Neil Armfield’s Holding the Man, Simon Stone’s The Daughter, Jeremy Sims’ Last Cab to Darwin and Jen Peedom’s feature doc Sherpa will have their world premieres at the Sydney Film Festival.
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid’s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's ABC-TV miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle’s The Cambodian Space Project – Not Easy Rock ’n’ Roll, Steve Thomas’ Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol’s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted this year’s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell’s Ruben Guthrie will open the festival on June 3. Holding the Man, the saga based on the Tommy Murphy play about Timothy Conigrave and John Caleo, who met and fell in love at high school, starring Ryan Corr, Craig Stott, Anthony LaPaglia, Guy Pearce and Sarah Snook, will be the closer on June 14.
It’s just the fourth time in 62 years that Australian features will open and close the event.
Among the 12 films in official competition for the $60,000 cash prize are The Daughter, which stars Geoffrey Rush, Miranda Otto, Ewen Leslie and Sam Neill; Kim Farrant’s Strangerland; and Sherpa, which set out to follow an Everest expedition from the viewpoints of the Sherpas and their sometimes uneasy relationships with foreign climbers when an avalanche struck, killing 16 Nepali guides.
The Daughter opens in cinemas on September 10, Holding the Man is dated for August 27, Strangerland is June 11 and Last Cab to Darwin is August 6.
The program will feature eight films that are screening at the Cannes Film Festival including Japanese director Hirozaku Kore-ada’s Our Little Sister; Arabian Nights, director Miguel Gomes’ six-hour follow-up to Tabu; Amy, Asif Kapadia’s documentary about Amy Winehouse; Dope, the Sundance hit comedy about a nerdy African American teenager trying to pay his way to Harvard via a drug deal, directed by Rick Famuyiwa; and Sembene!, a documentary about African filmmaker Ousmane Sembene.
A new Animation Showcase curated by Malcolm Turner spotlights animated gems from all over the world. The newly expanded Family Films program brings four features and a program of animated shorts.
Together with Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department, Screen: Black will tell significant indigenous stories.
The retrospective program is spearheaded by Essential Bergman: Selected by David Stratton, with 10 of the Swedish great Ingmar Bergman’s films.
South African cinema is this year’s country focus as Moodley shares five films showing a snapshot of his home country’s vibrant offerings.
Talks and panels in the Treasury Room at the Hub tackle topics as diverse as The Return of Can Documentaries Change the World? and Why Do We Need to Engage with Difficult Films? to The History of Animation and a Horror Tragic Talkfest.
Vivid Ideas and Sydney Film Festival co-present Alex Gibney: In Conversation at Sydney Town Hall on June 7 as the filmmaker discusses his controversial HBO doc Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, which premieres at the festival.
FEATURE WORLD PREMIERES:
• THE SECRET RIVER Australia | 2015 | Part 1: 80 mins Part 2: 80mins | In English
Director: Daina Reid | Screenwriters: Jan Sardi, Mac Gudgeon | Producer: Stephen Luby | Cast: Oliver Jackson Cohen, Sarah Snook
• FREEDOM STORIES Australia | 2015 | 99 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Steve Thomas | Producer: Lisa Horler
• SHERPA Australia, Nepal | 2015 | 96 mins | In English, Nepali and Sherpa with English subtitles | Documentary
Director, Screenwriter: Jennifer Peedom | Producers: Bridget Ikin, John Smithson
• THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT – NOT EASY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Australia, UK | 2015 | 81 mins | In English, Spanish and Norwegian with English Subtitles | Documentary
