A selection of the best Australian short films will screen in a mini festival this Saturday 25 June when the finalists in the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films are shown at the State Theatre.

The 17 finalists across six categories will have a one-off public screening during the last day of the Festival with the winners announced on Closing Night.

This year’s finalists cover such diverse topics as offal eating, capitalism, apartheid, the quest for freedom, family, faith and first dates and includes Tony Krawitz’s Jewboy, and Van Sowerwine’s Clara, both of which were selected to screen at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The winners of each category will be awarded a cash prize of $3,000 courtesy of Dendy Cinemas and Dendy Films.
The winner of the Yoram Gross Animation Award will receive an additional $3,000 courtesy of Yoram Gross EM TV and the winner of the CRC Award, sponsored by the Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW will be awarded $4,000.

The Australian Short Films competition has been presented by the Sydney Film Festival for the past 35 years with Dendy Films coming on board in 1989 to be joined by Dendy Cinemas in 2004 as sponsors of the Awards.

Many directors have launched very successful filmmaking careers after screening their short films in the competition including Phil Noyce (1974 Castor and Pollux), Jane Campion (1984 A Girl’s Own Story), Samantha Lang (1995, Audacious), Ivan Sen (2000, Dust), and Sejong Park (2004, Birthday Boy) just to name a few.

Award categories are:
• Documentary
• Fiction Under 15 Minutes
• Fiction Over 15 Minutes
• Experimental
• The CRC Award (Community Relations Commission for a multicultural NSW)
• Yoram Gross Animation Award
• Rouben Mamoulian Award presented by Showtime

SBS Language Services will donate subtitles into any of the SBS specialist languages for the winning films in the following categories: Documentary, Fiction Under 15 minutes and Fiction Over 15 Minutes. The prize aims to assist film-makers in entering their films into international film festivals and competitions.
Tickets available through Ticketek 132 849 or visit www.sydneyfilmfestival.org
Full list of finalists.

THE 2005 DENDY AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS

DOCUMENTARY
Sponsored by Dendy Cinemas and Dendy Films
Change of Heart Directed and written by Sascha Ettinger-Epstein. Produced by Penny Smallacombe for AFTRS. 26mins.
The Men Who Would Conquer China Directed by Nick Torrens and Jane St Vincent Welch. Produced, written and photographed by Nick Torrens for Nick Torrens Film Productions Pty Ltd. 58mins.
Political Football Directed by James Middleton. Produced by Ian Collie and Michael Cordell for Hilton Cordell Productions. 52mins.

FICTION UNDER 15 MINUTES
Sponsored by Dendy Cinemas and Dendy Films
62 Sleeps Directed, written and edited by Erin White. Produced by Dane Carson for the VCA School of Film and Television. 11:27mins.
Eustice Solves a Problem Directed and written by Stephen Lance. Produced by Damon Escott for Head Pictures. 12:23mins.
The Life and Death of Ash Boy Directed, written and produced by Aleks Bryant for VCA School of Film and Television. 14:30mins.

FICTION OVER 15 MINUTES
Sponsored by Dendy Cinemas and Dendy Films
Green Bush Directed by Warwick Thornton. Produced by Kath Shelper for CAAMA Productions. 27mins.
Jewboy Written and directed by Tony Krawitz. Produced by Liz Watts and Libby Sharpe for Porchlight Films. 52mins.
My Sister Written and directed by Chi Yen Ooi. Produced by Libby Porter for Elizabeth Green Productions. 15mins.

EXPERIMENTAL
Sponsored by Dendy Cinemas and Dendy Films
The Audience Directed and edited by Nick Batterham. Produced by Carmel McAloon and Nick Batterham. 8mins.
I Dream Of Augustine Directed, written and produced by Cordelia Beresford. 9:15mins.
The First Thing I Remember Directed and written by Tamara Meem. Produced by Matt Carter for AFTRS. 8:09mins.

THE 2005 CRC AWARD
Sponsored by the Community Relations Commission For a multicultural NSW
Azadi Written and directed by Anthony Maras. Produced by Scott McDonald for Mills Street Productions. 19:56mins.
Jewboy Written and directed by Tony Krawitz. Produced by Liz Watts and Libby Sharpe for Porchlight Films. 52mins.
The Loser Who Won Directed, written, edited, photographed, designed and produced by Jack Feldstein for Jack Feldstein Films. 19:30mins.

THE 2005 YORAM GROSS ANIMATION AWARD
Sponsored by Yoram Gross EM.TV
Clara Directed by Van Sowerwine. Produced by Philippa Campey for Film Camp. 7mins.
Medusa First Date Written and directed by Pierce Davison. Produced by Jacob Fjord for Papercut media. 3mins.
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello Directed by Anthony Lucas. Produced by Julia Lucas, Susie Campbell and Anthony Lucas for 3d Films. 26mins.

THE 2005 ROUBEN MAMOULIAN AWARD
Presented by Showtime

A panel of the festival’s guests will select one film from the 17 finalists to be awarded The 2005 Rouben Mamoulian Award. The 2005 winner will be announced at the Festival’s closing night, Saturday 25 June.