowledge and insights. On this year’s dynamic line-up of films, he comments: ‘Exploring taboo subjects within closed communities, testing the limits of sisterhood, igniting the fighting spirit of our ambitious youth and honouring Blacktown’s migrant history, we’re excited to have showcased the next generation of talent taking over the Australian filmmaking scene.’
The 2024 commissions were played at the Sydney Opera House alongside 3 films selected by the festival director and a few from the 2023 season.
See the full-line up of films below:
Commissioned Program
Humanising by Feras Shaheen
Artist Feras Shaheen sits down with survivors who have escaped immense dangers to share their unfiltered personal and family experiences.
The Whispering Glass by Taofia Tauiliili Pelesasa, Joshua Sanerive and Eliorah Malifa
When Tokelauan-Australian woman Nifo’s mother dies suddenly, Nifo is faced with the task of packing up her Mt Druitt home.
Button Pusher by Miski Omar, Arundati Thandur and Farazbanu Anarwala
Capturing a seemingly normal day in the life of a hairdresser set against the vibrant backdrop of an African hair salon.
This Town Talks by Abhishek Parasher, Chidiebube Uba and Marco Alexiadis
Monica finds herself at the centre of gossip after a misunderstanding with a nosy neighbour.
A Blacktown Ballad by Herbert Leota and Jonny Taouk
A casual walk through Blacktown streets sees two best friends deliberate and balance the weight of family expectations in the face of a potentially life-changing opportunity.
Curated Program
Tomgirl (2019) by Vonne Patiag
A young Filipino boy in Western Sydney gets an enchanting crash-course in his homeland culture when his uncle reveals himself to be a cross-dresser in the ‘Bakla’ tradition.
Tony’s Dream (2023) by Augusto Garcia, Daisy Montalvo, and Sebastian Chan
Blending reality and the dream world, this poignant film is about a young Latin-American boy who struggles to fit into his new home in Western Sydney.
In Search of the White Deer (2023) by Esky Escandor and Reg Azwar
A laugh out loud documentary that hunts for evidence of the mythic white deer.
Further Information:
