Documentary Australia Award at Sydney Film Festival
Documentary Australia is proud to support the Award for Best Australian Documentary at Sydney Film Festival.
Since 2014, Documentary Australia has supported this prestigious award, which acknowledges excellence in Australian documentary production and is open to films of any length.
Films are assessed by an independent jury and the winning film is presented with a $10,000 cash prize during the closing night of the awards.
In 2023, we increased the prize money to $20,000.
Each year, this award recognises the incredible artistry and tenacity of independent filmmakers who devote years of their lives to capture and share the most important stories across Australia and the world.
Award recipients:
- 2023 winner – Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) by Derik Lynch and Matthew Thorne
- 2022 winner – Keep Stepping by Luke Cornish
- 2021 winner – I’m Wanita by Matthew Walker
- 2020 winner – Descent by Nays Baghai
- 2019 winner – She Who Must Be Loved by Erica Glynn
- 2018 winner – Ghosthunter by Ben Lawrence
- 2017 winner – The Pink House by Sascha Ettinger Epstein and Claire Haywood
- 2016 winner – Shadow of the Hill by Dan Jackson
- 2015 winner – Only the Dead by Michael Ware and two-time Oscar winner Bill Guttentag
- 2014 winner – 35 Letters by Janine Hosking