Entry to the awards closes on Monday 27  February. Submission of Australian short fiction films (either animation or live action, less than 40 minutes in length) requires filmmakers to complete an online submission form and payment, and send four copies of their film to the Sydney Film Festival office in Sydney.

Cash prizes are awarded in three categories: Best Live Action Short ($5 000), The Yoram Gross Animation Award ($4 000) and The Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director ($5 000). Past winners include many of Australia’s most respected film-makers such as festival patrons Jane Campion, Phillip Noyce and Gillian Armstrong.

The Awards are recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and therefore winners in the animation and live action category are eligible for Academy Awards consideration.  Recent Dendy Award winners that have gone on to be Academy-nominated include Miracle Fish (SFF Dendy Live Action 2009/82^nd Academy Awards) and The Lost Thing (SFF Yoram Gross Animation 2010/83^rd Academy Awards).

The shortlisted films will be screened during the festival and this year, for the first time, we’ll also be organising two workshops with the directors and producers of the shortlisted films on the final weekend covering topics relating to working in this format.

The FOXTEL Australian Documentary Prize and SFF general program submissions (international films and Australian fiction features) also close on this date, however we will consider late submission in these other categories. For further information, please contact Alana Adye, Freight & Submissions Coordinator on (02) 9690 5306 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Full rules and regulations for all SFF submissions can be found on our website: http://sff.org.au/public/faq/rules-regulations/.