For the Polish community, the opening night of their annual film festival can be many things.
A reunion of old friends, an opportunity to rub shoulders with actors and ambassadors, and a chance to preserve language in young and old.
"Whatever happens on the opening night, it gives you the buzz for the rest of the festival," Polish language school teacher Ewelina Ellsmore tells AAP.
The Polish Film Festival, now in its 10th year, has showcased Oscar-winning flicks such as The Zone of Interest as well as spy thrillers, documentaries and comedies, in English and Polish languages.
Festival director Magdalena Ambrozkiewicz says opening night also offers people who have rarely considered it to open their eyes to an industry in its golden era, amid a suite of awards and investment from Netflix.
"They come to see one film and then they say 'oh it was really good' and go and see more," she told AAP.
"It's a really strong industry."
She said film festivals, such as hers in Perth and Sydney, play a vital role in strengthening the cultural fabric of the community "ensuring diverse stories and traditions are celebrated and preserved for future generations".
The festivals also serve to contest norms and offer space for new stories to be told.
A core aim of the Lebanese Film Festival is to challenge the perception of southwest Sydney lacking arts and culture as well as perceptions of the Lebanese community in Australia.
The Mardi Gras Film Festival, meanwhile, showcases films, short stories and documentaries that resonate with LGBTQI audiences.
Rising costs, behaviour changes and the coronavirus pandemic's effect on attendance have dealt a series of blows to the industry in recent years.
But a new program opened on Wednesday is focused on giving film festivals a helping hand to roll out the red carpet for opening nights.
Up to $5000 per festival can be applied to venue hire, promotion, transport, Auslan interpreters and equipment (yep, red carpet included).
NSW Arts Minister John Graham said community film festivals were often run on small budgets, driven by the sheer passion of a community.
"We know rising costs are making it harder to put on events," he said.
"This fund will help ease some of that burden, and allow these communities to continue to celebrate their stories."
The $200,000 fund is designed to complement what's already available for film and community festivals in the state, including Screen NSW’s audience development fund and other government event funds.