Director: Marc Eberle | Producer: Richard Kuipers
• WIDE OPEN SKY Australia | 2015 | 79 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Lisa Nicol | Producers: Lisa Nicol, Anna Craney
• WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED Australia | 2015 | 100 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Producer: Damien Parer
• HOLDING THE MAN Australia | 2015 | 128 mins | In English
Director: Neil Armfield | Screenwriter: Tommy Murphy | Producer: Kylie du Fresne | Cast: Ryan Corr, Craig Stott, Anthony LaPaglia, Guy Pearce, Kerry Fox, Sarah Snook, Camilla Ah Kin
• LAST CAB TO DARWIN Australia | 2015 | 123 mins | In English | Feature
Director: Jeremy Sims | Screenwriters: Reg Cribb, Jeremy Sims | Producers: Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff, Jeremy Sims | Cast: Michael Caton, Jacki Weaver, Mark Coles Smith
• RIZ Australia | 2015 | 75 mins | in English | Feature
Director: Guido Gonzalez and S. Shakthidharan | Screenwriters: Guido Gonzalez, S. Shakthidharan | Producers: S. Shakthidharan, Guido Gonzalez and Aimée Falzon | Cast: Varun Fernando, Sophie Hawkshaw, Anandavalli
• RUBEN GUTHRIE Australia | 2015 | 94 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Brendan Cowell | Producer: Kath Shelper | Cast: Patrick Brammall, Alex Dimitriades, Abbey Lee
• THE DAUGHTER Australia | 2015 | 96 mins | In English | Feature
Director, Screenwriter: Simon Stone | Producers: Jan Chapman, Nicole O’Donohue | Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider
AWARDS
OFFICIAL COMPETITION: SYDNEY FILM PRIZE
The internationally recognised Official Competition, now in its eighth year, awards a $60,000 cash prize in recognition of courageous, audacious and cutting-edge cinema. The previous Sydney Film Prize winners are: Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012); A Separation (2011), which went on to win an Academy Award; Heartbeats (2010); Bronson (2009); and Hunger (2008).
SFF OFFICIAL COMPETITION:
• ARABIAN NIGHTS Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland | 2015 | Total 383 mins (Vol. 1: 125 mins, Vol. 2 132 mins, Vol. 3 126 mins) | In English, Portuguese, French and German with English subtitles | Feature
Director: Miguel Gomes | Screenwriters: Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, Telmo Churro | Producers: Sandro Aguilar, Luis Urbano | Cast: Crista Alfaiate, Adriano Luz, Américo Silva, Carloto Cotta, Crista Alfaiate, Chico Chapas, Luísa Cruz
• BLACK SOULS Italy | 2014 | 108 mins | In Italian with English Subtitles | Feature
Director: Francesco Munzi | Screenwriters: Francesco Munzi, Fabrizio Ruggirello, Maurizio Braucci | Producers: Gianluca Arcopinto, Luigi Musini, Olivia Musini | Cast: Marco Leonardi, Peppino Mazzotta, Fabrizio Ferracane
• THE DAUGHTER Australia | 2015 | 96 mins | In English | Feature
Director, Screenwriter: Simon Stone | Producers: Jan Chapman, Nicole O’Donohue | Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider
• ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL USA | 2014 | 105 mins | In English | Feature
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon | Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews | Producers: Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales, Dan Fogelman | Cast: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Kyler
• A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE Sweden, Norway, France, Germany | 2014 | 100 mins | In English and Swedish with English subtitles | Feature
Director, Screenwriter: Roy Andersson | Producer: Pernilla Sandström | Cast: Holger Andersson, Nils Westblom, Charlotta Larsson
• SHERPA Australia, Nepal | 2015 | 96 mins | In English, Nepali and Sherpa with English subtitles | Documentary
Director, Screenwriter: Jennifer Peedom | Producers: Bridget Ikin, John Smithson
• STRANGERLAND Australia, Ireland | 2014 | 112 mins | In English | Feature
