The Sydney Film Festival has unveiled the jury for this year’s official competition, with David Wenham to oversee deliberations as president.
Joining him are director Jennifer Peedom (Australia), writer-director-producer Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh), Berlin Golden Bear winner Semih Kaplanoğlu (Turkey), and the executive director of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute in Tokyo, Yuka Sakano (Japan).
The group will judge the 12 titles in the official competition and award the Sydney Film Prize and $60,000 cash to the winner.
Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley said the 2022 jury carried “exceptional stature and vision”.
“The official competition features some of the most innovative and extraordinary films and filmmakers in the world right now, so the jury has some tough calls to make,” he said.
This year’s contenders are Goran Stolevski’s You Won’t Be Alone, Del Kathryn Barton’s Blaze, Davy Chou’s All The People I’ll Never Be, Emin Alper’s Burning Days, Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland, Lukas Dhont’s Close, Carla Simón’s Alcarràs, Kamila Andini’s Before, Now and Then, Colm Bairéad’s The Quiet Girl, Loayza Grisi’s Utama, Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love, and Lorenzo Vigas’ The Box.
Barton will be on hand to introduce Blaze, before joining Sandy George in conversation about her feature-length directorial debut at the Festival Hub
Also attending the festival to present the premiere of their films Chou, Vigas, Bairéad, Grisi (Utama); You Won’t Be Alone producer Kristina Ceyton and Before, Now & Then star Happy Salma.
The winner of the Sydney Film Prize is announced at the Festival’s Closing
Night ceremony at the State Theatre on Sunday, June 19.
The Sydney Film Festival will take place from June 8-19. Find more details about the program here.