The Raftsmen Wins Audience Award at Sydney Film Festival

The Raftsmen has taken out top honours at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival, winning the Audience Award for Best Australian Documentary in what has been the festival’s highest-selling year to date.

Produced by Canberra-based WildBear Entertainment, the film earned the prestigious People’s Choice award, based on a record-breaking 23,000 audience votes.

Making its world premiere at the festival, The Raftsmen was praised for its powerful storytelling and the breathtaking restoration of archival footage. The documentary follows 12 adventurers from seven countries who, in 1973, set out to cross the Pacific Ocean aboard handmade wooden log rafts. More than 50 years later, the surviving crew members revisit the journey that shaped their lives, with original 16mm footage remastered in stunning 4K.

Produced by William Ward and Lloyd Hunter, and executive produced by Bettina Dalton, Anna Godas, and Oli Harbottle, the film stands as a tribute to the human spirit and the power of international collaboration.

The Raftsmen was proudly supported by Screen Canberra through the Screen Investment Fund.

“This win is a phenomenal achievement for the entire team at WildBear Entertainment and a reflection of the incredible work being done right here in the ACT,” said Screen Canberra CEO Holly Trueman. “We’re thrilled to see The Raftsmen connect so powerfully with audiences and shine on such a significant national stage.”