Director: Kim Farrant | Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons | Producers: Naomi Wenck, Macdara Kelleher | Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving
• TALES Iran | 2014 | 88 mins | In Persian with English Subtitles | Feature
Director, Producer: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad | Screenwriters: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Farid Mostafavi | Cast: Golab Adineh, Saber Abar, Farhad Aslani
• TANGERINE USA | 88 mins | In English | Feature
Director: Sean Baker | Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch | Producers: Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou | Cast: Kiki Kitana Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian
• TEHRAN TAXI Iran | 2014 | 82 mins | In Farsi with English subtitles | Feature
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Jafar Panahi | Cast: Jafar Panahi
• VICTORIA Germany | 2015 | 140 mins | In English, German and Spanish with English Subtitles | Feature
Director: Sebastian Schipper | Screenwriters: Sebastian Schipper, Olivia Neergaard-Holm, Elke Schulz | Producers: Jan Dressler, Sebastian Schipper, David Keitsch, Anatol Nitschke, Catherine Baikousis | Cast: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski
• VINCENT France | 2014 | 77 mins | In French with English subtitles | Feature
Director, Screenwriter: Thomas Salvador | Producer: Julie Salvador | Cast: Thomas Salvador, Vimala Pons, Youssef Hajdi
Confirmed guests for the official competition include:
Francesco Munzi, director of Italian crime drama Black Souls. Munzi’s first feature film, Saimir (2004), was received with critical acclaim at film festivals worldwide, earning a Special Mention at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Ribbon for Best New Director. Munzi will also host a talk at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.
Strangerland director Kim Farrant. Strangerland. Farrant graduated from AFTRS with a Masters in directing. Her documentary Naked on the Inside was a Dendy finalist at the Festival in 2007 and was nominated for the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Documentary. Strangerland is her feature debut. Strangerland producer Naomi Wenck will also attend and introduce the film. Farrant will appear at a free Meet the Filmmakers Talk at the Apple Store on Saturday 6 June June, 2-3pm.
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, writer and director of Iranian drama Tales will introduce the Australian premiere of her film. Bani-Etemad is one of Iran’s most loved and well-known filmmakers. Her feature films Off Limits (1987), Nargess (1991), Gilaneh (2005) and Mainline (2006) have won numerous festival awards.
Sherpa director Jennifer Peedom, who is known for her intimate documentation of both epic and everyday stories. Her films Miracle on Everest (2008) and Solo (2008) are internationally renowned. She has won an AFI and Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary and multiple Australian Directors’ Guild Awards for Best Direction. Producers Bridget Ikin and John Smithson will also attend and introduce the world premiere.
Sean Baker, director and co-writer of American feature Tangerine, a drama about Los Angeles’ transgendered community shot on an iPhone 5s. Baker is an American director, writer, and producer known for the Independent Spirit Award-nominated films Take Out (2004) and Prince of Broadway (2008) and will introduce the International Premiere.
DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA FOUNDATION AWARD FOR AUSTRALIAN DOCUMENTARY
The Documentary Australia Foundation will award the $10,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary to a film screening in the 2015 Sydney Film Festival this June. Now in its seventh year, the competition invites entries of any length, with the winner announced during the closing night gala on June 14 at the State Theatre.
