The commitment will see the AFF – currently held once every two years – given an extra $500,000 over four years in a bid to raise the festival’s profile and make it a permanent fixture on Adelaide’s events calendar.

The AFF has been held 11 times since 2003 and was an annual event from 2015 to 2018 before shifting back to the biannual format.

Despite the pandemic, the 2020 edition of the festival saw a 23 per cent growth in sales, according to organisers, with 26 world premieres, 32 Australian premieres and more than 200 screenings across the 12-day event.

Labor arts spokesperson Katrine Hildyard said the extra funding would help strengthen film’s place in the Adelaide arts ecosystem.

“This extra funding for the Adelaide Film Festival will enable the event organisers to build on the success of this festival and stage it every year,” she said.

“This investment will boost local filmmaking and support local jobs, and it will enable more South Australians to explore their craft and give South Australians a greater opportunity to engage with the arts and all of the benefits that brings.”

This year’s Adelaide Film Festival is due to be held from October 19 to 30.