The following year, the program expanded to seventeen days and by 1960 exceeded 2,000 subscribers with the introduction of the Opening Night feature film and party.

Films are shown at venues across the Sydney CBD, with films shown at the Dendy Opera Quays, Event Cinemas in George Street, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Ritz Cinemas, Sydney Town Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art as well as the State Theatre.

[citation needed] As of 2023[update] the festival's director is Nashen Moodley,[1][7] who commenced in early 2012, replacing Clare Stewart.

[8] Patrons of the festival include Gillian Armstrong, Cate Blanchett, Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann, George Miller, and Sam Neill among others.

On 10 September 2007, the Festival announced it had received funding from the New South Wales Government to host an official international competition, which rewarded "new directions in film".