SFF 2015 Australian Documentary Finalists:
• THE BOLIVIAN CASE Australia, Bolivia, Colombia, USA | 2015 | 81 mins | In English, Spanish and Norwegian with English subtitles | Documentary
Director: Violeta Ayala | Producers: Dan Fallshaw, Violeta Ayala
• THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT – NOT EASY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Australia, UK | 2015 | 81 mins | In English, Spanish and Norwegian with English Subtitles | Documentary
Director: Marc Eberle | Producer: Richard Kuipers
• FREEDOM STORIES Australia | 2015 | 99 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Steve Thomas | Producer: Lisa Horler
• GAYBY BABY Australia | 2015 | 85 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Maya Newell | Producer: Charlotte Mars
• THE LOST AVIATOR Australia | 91 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Andrew Lancaster | Producers: Noni Couell, Andrew Lancaster
• ONLY THE DEAD Australia | 2015 | 78 mins | In English and Arabic | Documentary
Directors: Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware | Producers: Patrick McDonald, Michael Ware
• SONGLINES ON SCREEN Australia | 2015 | 81 mins | In Indigenous languages with English subtitles
o BULUNU MILKARRI I Australia I 2015 I 25 mins I In Djambarrpungu with English subtitles I World Premiere | Documentary
Director: Sylvia Nulpinditj I Producer: Gaia Osborne
o TJAWA TJAWA Australia I 2015 I 11 mins I In Kukatja with English subtitles I World Premiere | Documentary
Director: Mark Moora I Producer: Neil Turner
o FOOTPRINTS Australia I 2015 I 13 mins I In English I World Premiere | Documentary
Director: Cornel Ozies I Producers: Nganyamea Nagarra (Eileen) Torres & Eloise Schnierer
o GOORRANDALNG: BROLGA DREAMING Australia I 2015 I 10 mins I In English and Miriwoong with English subtitles I World Premiere | Documentary
Director: Ju Ju Wilson I Producer: Robyn Marais
o NAJI Australia I 2015 I 9 mins I In English I World Premiere | Documentary
Director: Kimberley West I Producer: Jodie Bell
O WURRAY Australia I 2015 I 15 mins I In Yolngu with English subtitles
Director: Keith Lapulung I Producer: Paul Williams
• TYKE ELEPHANT OUTLAW Australia | 2015 | 78 mins | In English | Documentary
Directors, Producers: Susan Lambert, Stefan Moore | Co-Producer: Megan McMurchy
• WIDE OPEN SKY Australia | 2015 | 79 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Lisa Nicol | Producers: Lisa Nicol, Anna Craney
• WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED Australia | 2015 | 100 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Producer: Damien Parer
THE DENDY AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS
The 2015 Sydney Film Festival is proud to announce the 10 finalists in the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films. 2015 is the 46th year SFF has featured a short-film competition. These ground-breaking awards have kick-started the careers of many prominent filmmakers, including Warwick Thorton, Ariel Klelman and Cate Shortland, who were all past competitors. The winners are announced at the closing night .
Finalists in this year’s Dendy awards will screen together in one session on June 13 at 4pm and June 14 at 10:40am at Event Cinemas George Street.
SFF 2015 Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films finalists:
• CHEROKEE Australia | 2014 | 11 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Jem Rankin | Producer: Frances Wang-Ward | Cast: Jane Allsop, Edwin Royce, Don Bridges
• DEATH IN BLOOM Australia |2014 | 11 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Dael Oates | Producers: Jonas Mclallen, Dael Oates | Cast: Robyn Nevin, Ewen Leslie
• ERNIE BISCUIT Australia | 2015 | 21 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Adam Elliot | Narrator: John Flaus
• GRACE UNDER WATER Australia | 2014 | 8 mins | In English
Director, Producer: Anthony Lawrence | Screenwriter: Chrissie McMahon | Cast: Zoe Carides, John Howard, Collette Mann
• MARKERS Australia | 2014 | 10 mins | In English
Director: Rhett Wade-Ferrell | Screenwriter: Rhett Wade-Ferrell, Will Howarth | Producer: Carla de Menezes Ribeiro | Cast: Eduard Geyl, Geraldine Hakewill, Leighton Watts
• THE ORCHESTRA Australia | 2015 | 15 mins
Director: Mikey Hill | Screenwriters: Mikey Hill, Jennifer Smith | Producer: Melanie Brunt
• RED ROVER Australia | 2014 | 15 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Brooke Goldfinch | Producer: Brietta Hague and Apolline Berty | Cast: Natalie Racoosin, Christopher Gray
• A SINGLE BODY Australia, France | 2014 | 21 mins | In French with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Sotiris Dounoukos | Producers: François-Pierre Clavel and Alexandre Perrier (Kidam), Julien Gittinger and Lucie Duchêne (Magnetic Films) | Cast: Mexianu Medenou, Doudou Masta, Garba Tounkara
• THE STORY OF PERCIVAL PILTS Australia | 2014 | 8 mins | In English
Directors, Screenwriters: Janette Goodey, John Lewis | Producers: John Lewis, Terri Dentry | Narrator: Mark Hedlow
• WHISPERS AMONG WOLVES Australia | 2014 | 17 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Kevin Lim | Producer: April Tafe | Cast: Sarah Aubrey, Matthew Backer
EVENT CINEMAS AUSTRALIAN SHORT SCREENPLAY AWARD
The Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award is presented to one of the short fiction films in the SFF program. The winner is announced at the closing night and wins a $5000 cash prize for best short screenplay.
