"WE STAND WITH UKRAINE"; FESTIVAL TO PAUSE SUBMISSIONS FROM RUSSIA, OFFER FREE ENTRY TO UKRAINE FILMMAKERS.
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, the organising committee of the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival has made the decision to not accept feature or short film submissions from Russia.
Ukrainian filmmakers who have the opportunity to submit their sci-f/fantasy film can do so free-of-charge by utilising the waiver code FCKPTN22 at our FilmFreeway submission portal: https://filmfreeway.com/SydneyScienceFictionFilmFestival (*conditions apply).
"Many within the Russian film community have used their voices and risked their own safety to criticise this atrocity," says Festival Director Simon Foster, "and we acknowledge the unfortunate impact that our decision will have on their work. But it is only through employing every possible counter action possible can we be part of a unified global response and build pressure to stop this war."
The decision brings the festival in line with an international film community movement that has mobilised in protest of the murderous intent of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In the wake of the attack, the Ukrainian Film Academy launched a petition calling for producers to stop doing business with Russia, for companies to not license their films for Russia and for international festivals to boycott Russian movies.
Sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/3CKQBnZ
Last week, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) paused accepting Russian films into competition and Russian delegations will not be permitted to attend the Awards or 4th Asia Pacific Screen Forum. Russian delegates will not be represented on APSA Juries, Council’s, or Steering Committees. The European Film Academy (EFA) has taken the unprecedented step of joining a global boycott of Russian film.
*Films being submitted via the waiver code must be Ukrainian in origin, utilising local resources and funded by majority Ukrainian sources. The festival has the right to refuse any submission and no correspondence will be entered into.