First Nations Film Festival Opening Night: Friday 10th July 2026

Opening Night Gala: First Nations Film Festival on Dharawal Country

Join us for the Opening Night of the inaugural Screen Illawarra First Nations Film Festival, a celebration of First Nations storytelling, creativity and culture from across the Illawarra and beyond.

The evening will begin with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Richard, followed by a screening of Nhandi, a powerful short film created as part of the TIDES Project.

Developed by young people from Warrawong, Nhandi explores one profound question: How did we get here? Nhandi is based on oral history and written sources and imagines the first encounters between Aboriginal people of the Illawarra coast and the newcomers who arrived by sea.

Following the screening, audiences will have the opportunity to hear directly from the young filmmakers and creative team behind Nhandi in a special Q&A discussion.

The evening's feature presentation is WOLFRAM, an epic story set on the colonial frontier of 1930s Australia. When two swaggering outlaws arrive in a remote mining town seeking fortune, they unleash a wave of violence that disrupts the fragile balance of the community. In response, three irrepressible children escape their white masters and embark on a remarkable journey across the vast landscapes of central Australia in search of safety, freedom and home.

Be part of a memorable opening night as we celebrate First Nations voices, emerging storytellers and the transformative power of cinema.

Everyone is welcome.

This Festival is possible with the support of Gawura, IAC, Screen NSW, Invest Wollongong and Culture Bank.

Screen Illawarra acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land, the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation - past, present and emerging, and their continued spiritual and cultural connection to Country.