2015 FOXTEL MOVIES AUDIENCE AWARDS
The Foxtel Movies Audience Awards are the Festival’s people’s choice awards. and the winners reflect the most popular feature-length films at the Festival. After each screening, the audience is invited to rate the film they’ve just seen on our website, via the SFF 2015 App or SMS. Two audience awards are presented: one to the best narrative feature, and one to the best documentary. The Foxtel Movies Audience Awards are announced after the Festival.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AT THE STATE
From award winners to films gathering a global buzz, Special Presentations at the State are highlights of the SFF 2015 evening program.
SFF 2015 Special Presentations at the State:
• 99 HOMES USA | 2014 | 112 mins | In English
Director: Ramin Bahrani | Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi | Producers: Ashok Amritraj, Ramin Bahrani, Kevin Turen, Justin Nappi | Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern
• BRAND: A SECOND COMING UK | 2015 | 105 mins | In English
Director: Ondi Timoner | Producer: Andrew Antonio |
• DOPE USA | 2014 | 105 mins | In English
Director: Rick Fumuyiwa | Screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa | Producer: Nina Yang Boniovi | Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons
• THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY UK | 2014 | 106 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Peter Strickland | Producer: Andy Starke | Cast: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’Anna, Eugenia Caruso
• GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF USA | 2015 | 120 mins | In English
Director: Alex Gibney | Producers: Alex Gibney, Lawrence Wright, Kristen Vaurio
• LAST CAB TO DARWIN Australia | 2015 | 123 mins | In English
Director: Jeremy Sims | Screenwriters: Reg Cribb, Jeremy Sims | Producers: Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff, Jeremy Sims | Cast: Michael Caton, Jacki Weaver, Mark Coles Smith
• LOVE & MERCY USA | 2014 | 121 mins | In English
Director: Bill Pohlad | Screenwriters: Oren Moverman, Michael Alan Lerner | Producers: Bill Pohlad, Claire Rudnick Polstein, John Wells | Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks
• MR. HOLMES UK, USA | 2015 | 103 mins | In English
Director: Bill Condon | Screenwriter: Jeffrey Hatcher | Producers: Anne Carey, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman | Cast: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker
• OUR LITTLE SISTER Japan | 2015 | 128 mins | In Japanese with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Producers: Kaoru Matsuzaki, Hijiri Taguchi | Cast: Ayase Haruka, Nagasawa Masami, Kaho
• PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS USA | 2014 | 86 mins | In English
Director: James Strouse | Screenwriter: Jim Strouse | Producers: Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub | Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Jessica Williams
• PHOENIX Germany | 2014 | 98 mins | In German with English subtitles
Director: Christian Petzold | Screenwriters: Christian Petzold, Harun Farocki | Producers: Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber | Cast: Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Nina Kunzendorf
• A SECOND CHANCE Denmark | 2014 | 104 mins | In Danish and Swedish with English subtitles
Director: Susanne Bier | Screenwriter: Anders Thomas Jensen | Producer: Sisse Graum Jørgensen | Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen, Maria Bonnevie
• THE SECOND MOTHER Brazil | 2015 | 110 mins | In Portuguese with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Anna Muylaert | Producers: Caio Gullane, Fabiano Gullane, Debora Ivanov, Anna Muylaert | Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila
• SLOW WEST UK, New Zealand | 2015 | 84 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: John Maclean | Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Conor McCaughan, Rachel Gardner | Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Mendelsohn
• WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED Australia | 2015 | 100 mins | In English
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Producer: Damien Parer
FEATURES
This selection brings together the best examples of this artform, showcasing prize-winners from the world’s most prestigious festivals alongside new works that deserve to be better known. Features are supported by the University of New South Wales.
