The Setting Sun Film Festival

The Setting Sun Film Festival

The Setting Sun Film Festival

Setting Sun Film Festival

Past winners

2023
Best Film 2023, Green Fit, Dir. Maxime Pistorio
Highst Rated Australian Film, Declutter, Dir. Jackson Hayat
People's Choice, The Soft Skinned, Dir. Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe
Best International Film, Green Fit, Dir. Maxime Pistorio
Best Australian Drama, The Soft Skinned, Dir. Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe
Best Docmentary, Declutter, Dir. Jackson Hayat
Best Film by a Female Filmmaker, Thallium Enthusiasts, Dir. Madeleine Neate
Best Emerging, Declutter, Dir. Jackson Hayat
Best West, The Soft Skinned, Dir. Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe
Best Acting Performance, Hannah Monson, The Soft Skinned 
Best Secondary, Going Home - Về Nhà, Dir. Han Nhi Ngo  - Winner; The Trials and Tribulations of Being Jordan, Dir. Will Calleja - Highly Commended
Best CALD, Sineang, Dir. Claudine Ocampo  Winner
Best Comedy, Green Fit, Dir. Dir. Maxime Pistorio  Winner; Victims of Monty, Dir. Oscar Axel Thorborg, Ayesha Gibson- Highly Commended
Best Animation, Elena, Dir. Birutė Sodeikaitė  Winner
Best Primary, Selma, Dir. Harrison J Thomas  

2022
Best Film 2022, Feeling Through, Dir. Doug Roland (winner)
International, Feeling Through, Dir. Doug Roland (winner)
Australian Drama, Dry Fire, Dir. Dan Farmer, Adam Bigum, Ramas McRae (winner)
Best West, Fire Rabbit, Dir. Jack Wilson-Lee, LittleFish, Dir.  Benjamin Laut (Winner)
Documentary, Painting My Canvas, Dir. Mark Hellinger (winner)
Cultural Diversity, Baba, Dir. Firass Dirani (winner)
Best Female Filmmaker, Heading South, Dir. Yuan Yuan (winner)
Best Secondary, Gender Identity, Dir. Ava Lutton, Olive Dillon, Phy Goodenough, Tess Hemley (winner)
Emerging, Fire Rabbit, Jack Wilson Lee, Patrick Campbell (winner)
A Heart for Vendetta, Best performance, Catherine Lillian, Dry Fire (winner)
Animation, Mum is pouring rain

2021
Best Film, The Widow, Brendan Young (winner)
Cultural Diversity, Mother Tongue, Jessica Li (winner)
Documentary, Machine Age, Sarah Stirk (winner)
Best Secondary, The Girl Who Cried Sick, Ruby Taylor (winner)
Best Animation, The Ribbon, Polla-Ilariya Kozino (winner)
Best Comedy, Pugs before Drugs, Alex Lowes (winner)
Best Emerging, Mother Tongue, Jessica Li (winner)
Best West, The Widow, Brendan Young (winner)
Best Film By a Female Filmmaker, TÂM, Noora Niasari (winner)
Best Performance, Daniela Farinacci, The Widow (winner)
Best International, Machine Age, Sarah Stirk, (winner)
Best Indigenous Achievement, Lady Lash, Rochelle Humphrey (winner)

2020
Best Open 2020: There’s A Mobster Under My Bed! Matthew Smolen
Online People’s Choice 2020: Valentina Bertuzzi, Delitto Naturale
Best Emerging: El Niño, Nikita Dunovits-Ferrier Winner
Best Cultural Diversity: Backing Up Bilitis, Abbie Pobjoy
Best Secondary: Social, Charlotte McLaverty
Best West: The Starey Bampire, Adam Bigum, Dan Farmer
Best Animation: Urbanality, Evan McInnes
Best Drama, Australia: Drum Wave, Natalie Erika James
Best Documentary: Grinding the Country, Olivier Lambert
Best Comedy: There’s A Mobster Under My Bed! Matthew Smolen
Best International: Three August Days, Madli Lääne Winner
Film Art Media Award Best Film by a Female Filmmaker: Three August Days, Madli Lääne
ON, Jelena Sinik, Highly Commended
Triple Swear, Dannika Horvat, Highly Commended
Best Acting Performance, Claudia Greenstone, El Niño
Best Acting Performance by A Child: Elvie Farmer, The Starey Bampire
Best Director: There’s A Mobster Under My Bed! Matthew Smolen
Best Screenplay: There’s A Mobster Under My Bed! Matthew Smolen

2019
Best Film 2019: Kaya, Lara Kos
Film Art Media Award For Best Film By A Female Filmmaker: Kaya, Lara Kos
People’s Choice: Kaya, Lara Kos
Best Documentary: Finding Happy, Roman Meyer
Best Tertiary: Ladies Lounge,
Best Comedy: My Ghoul, Andrew Robb
Best Secondary: Leased, Madelaine Jamieson
Best Animation: Tempo,
Best West: The True History of Billie The Kid,
Best Cultural Diversity: The Disability Pride Wall
Highly Commended: Leased, Madelaine Jamieson and Collins St. Sabrina Phillips

