# 69th Sydney Film Festival

The 69th annual Sydney Film Festival was held from 8 to 19 June 2022. First Nations anthology film We Are Still Here opened the festival, while Hirokazu Kore-eda's drama film Broker was the closing film.
The most prestigious award, Sydney Film Prize, was awarded to drama film Close, directed by Lukas Dhont.

## Juries

The following were named as the festival juries:

### Sydney Film Prize

* David Wenham, Australian actor and director – Jury President
* Jennifer Peedom, Australian director
* Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Bangladeshi director
* Semih Kaplanoğlu, Turkish director
* Yuka Sakano, executive director of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute

## Official Selection
### In competition

The following films were selected for the main international competition:
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| Alcarràs | Alcarràs | Carla Simón | Spain, Italy |
| Before, Now & Then | Nana | Kamila Andini | Indonesia |
| Blaze | Blaze | Del Kathryn Barton | Australia |
| The Box | La caja | Lorenzo Vigas | Mexico, United States, Venezuela |
| Burning Days | Kurak Günler | Emin Alper | Turkey, France, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Croatia |
| Close | Close | Lukas Dhont | Belgium, France, Netherlands |
| Fire of Love | Fire of Love | Sara Dosa | United States, Canada |
| Godland | Volaða land | Hlynur Pálmason | Iceland, Denmark, France, Sweden |
| The Quiet Girl | An Cailín Ciúin | Colm Bairéad | Ireland |
| Return to Seoul | Retour à Séoul | Davy Chou | France, Belgium, Germany, Qatar, Cambodia |
| Utama | Utama | Alejandro Loayza Grisi | Bolivia, Uruguay, France |
| You Won't Be Alone | You Won't Be Alone | Goran Stolevski | Australia, United Kingdom, Serbia |
    Highlighted title indicates Sydney Film Prize winner.

### Documentary Australia

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| Audrey Napanangka | Audrey Napanangka | Penelope McDonald | Australia |
| Delikado | Delikado | Karl Malakunas | Australia, Hong Kong, United States, Philippines, United Kingdom |
| Everybody's Oma | Everybody's Oma | Jason van Genderen | Australia |
| General Hercules | General Hercules | Broodie Poole | Australia |
| Keep Stepping | Keep Stepping | Luke Cornish | Australia |
| Short Films ||||
| The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone | The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone | Maya Newell | Australia |
| Polenta | Polenta | Adrian Di Salle | Australia |
| The Sweetness | The Sweetness | Jessica Barclay Lawton | Australia |
| Warrawong... The Windy Place on the Hill | Warrawong... The Windy Place on the Hill | Simon Target | Australia |

### Special Presentations

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| Cha Cha Real Smooth | Cha Cha Real Smooth | Cooper Raiff | United States |
| Fire Island | Fire Island | Andrew Ahn | United States |
| The Forgiven | The Forgiven | John Michael McDonagh | United Kingdom |
| Good Luck to You, Leo Grande | Good Luck to You, Leo Grande | Sophie Hyde | United Kingdom |
| Huda's Salon | Huda's Salon | Hany Abu-Assad | Palestine, Egypt, Netherlands |
| Lonesome | Lonesome | Craig Boreham | Australia |
| Navalny | Navalny | Daniel Roher | United States |
| Nude Tuesday | Nude Tuesday | Armağan Ballantyne | Australia, New Zealand |
| One Fine Morning | Un beau matin | Mia Hansen-Løve | France, Germany |
| The Passengers of the Night | Les passagers de la nuit | Mikhaël Hers | France |
| The Phantom of the Open | The Phantom of the Open | Craig Roberts | United Kingdom |
| Seriously Red | Seriously Red | Gracie Otto | Australia |
| Tchaikovsky's Wife | Жена Чайковского | Kirill Serebrennikov | Russia, France, Switzerland |
| Where Is Anne Frank | Where Is Anne Frank | Ari Folman | France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg |

### Features

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| A E I O U: A Quick Alphabet of Love | A E I O U: Das schnelle Alphabet der Liebe | Nicolette Krebitz | Germany, France |
| Ahed's Knee | הַבֶּרֶךְ | Nadav Lapid | France, Germany |
| Alice | Alice | Krystin Ver Linden | United States |
| Anatolian Leopard | Anadolu leopari | Emre Kayiş | Turkey, Denmark, Germany, Poland |
| Anatomy of Time | Anatomy of Time | Jakrawal Nilthamrong | Thailand, France, Singapore, Netherlands |
| The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic | Sokea mies joka ei halunnut nähdä Titanicia | Teemu Nikki | Finland |
| The Burning Sea | Nordsjøen | John Andreas Andersen | Norway |
| Commitment Hasan | Bağlılık Hasan | Semih Kaplanoğlu | Turkey |
| Costa Brava, Lebanon | Costa Brava, Lebanon | Mounia Akl | Lebanon, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Qatar |
| Emily the Criminal | Emily the Criminal | John Patton Ford | United States |
| Evicted! A Modern Romance | Evicted! A Modern Romance | Rowan Devereux | Australia |
| Fairy Folk | Fairy Folk | Karan Gour | India |
| Father's Day | Father's Day | Kivu Ruhorahoza | Rwanda |
| Flux Gourmet | Flux Gourmet | Peter Strickland | United Kingdom, United States, Hungary |
| Gentle | Szelíd | László Csuja, Anna Nemes | Hungary, Germany |
| Hinterland | Hinterland | Stefan Ruzowitzky | Austria, Luxembourg |
| Hommage | 오마주 | Shin Su-won | South Korea |
| The Humans | The Humans | Stephen Karam | United States |
| Incredible but True | Incroyable mais vrai | Quentin Dupieux | France |
| Inu-Oh | Inu-Oh | Masaaki Yuasa | Japan, China |
| Klondike | Клондайк | Maryna Er Gorbach | Ukraine, Turkey |
| The Longest Weekend | The Longest Weekend | Molly Haddon | Australia |
| A Love Song | A Love Song | Max Walker-Silverman | United States |
| Millie Lies Low | Millie Lies Low | Michelle Savill | New Zealand |
| No Land's Man | No Land's Man | Mostofa Sarwar Farooki | United States, India, Australia, Bangladesh |
| Nr. 10 | Nr. 10 | Alex van Warmerdam | Netherlands, Belgium |
| One Year, One Night | Un año, una noche | Isaki Lacuesta | France, Spain |
| The Outfit | The Outfit | Graham Moore | United States |
| The Plains | The Plains | David Easteal | Australia |
| Please Baby Please | Please Baby Please | Amanda Kramer | United States |
| Private Desert | Deserto particular | Aly Muritiba | Brazil, Portugal |
| Return to Dust | 隐入尘烟 | Li Ruijun | China |
| Rimini | Rimini | Ulrich Seidl | Austria, France, Germany |
| The Stranger | الغريب | Ameer Fakher Eldin | Palestine, Germany, Syria, Qatar |
| The Tasting | La Dégustation | Ivan Calbérac | France |
| Unrest | Unrueh | Cyril Schäublin | Switzerland |
| Yuni | Yuni | Kamila Andini | Indonesia, Singapore, France, Australia |

### International Documentaries

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| African Moot | African Moot | Shameela Seedat | South Africa, Finland |
| All That Breathes | All That Breathes | Shaunak Sen | India, United Kingdom, United States |
| And Still I Sing | And Still I Sing | Fazila Amiri | Canada |
| Beirut: Eye of the Storm | بيروت في عين العاصفة | Mai Masri | Lebanon, France |
| Bitterbrush | Bitterbrush | Emelie Coleman Mahdavian | United States |
| Black Mambas | Black Mambas | Lena Karbe | Germany, France |
| Calendar Girls | Calendar Girls | Love Martinsen, Maria Loohufvud | Sweden, United States |
| Children of the Mist | Những đứa trẻ trong sương | Hà Lệ Diễm | Vietnam |
| Day After... | Anyadin | Kamar Ahmad Simon | Bangladesh, France, Norway |
| Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel | Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel | Amélie van Elmbt, Maya Duverdier | United States, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Sweden |
| Fashion Babylon | Fashion Babylon | Gianluca Matarrese | France |
| Fashion Reimagined | Fashion Reimagined | Becky Hutner | United Kingdom, United States |
| Hidden Letters | 密语者 | Violet Du Feng, Qing Zhao | China, Germany, Norway, United States |
| Hide and Seek | Nascondino | Victoria Fiore | United Kingdom, Italy |
| Holidays | Jours de Fête | Antoine Cattin | Switzerland |
| A House Made of Splinters | Будинок із трісок | Simon Lereng Wilmont | Denmark |
| Into the Ice | Rejsen til isens indre | Lars Ostenfeld | Denmark, Germany |
| Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time | Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time | Robert B. Weide, Don Argott | United States |
| Lynch/Oz | Lynch/Oz | Alexandre O. Philippe | United States |
| Midwives | Midwives | Hnin Ei Hlaing | Myanmar |
| My Old School | My Old School | Jono McLeod | United Kingdom |
| No Simple Way Home | Nie ma prostej drogi do domu | Akuol de Mabior | South Sudan, Kenya |
| Nothing Lasts Forever | Nothing Lasts Forever | Jason Kohn | United States |
| Singing in the Wilderness | 旷野歌声 | Dongnan Chen | China |
| The Territory | The Territory | Alex Pritz | Brazil, Denmark, United States, United Kingdom |
| Tramps! | Tramps! | Kevin Hegge | Canada |
| We Met in Virtual Reality | We Met in Virtual Reality | Joe Hunting | United Kingdom |
| Young Plato | Young Plato | Neasa Ní Chianáin, Declan McGrath | Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Belgium |