SFF Features:
• 600 MILES Mexico | 2015 | 85 mins | In English and Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Gabriel Ripstein | Screenwriters: Gabriel Ripstein, Issa Lopez | Producers: Michel Franco, Gabriel Ripstein, Moises Zonana | Cast: Tim Roth, Kristyan Ferrer, Harrison Thomas
• AFERIM! Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic | 2015 | 108 mins | In Romanian with English subtitles
Director: Radu Jude | Screenwriters: Radu Jude, Florin Lazarescu | Producer: Ada Solomon | Cast: Teodor Corban, Mihai Comanoiu, Cuzin Toma
• THE CLUB Chile | 2015 | 97 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Pablo Larrain | Screenwriters: Guillermo Calderon, Daniel Villalobos, Pablo Larrain | Producer: Juan de Dios Larrain | Cast: Alfredo Castro, Roberto Farias, Antonia Zegers | World Sales: Funny Balloons
• CORN ISLAND Georgia, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Hungary | 2014 | 100 mins | In Abkhazian, Georgian and Russian with English subtitles
Director: George Ovashvili | Screenwriters: Nugzar Shataidze, George Ovashvili, Roelof Jan Minneboo | Producers: Nino Devdariani, Eike Goreczka, Guillaume de Seille, Karla Stojakova, Sain Gabdullin | Cast: Ilyas Salman, Mariam Buturishvili, Irakli Samushia
• COURT India | 2014 | 116 mins | In Hindi, Marathi and English with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Chaitanya Tamhane | Producer: Vivek Gomber | Cast: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni
• THE CROW’S EGG India | 2014 | 99 mins | In Tamil with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: M. Manikandan | Producers: Dhanush Kastooriraja, Vetri Maaran | Cast: Ramesh, Ramesh Thilaganathan, Vignesh
• DEAREST China | 2014 | 130 mins | In Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles
Director: Peter Ho-Sun Chan | Screenwriter: Zhang Ji | Producers: Jojo Hui Yuet-chun, Peter Ho-Sun Chan | Cast: Zhao Wei, Huang Bo, Tong Dawei
• THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL USA | 2014 | 102 mins | In English
Director: Marielle Heller | Screenwriter: Marielle Heller | Producers: Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit, Miranda Bailey | Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig
• EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO Netherlands, Mexico, Finland, Belgium | 2015 | 105 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Peter Greenaway | Producers: Bruno Felix, Femke Wolting, San Fu Maltha, Cristina Velasco L. | Cast: Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti, Maya Zapata
• FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD UK | 2015 | 118 mins | In English
Director: Thomas Vinterberg | Screenwriter: David Nicholls | Producers: Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich | Cast: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen
• THE FORBIDDEN ROOM Canada | 2014 | 128 mins | In English
Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson | Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk | Producers: Guy Maddin, Phyllis Laing | Cast: Roy Dupuis, Clara Furey, Louis Negin
• FROM WHAT IS BEFORE Philippines | 2014 | 338 mins | In English and Tagalog with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Lav Diaz | Cast: Perry Dizon, Roeder Camanag, Hazel Orencio
• THE GOOB UK | 2014 | 86 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Guy Myhill | Producers: Mike Elliott, Lee Groombridge | Cast: Liam Walpole, Sean Harris, Sienna Guillory
