The Adelaide Film Festival is honoured to be included in Variety’s Top 50 Film Festivals list, announced yesterday.
The international bible of the world entertainment industry, Variety made their selection from ‘the planet’s 1000 plus film fests’, with films selected for their ‘industry punch or by virtue of vision, originality, striking setting, audience zest and /or their ability to mine a unique niche, which ranks them as must attends.’
The only Australian Film Festival to make the list, the biennial AFF has presented three critically acclaimed festivals. Its Investment Fund, established in 2003 by the Premier Mike Rann, has supported 20 Australian films including features, docs, shorts and animations.
Premier of South Australia, the Hon Mike Rann said: ‘This is high praise indeed coming from such an influential and respected industry publication. I am delighted that so soon after it began, the Festival is gaining such high international praise.’
Director of the Adelaide Film Festival, Katrina Sedgwick, said: ‘As a new event, seeking to find strong points of difference, and to genuinely engage with and celebrate the creative process of filmmaking, it’s very affirming to have been listed in such a stellar line up of film festivals from around the globe.’
On their decision, the judges wrote: ‘Adelaide, while not as huge or as old as its cousin in Melbourne, has been held three times, every two years, since its launch in 2002, but manages to program an interesting slate. It gets lots of funds from the state government of South Australia, Australia’s smallest mainland state and home of Rolf De Heer, Scott Hicks and Rising Sun f/x house. Fest also has part-funded pics and exhibits a knack of choosing good ones (Ten Canoes, Look Both Ways, The Tracker, The Home Song Stories). It next unspools in 2009.’
The 2009 Adelaide Film Festival will run from 19 February to 1 March.
[release from Miranda Brown Publicity]