2018
Best Film 2018: A Terrible Beauty: Dir. Sarah-Jane Woulahan
Best Film West: A Terrible Beauty: Dir. Sarah-Jane Woulahan
Best Film Cultural Diversity: Bitter Sweet Dir. Ayan Yusuf
Best Short Feature: A Terrible Beauty Dir. Sarah-Jane Woulahan
Film Art Media Award For Best Film By A Female Filmmaker: A Terrible Beauty Dir. Sarah-Jane Woulahan
Best Documentary: Along the Way – El Camino Dir. Emma Buglisi
Best Acting Performance: Jane Allsop, A Terrible Beauty
Best Animation: Superheroes Dir. Chris Busuttil
Best Comedy: Through The Haze Dir. Kieran Wheeler
Best Tertiary: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Dir. Claudia Holmes
Best Secondary: Doomed To Repeat, Dir. Isaac Haigh
People’s Choice: Bitter Sweet, Dir. Ayan Yusuf

2017
West
Best Short Feature: Spill, Dir. Aaron L. Ellis
Best Documentary: Olympic Nick, Dir. Ian Tran
Best Director: Aaron L. Ellis
Best Screenwriter: Aaron L. Ellis, Spill
Metro
Best Short Feature Metro: Goodnight Sweetheart, Dir. Bec Peniston-Bird
Best Documentary Metro: The Jolly Swagman, Dir. Charby Ibrahim
OPEN
Film Art Media Award for Best Film by a Female Director:
The Uncomfortably Sexy Rules of Truco, Dir. Marina Bonofiglio
Best Comedy: Autocarrot Dir. Robert P.Fantozzi, Conor A.Wood
Best Acting Performance: Gillian Jones, Goodnight Sweetheart
Best Animation: More Stuff, Dir. Simone Giampaolo
Best Cultural Diversity: Olympic Nick, Ian Tran
Best Tertiary: No Measure of Health, Dir. Jessica Hutchison
Best Secondary: The Goldfish Theory, Dir. Alexander Fasso
People’s Choice: Autocarrot Dir. Robert P.Fantozzi, Conor A.Wood

2016
Best Film Western Suburbs: Last House Till Ballarat, Drew Hair.
Best Film Cultural Diversity: The Savoy Ladies Group, Jary Nemo.
People’s Choice: Millennium Man, Andrew Robb
Best Film Metropolitan: Sweet Dreams, Roman Meyer
Best Short Feature West: Last House Till Ballarat, Drew Hair
Best Documentary West, 2016: Why Do People Hates Us? Mark Bakaitis
Best Screenplay: Last House Till Ballarat, Drew Hair
Best Director: Why Do People Hates Us? Mark Bakaitis
Best Tertiary: Catfood, Benjamin Laut
Best Short Feature Metropolitan: Sweet Dreams, Roman Meyer
Best Documentary Metropolitan: Mothers and Daughters, Janet Dimelow
Best Comedy: Sweet Dreams, Roman Meyer
Best Animation: The Right, Andrew C. Formosa
Best Actor: Leigh Carr, Catfood
Best Secondary: Lara Nguyen, Introspection

2015
Western Suburbs: Neighbourhood Watch
Best Film West (overall), Best Director, Screenplay and Best Short Feature West: Dan Farmer
Best Cultural Diversity and People’s Choice: Road to Glory
Best Documentary: T.Cavallaro and Sons
Open (aka as Metro)
Best a Short Feature Metro: Sweat
Best Animation and Best Secondary: Lost Future
Best Tertiary: Alone
Best Documentary: Under the Table

2014
Best Animation: Second Chance, Dir. Chris Busuttil
Best Short Feature: non west Second Chance. Dir. Chris Busuttil
Best Secondary: Noise: Dir. Hannah Veljarnovska. Pro. Hannah Veljarnovska
Best Tertiary: A Mother’s Love Dir. Sam Matthews Pro: Libby Green, Victorian College of the Arts.
Best Screenplay: Senseless. Dir. Roman Meyer Pro. Roman Meyer
Best Director: Senseless. Dir Roman Meyer
Best Documentary: Tofu Man, Dir. Andrew Robb.
Best Short Feature West: Senseless. Roman Meyer
Best Non West: Film Overall: Second Chance, Chris Busuttil
People’s Choice: Tofu Man. Dir. Andrew Robb
Best Cultural Diversity: Tofu Man. Dir. Andrew Robb
Best Film Western Suburbs: Senseless. Roman Meyer
Encouragement Award: Refund. Dir. Benjamin Laut, Jack Rintoul.
People’s Choice: Tofu Man, Dir. Andrew Robb.