• GRANDMA USA | 2014 | 78 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Paul Weitz | Producers: Andrew Miano, Paul Weitz, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas | Cast: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden
• HAEMOO South Korea | 2014 | 111 mins | In Korean with English subtitles
Director: Shim Sung-bo | Screenwriters: Shim Sung-bo, Bong Joon-ho | Producers: Bong Joon-ho, Cho Neung-yeon | Cast: Kim Yoon-seok, Park Yu-chun, Han Ye-ri
• HILL OF FREEDOM South Korea | 2014 | 66 mins | In English and Korean with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Hong Sang-soo | Producer: Kim Kyounghee | Cast: Kase Ryo, Seo Younghwa, Moon So-ri
• IVY Turkey, Germany | 2015 | 104 mins | In Turkish with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik | Producers: Bilge Elif Ozkose, Tolga Karaçelik | Cast: Nadir Saribacak, Hakan Karsak, Ozgur Emre Yildirim
• KABUKICHO LOVE HOTEL Japan | 135 mins | In Japanese and Korean with English subtitles
Director: Ryuichi Hiroki | Screenwriters: Haruhiko Arai, Futoshi Nakano | Producers: Mikihiko Hirata, Naoya Narita, Yasushi Minatoya, Kazuya Naito | Cast: Shota Sometani, Atsuko Maeda, Lee Eun-woo
• MADAME BOVARY USA | 2014 | 118 mins | In English
Director: Sophie Barthes | Screenwriters: Felipe Marino, Sophie Barthes | Producers: Felipe Marino, Joe Neurauter | Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Ezra Miller
• MAGIC GIRL Spain, France | 2014 | 127 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Carlos Vermut | Producers: Pedro Hernandez Santos, Alvaro Portanet Hernandez, Amadeo Hernandez Bueno | Cast: Luis Bermejo, Jose Sacristan, Barbara Lennie
• METAMORPHOSES France | 2014 | 102 mins | In French with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Christophe Honoré | Producer: Philippe Martin | Cast: Amira Akili, Sebastien Hirel, Melodie Richard
• MURDER IN PACOT France, Haiti, Norway | 2014 | 130 mins | In French and Haitian Creole with English subtitles
Director: Raoul Peck | Screenwriters: Raoul Peck, Pascal Bonitzer, Lyonel Trouillot | Producers: Remi Grellety, Raoul Peck | Cast: Ayo, Alex Descas, Lovely Kermonde Fifi
• MY SKINNY SISTER Sweden, Germany | 2015 | 95 mins | In Swedish and English with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Sanna Lenken | Producer: Annika Rogell | Cast: Rebecka Josephson, Amy Deasismont, Annika Hallin
• NASTY BABY USA | 2015 | 100 mins | In English and Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Sebstian Silva | Screenwriter: Sebastian Silva | Producers: Peter Danner, Pape Boye, Violane Pichon, Sebastian Silva | Cast: Sebastian Silva, Kristen Wiig, Tunde Adebimpe
• NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE France | 2014 | 87 mins | In French with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern | Cast: Michel Houellebecq, Bertram Marius, Manon Chance
• PASOLINI France, Italy, Belgium | 2014 | 84 mins | In English, Italian and French with English subtitles
Director: Abel Ferrara | Screenwriter: Maurizio Braucci | Producers: Thierry Lounas, Conchita Airoldi, Joseph Rouschop | Cast: Willem Dafoe, Ninetto Davoli, Riccardo Scamarcio
• THE POSTMAN’S WHITE NIGHTS Russia | 2014 | 101 mins | In Russian with English subtitles
Director: Andrei Konchalovskya | Screenwriters: Andrei Konchalovsky, Elena Kiseleva | Producer: Andrei Konchalovsky | Cast: Aleksey Tryapitsyn, Irina Ermolova, Timur Bondarenko
• THE PRICE OF FAME France, Switzerland, Belgium | 2014 | 114 mins | In French with English subtitles
Director: Xavier Beauvois | Screenwriters: Xavier Beauvois, Etienne Comar, Marie-Julie Maille | Producers: Pascal Caucheteux, Etienne Comar | Cast: Benoît Poelvoorde, Roschdy Zem, Peter Coyote
