In Conversation with Peter Weir – The 2026 Ian McPherson Lecture
The evening will see legendary Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Weir receive AFTRS’ inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his extraordinary contribution to Australian and international cinema, including modern classics such as Gallipoli, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dead Poets Society and The Truman Show. Following the presentation, Weir joins Rob Carlton for a fireside conversation, reflecting on a body of work that has shaped generations of filmmakers and carried Australian stories onto the world stage.
Special Guests
Peter Weir is the two-time winner of the BAFTA David Lean Award for Direction. He has received six Academy Award nominations for his work as director, writer and producer. In 2022 he became the first Australian filmmaker to be awarded an Honorary Oscar. He was a pivotal figure in the Australian New Wave cinema of the 70s with films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli. He continued on to international success directing Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show and Master and Commander amongst others.
Tickets
Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
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