The Travelling Film Festival will bring a celebration of cinema to Newcastle with a brand-new program direct from the Sydney Film Festival’s 70th edition.

Opening the festival is Newcastle-based director Claire Pasvolsky’s Three Chords and the Truth, a musical story set in Newcastle about Angie (Jackie Marshall) whose chequered career is uplifted through her friendship with teenage Ruby. The gala event includes a live performance from lead actor and singer/songwriter Marshall, a filmmaker Q&A with the director and a welcome drink on arrival.

Other highlights of the program are Rachel’s Farm, the brand-new documentary from actor-turned-director-turned-farmer Rachel Ward, tracing the environmental awakening she undergoes, aided and abetted by local NSW north coast farmers, screening on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday night offers period drama Chevalier, a provocative romantic drama starring Kelvin Harrison Jr and Australian screen star Samara Weaving.

Sunday’s offerings include the Oscar-nominated Donkey starring film EO, screening with Dendy Award-winner Tangki (Donkey), offering a double donkey deal.

Also screening is eco-thriller How to Blow Up A Pipeline, starring Lukas Gage and Sasha Lane as eco-terrorists undertaking a Tarantino-esque mission.

Other stories from around the world include period drama Subtraction, from Iran and France; Chandler Levack’s debut feature I Like Movies, veteran German filmmaker Christian Petzold’s Afire, which premiered at the recent Berlinale, and Anthony Shim’s semi-autobiographical drama Riceboy Sleeps.

TFF will also present three Australian short films from the Sydney Film Festivals, including Chum, a smart comedy supported by Create NSW’s Screenability initiative, which showcases films from filmmakers with a disability; the aforementioned Tangki (Donkey) which explores the stories of three Anangu women of different generations; and Ratbag from Maitland-born director, Andrew Kavanagh.