Media release
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne
Inner West Film Fest Kicks off Friday
The second Inner West Film Festival will commence this Friday after the inaugural event was launched last year.
The festival, founded by Inner West Council, has been established to showcase Inner West filmmakers and to celebrate the unique place of the Inner West in the history of Australian Film.
This year’s event will include:
- The opening night screening of indie classic Napoleon Dynamite
- American indie Fremont 2023 co-starring The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White
- Ukrainian allegory Lessons of Tolerance 2023 and the Belgian Life’s a Bitch 2023
- Canadian comedy I Used to be Funny 2023 starring comedy IT girl Rachel Sennott
- Luc Besson’s action Dogman 2023 starring Caleb Landry Jones – Australian Premiere
- The comedy/thriller Coup! 2023 starring Peter Sarsgaard – Australian Premiere
This year, the festival will double in length, expanding from 5 days to 10. The jam-packed program runs from Friday 11th of April to the 21st of April.
Inner West Council is proud to support this year’s festival with its focus on comedy, genre and local film productions.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said that the Council had committed to helping grow the festival to highlight the community’s long association with the Australian film industry.
“I’m very excited to see the Inner West Film Fest double in size this year. This festival celebrates the creative Inner Westies who lead the way with their work across the industry. It’s great to see this festival cement itself as a major cultural event on the calendar,” said Mayor Darcy Byrne.
The festival reflects the values of the Inner West with an emphasis on inclusion and diversity.
From the opening screening of favourite indie cult film Napoleon Dynamite to Australian films including the Indigenous boxing drama Heart of the Man, Parramatta-set Sahela, and documentary Fight to Live, directed by Marrickville local Tom Haramis, the festival casts a broad eye over both local and international issues.
There will also be a Trivia Night, two sessions of short films – many made by local creatives – a pitching comp and the first ever Inner West Film Market.
This year will see the addition of a new festival venue in the Leichhardt Town Hall with films at Dendy Newtown, Palace Norton and Marrickville Golf Club and events at Actors Centre Australia.
Also taking the festival to new heights is the whole-hearted involvement of many local businesses. This year sees support from the likes of Unexpected Guest Distillery, Rock Posters, Reverse Garbage and SRL Management.
Co-founded by local film industry and film festival veterans Dov Kornits and Greg Dolgopolov, the Inner West Film Fest contributes to the Inner West’s reputation as a vibrant hub of creative and cultural activity.
“We are excited about this year’s line-up. We have programmed gripping dramas, heart-warming comedies, family films and thought-provoking documentaries. There are also Q&A sessions with well-known filmmakers, workshops and panel discussions,” said co-founder Dov Kornits.
Don’t miss this celebration of film culture and the diverse voices that bring it to life in the vibrant Inner West.For festival details head to:
