Sydney Film Festival crowns Andrey Zvyagintsev with top prize

The 73rd Sydney Film Festival closed in Sydney after 12 days, with Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev winning the Sydney Film Prize for Minotaur. The festival also handed out major awards across documentary, Indigenous, environmental and Australian short-film categories as it reported record box office and a projected audience of 170,000. Why it matters: - The 73rd Sydney Film Festival ended with record box office for a second straight year, signaling strong demand for cinema events in Sydney. - The festival’s top prize went to Minotaur, putting Andrey Zvyagintsev and his film at the center of one of the region’s most prominent film competitions. - Major cash awards across documentary, First Nations, sustainable futures and short films helped spotlight a wide range of filmmakers and stories. What happened: - Sydney Film Festival closed Friday night at the State Theatre after 12 days. - More than 100 filmmaker guests attended the 2026 edition. - The Sydney Film Prize was awarded in person to Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev for Minotaur. - The announcement came ahead of the Australian premiere of James Gray’s Family-Thriller Paper Tiger. - The festival said this was the highest-selling edition in its 73-year history. The details: - The Sydney Film Prize carries a $60,000 cash award for an “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film. - The prize was selected by an international jury led by Brazilian Oscar-nominated director Kleber Mendonça Filho. - Zvyagintsev said the film mattered to people struggling in Russia and thanked the jury, audience, State Theatre and festival organizers. - Zvyagintsev also appeared at a festival masterclass before the award. - The Sustainable Future Award went to Sukundimi Walks Before Me by Mataslia Freshwater and Lachlan McLeod. - That award carries a $40,000 prize and is described as the world’s largest environmental film prize. - The Documentary Australia Award went to Vee Shi for Time and Tide, with a $20,000 prize. - The First Nations Award went to Banchi Hanuse for Ceremony, with a $35,000 prize supported by Truant Pictures. - The Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award went to writer/director Fadia Abboud, with a $10,000 prize. - The Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films were also handed out at a Saturday ceremony. - The Dendy Live Action Short Award went to Maŋutji (Catching Eyes), directed by Siena Mayutu Wumarri Stubbs. - The Yoram Gross Animation Award went to Our Choir Has Always Been Travelling, directed by Judith Pungarta Inkamala, Marjorie ’Nunga’ Williams and Nelson Armstrong. - The Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award went to the same three filmmakers for screenwriting on Our Choir Has Always Been Travelling. - The Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director went to Cristabel Sved for Date 3. - The AFTRS Craft Award for Best Practitioner went to Angelina Kovacs and Sophie Ravant for Flesh Fruit. - Frances Wallace said attendance was projected to reach 170,000, up from 157,000 in 2025. - Wallace also said Youth Pass sales rose more than 30%. Between the lines: - The festival is using awards, premieres and masterclasses to position itself as both a commercial hit and an international industry event. - The breadth of winners suggests Sydney Film Festival is leaning into diversity across documentary, Indigenous storytelling, climate issues and shorts. - The strong box office and youth sales point to a larger audience base and a healthier pipeline of younger festivalgoers. What’s next: - Sydney Film Festival said it will continue building the festival’s profile and audience reach. - Tickets and Flexipasses for the 2026 festival remain on sale at sff.org.au. - The full 2026 program is available online at the festival website . The bottom line: - Sydney Film Festival ended 2026 with record sales, a wider audience and a prize list that spread attention across major global and Australian filmmakers.