Thank you to all the filmmakers who participated in the 2024 Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival!
The festival platformed hundreds of films, each project worthy of recognition and celebration. We want to extend a giant thank you to everyone who took part and a special congratulations to all the incredible talent that went into making these projects.
The judges' scores have been combined with the audience's choices, and after careful scrutiny, it's our pleasure to announce the Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival winners!
Winners: Sydney Network Round Shorts
Horsepower
Director/Writer/Producer: Jessica London
Producer: Mahmudul Raz
Editor: David Vincent Smith
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Ian, a young farrier haunted by lifelong battles with his mental health, discovers a profound sanctuary in the gentle presence of his horses, embarking on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Short Documentary
YAKKA
Dir & Writer: Jack Shepherd
Producers: Matthew Toon, Lena Buchanan
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Drama, coming of age, masculinity
Synopsis: On a secluded Australian estuary, as two young brothers grapple for their neglectful father’s approval, their usual pastime of exploring empty holiday houses goes awry, and a violent mistake will shatter their fragile bond forever.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Short Live Action Narrative, Best Cinematography
Capgras
Director: Brynjolf Damgaard Hasse
Writer: Albert Scott
Producers: Frida Simonsen Klüver, Per Ankjær,
Country of Origin: Denmark
Genre: Horror, thriller
Synopsis: Capgras is a psychological horror, that follows the patriarch Abraham as he takes his introverted teenage son, Isak, on a hunting trip. Abraham hopes to turn Isak into a 'real man'; unfortunately, Isak proves to be a terrible hunter.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best First-Time Filmmaker, Best Director
Soap Syren
Directors/Writers: Beatrice Rose Robinson, Angelica Phanekham
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Horror, Surreal, Animation, Thriller
Synopsis: A young woman discovers an entrancing escape from her dank, dingy, apartment beneath the surface of her evening bath. She discovers, to her detriment, that the ‘person’ waiting below
may not be all she seems…
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Animation
flick
Director/Producer: Justin Bones
Writer/Producer: Jonathan Newland
Country of Origin: United States
Genre: Short
Synopsis: A lighter is purchased, then takes a trip around the block, adding the spark needed for those to make a change. The flame it brings pulls some together, but pushes others apart. No matter where you are, life can change with one FLICK.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Acting Ensemble, Best Post-Production
The M Word
Director/Writer/Producer: Shane Poss Crosland
Producer: Agustina Maruca
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Short
Synopsis: A nihilistic bartender cynically leads the viewer through his atypical lifestyle.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Actor (Michael Tam), Best Art Direction
Kollektor -'One Strange Day'
Director/Writer/Producer: Jesse Dallas Frazer
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Music Video
Synopsis: Music Video, singer goes to sleep next to his girlfiend and wakes up having been abducted to a medical test lab. after being injected and tested he escapes and a chase ensues. Filmed on the Central Coast of NSW.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Music Video
Winners: Sydney Network Round Features
Dwarf Story
Director: Riccardo Servini
Producers: Sophie Harmer, Nick Taussig
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Feature Documentary Film
Synopsis: In DWARF STORY, we join three extraordinary young people from around the world (from America, Britain and Australia) - and the clinical geneticist who has led the development and application of the drug - as they reveal how their lives have been affected by the treatment.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Feature Documentary
Detour
Director: Tim Shaughnessy
Writers: Alma Kaplan, Laura Bygum
Producer: Pernille Kristiansen
Country of Origin: Denmark
Genre: Feature
Synopsis:When Oliver learns that his girlfriend, who disappeared without notice 7 months ago, has appeared on the other side of the country, he decides to leave immediately in search of answers and perhaps to save their relationship. The only problem is that he has to look after his no-bullshit 8-year-old brother, whom he then has to force along on the trip.
Season Award #15 Shortlist: Best Feature Live Action Narrative
15th Annual Lift-Off Season Awards
The Lift-Off Season Awards is an annual event that celebrates the very best of indie film. Following each Lift-Off film festival, films that have excelled in their respective category are short listed for a Season Awards Nomination. At the end of the year, once all the 12 city-based festival have taken place, the shortlisted nominated films are reviewed again by the jury and Official Nominations are designated. Click here for more information about the Lift-Off Season Awards.