### Sounds on Screen

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| 6 Festivals | 6 Festivals | Macario de Souza | Australia |
| Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story | Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story | Frank Marshall, Ryan Suffern | United States |
| Meet Me in the Bathroom | Meet Me in the Bathroom | Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern | United Kingdom |
| Sirens | سايرنز | Rita Baghdadi | United States, Lebanon |

### Europe! Voices of Women in Film

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| As in Heaven | Du som er i himlen | Tea Lindeburg | Denmark |
| Bitch, A Derogatory Term for a Woman | Prasica, slabšalni izraz za žensko | Tijana Zinajić | Slovenia |
| Blue Moon | Crai nou | Alina Grigore | Romania |
| Girl Picture | Tytöt tytöt tytöt | Alli Haapasalo | Finland |
| It Is In Us All | It Is In Us All | Antonia Campbell-Hughes | Ireland |
| Loving Highsmith | Loving Highsmith | Eva Vitija | Switzerland, Germany |
| Maya Nilo (Laura) | Maya Nilo (Laura) | Lovisa Sirén | Sweden, Finland, Belgium |
| Small Body | Piccolo corpo | Laura Samani | Italy, France, Slovenia |
| Talking About the Weather | Alle reden übers Wetter | Annika Pinske | Germany |
| Three Minutes: A Lengthening | Three Minutes: A Lengthening | Bianca Stigter | Netherlands, United Kingdom |

### First Nations

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| Bootlegger | Bootlegger | Caroline Monnet | Canada |
| We Are Still Here (opening) | We Are Still Here (opening) | Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne | Australia, New Zealand |
| Whina | Whina | James Napier Robertson, Paula Whetu Jones | New Zealand |

### The Box Sets

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country | Network |
| Mystery Road: Origin (6 episodes) | Mystery Road: Origin (6 episodes) | Dylan River | Australia | ABC |
| True Colours (4 episodes) | True Colours (4 episodes) | Erica Glynn, Steven McGregor | Australia | SBS, National Indigenous Television |

### Freak Me Out

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes | Hinter den Augen die Dämmerung | Kevin Kopacka | Germany |
| Family Dinner | Family Dinner | Peter Hengl | Austria |
| Leda | Leda | Samuel Tressler IV | United States |
| Piggy | Cerdita | Carlota Pereda | Spain |
| Saloum | Saloum | Jean Luc Herbulot | Senegal |
| Sissy | Sissy | Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes | Australia |

### Late Announce

The following films were announced after the initial line-up announcement, which highlighted the Australian premiere of 2023 Cannes Film Festival official selection:
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| The Blue Caftan | أزرق القفطان | Maryam Touzani | France, Morocco, Belgium, Denmark |
| Boy from Heaven | صبي من الجنة | Tarik Saleh | Sweden, France, Finland |
| Broker (closing) | 브로커 | Hirokazu Kore-eda | South Korea |
| Holy Spider | عنکبوت مقدس | Ali Abbasi | Denmark, France, Sweden, Germany |
| Joyland | جوائے لینڈ | Saim Sadiq | Pakistan |
| Mediterranean Fever | حمى البحر المتوسط | Maha Haj | Germany, France, Qatar, Palestine, Cyprus |
| The Night of the 12th | La Nuit du 12 | Dominik Moll | France, Belgium |
| Nothing Compares | Nothing Compares | Kathryn Ferguson | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Stars at Noon | Stars at Noon | Claire Denis | France |
| Tori and Lokita | Tori et Lokita | Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne | Belgium, France |
| Triangle of Sadness | Triangle of Sadness | Ruben Östlund | Sweden, Germany, France, United Kingdom |
| Will-o'-the-Wisp | Fogo-Fátuo | João Pedro Rodrigues | Portugal, France |

## Awards

The following awards were presented at the festival:
* Sydney Film Prize: Close by Lukas Dhont
* Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award: Caitlin Yeo
* Documentary Australia Award for Australian Documentary: Keep Stepping by Luke Cornish
* Sustainable Future Award: Delikado by Karl Malakunas
* Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films
** Dendy Live Action Short Award: The Moths Will Eat Them Up by Luisa Martiri and Tanya Modini
** Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director: Luisa Martiri and Tanya Modini for The Moths Will Eat Them Up
** Yoram Gross Animation Award: Donkey by Jonathan Daw and Tjunkaya Tapaya
** AFTRS Craft Award: Jonathan Daw and Tjunkaya Tapaya for Donkey