The recent Shoalhaven First Nations Film Festival spotlighted emerging and established First Nations filmmakers from around Australia.

Held at Husskinson Pictures in Shoalhaven, the Festival screened seven films - each selected to celebrate the achievements of First Nations people while acknowledging the ongoing journey toward justice and equality.

"Some of the films we watch today will make us proud. Others may make us uncomfortable, confronting the pain of injustice, incarceration, and lives cut short. But all of them are necessary. Because to heal, we must be willing to listen," said Colin Moore, Yuin Elder, Traditional Custodian and President of SFNFF, in the Festival's opening address.

"When our young people step into the role of storyteller, they are stepping into a sacred responsibility. They remind us that culture is not something of the past - it is alive, growing, adapting, and still guiding us today.

"Their voices bring light to places once kept in the shadows, and they carry our ancestors forward with courage."

Among the featured filmmakers was Kelrick Martin, a Ngarluma man and ABC Head of Indigenous at ABC TV. His 2015 musical documentary, 'Prison Songs', was screened at the event, chosen for its innovative approach in telling the stories of First Nations inmates inside Darwin's Berrimah Prison.

"It's just really rewarding, and I really enjoyed advocating and supporting and fighting for our mob's stories to be told in ways that can reach a bigger, wider audience," Mr Martin told National Indigenous Times.

"People resonate with music in a way that they don't resonate with an interview or a documentary. They connect with a song on an emotional level as well as an intellectual level, I think, like you understand the lyrics, but it's the rhythms and the music in itself that just gives you something more than just a straight conversation."

Reflecting on the rising First Nations representation in the entertainment scene, Mr Martin believes festivals like SFNFF mark a vital step forward in Australian audiences embracing First Nations perspectives.

"It is a really exciting time right now for First Nations filmmakers and storytellers to be reaching an audience. I think audiences are really excited about the uniquely Australian perspectives that our First Nations filmmakers present, both here and globally, with their films. So I'm really excited by the idea that this community is going to get to see that first-hand at this film festival."

The Festival also showcased the next generation of First Nations filmmaking talent, with 18-year-old Gamilaraay Tolbin Parsons making his directorial debut with 'The Unexpected Visitor'.

His short film was the first project to be developed from SFNFF's storytelling and filmmaking workshops held in May, where young people from local First Nations communities were encouraged to create and write stories for film.

"So many other people were there, coming up with much longer and better ideas than mine. But I am very privileged to have this experience," he said.

Headed by Julienne McKay, SFNFF Co-founder, the workshops were mentored by Sal Balharrie, Melbourne writer, producer and director featured in last year's Festival, and two local filmmakers, Jamie Lepre and Phil Crawford. Under their guidance, Mr Parsons' project evolved from a concept to a full-fledged film.

"Talking to people like Jamie Lepre, he's given me so much advice and tools, and Julienne McKay has helped me 100 per cent with this film," Mr Parsons said.

Also attending the Festival was James-Paul Marin, Branch Manager at Bendigo Bank, Sanctuary Point and Districts, who sponsored both the Festival and the May workshops.

"As the branch manager for the Bendigo Bank Sanctuary Point, it's really great to have been involved from the start of the first festival with 'My Brother's Keeper', and the screening of that movie, and then come back and see a workshop that was done and that we were involved in that and played a part," he said.

"We're going to be able to see those movies come to fruition and be screened today for the first time, and it's really great. This is what we, as a bank and the community, can be part of, so thank you for allowing us to do that."

In celebrating both emerging and established First Nations talent, SFNFF highlighted the generational potential of First Nations storytelling and its growing influence in Australian cinema.