Andrey Zvyagintsev’s ‘Minotaur’ Wins Top Honour at 2026 Sydney Film Festival, Winners List Announced

Filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev has won the Sydney Film Prize for his thriller Minotaur , set against the backdrop of contemporary Russia, at the 73rd Sydney Film Festival , according to Variety .

The film received a US$42,200 award , decided by an international jury led by Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho , alongside Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi , Singaporean director Boo Junfeng , Australian cinematographer Ari Wegner , and Australian First Nations producer-director Sally Riley .

Minotaur had earlier won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2026 . Accepting the award in person—his first visit to Australia in more than a decade—Zvyagintsev said the film carries deep significance for audiences in Russia.

“I would like to thank the jury for this decision, because this film means a lot to people who are struggling at the moment in Russia,” he said, noting that the Russian language and cultural expression are under strain , as quoted by Variety .

The jury described the film as a strong exploration of abuse of power , calling it “strongly Hitchcockian” and highly cinematic, adding that its central theme remains timeless and globally relevant.

The announcement came ahead of the Australian premiere of James Gray’s Paper Tiger , which served as the festival’s closing-night screening. The Sydney Film Prize competition is endorsed by FIAPF. Previous winners include It Was Just an Accident (2025) and There’s Still Tomorrow (2024).

The Sydney Film Festival 2026 concluded on June 14 after running from June 3.

The full winners list includes the Sydney Film Prize for Minotaur by Andrey Zvyagintsev; the Sustainable Future Award for Sukundimi Walks Before Me by Mataslia Freshwater and Lachlan McLeod; the First Nations Award for Ceremony by Banchi Hanuse; the Documentary Australia Award for Time and Tide by Vee Shi; and the Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award presented to Fadia Abboud.

Other honours included the Dendy Live Action Short Award for MaNGutji (Catching Eyes) by Siena Mayutu Wumarri Stubbs; the Yoram Gross Animation Award for Our Choir Has Always Been Travelling by Judith Pungarta Inkamala, Marjorie ‘Nunga’ Williams and Nelson Armstrong; the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Australian Director to Cristabel Sved for Date 3 ; the AFTRS Craft Award to Angelina Kovacs and Sophie Ravant for Flesh Fruit ; and the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award for Screenwriting to the team behind Our Choir Has Always Been Travelling .