• THE PROJECT OF THE CENTURY Cuba, Argentina, Germany, Switzerland | 2015 | 100 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Carlos M. Quintela | Screenwriters: Abel Arcos, Carlos M. Quintela | Producers: Natacha Cervi, Hernán Musaluppi, Pablo Chernov | Cast: Mario Balmaseda, Mario Guerra, Leonardo Gascón
• RED ROSE France, Greece, Iran | 2014 | 87 mins | In Farsi with English subtitles
Director: Sepideh Farsi | Screenwriters: Javad Djavahery, Sepideh Farsi, | Producer: Thierry Lenouvel | Cast: Mina Kavan, Vassilis Koukalani, Babak Farahani
• RESULTS USA | 2015 | 104 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski | Producers: Sam Slater, Paul Bernon, Houston King | Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan
• RIZ Australia | 2015 | 75 mins | in English
Director: Guido Gonzalez and S. Shakthidharan | Screenwriters: Guido Gonzalez, S. Shakthidharan | Producers: S. Shakthidharan, Guido Gonzalez and Aimée Falzon | Cast: Varun Fernando, Sophie Hawkshaw, Anandavalli
• SECOND COMING UK | 2014 | 105 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Debbie Tucker Green | Producers: Polly Leys, Kate Norrish | Cast: Nadine Marshall, Idris Elba, Kai Francis-Lewis
• SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY USA | 2014 | 93 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Peter Bogdanovich | Producers: Logan Levy, Holly Wiersma, Louise Stratten, George Drakoulias | Cast: Imogen Poots, Owen Wilson, Kathryn Hahn
• THE SMELL OF US France | 2014 | 100 mins | In English, French and Japanese with English subtitles
Director: Larry Clark | Screenwriters: Scribe, Larry Clark | Producers: Pierre-Paul Puljiz, Gerard Lacroix, Gerard Pont, Christophe Mazodier | Cast: Lukas Ionesco, Diane Rouxel, Theo Cholbi
• THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE Lithuania, France | 2014 | 88 mins | In Lithuanian with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté | Producers: Zivile Gallego, Antoine Simkine | Cast: Jurate Sodyte, Julija Steponaityte, Aiste Dirziute
• SUNRISE India, France | 2014 | 85 mins | In Marathi with English subtitles
Director: Partho Sen-Gupta | Screenwriters: Partho Sen-Gupta, Yogesh Vinayak Joshi | Producers: Nina Lath Gupta, Marc Irmer, Rakesh Mehra, Partho Sen-Gupta | Cast: Adil Hussain, Tannishtha Chatterjee
• SWORN VIRGIN Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Albania, Kosovo | 2015 | 90 mins | In Albanian and Italian with English subtitles
Director: Laura Bispuri | Screenwriters: Laura Bispuri, Francesca Manieri | Producers: Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa, Maurizio Totti, Alessandro Ussai, Dan Wechsler, Michael Weber, Viola Fügen, Sabina Kodra, Robert Budina | Cast: Alba Rohrwacher, Flonja Kodhel, Luan Jaha
• THEEB Jordan, UK, UAE, Qatar | 2014 | 100 mins | In English and Arabic with English subtitles
Director: Naji Abu Nowar | Screenwriters: Naji Abu Nowar, Bassel Ghandour | Producers: Bassel Ghandour, Rupert Lloyd | Cast: Jacir Eid, Hassan Mutlag, Hussein Salameh
• THESE ARE THE RULES Croatia | 2014 | 78 mins | In Croation with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Ognjen Svilicic | Producers: Damir Teresak, Janja Kralj | Cast: Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Jasna Zalica, Hrvoje Vladisavljevic
• THINGS OF THE AIMLESS WANDERER Rwanda, UK | 2015 | 78 mins | In English and Kinyarwanda with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza | Producers: Kivu Ruhorahoza, Antonio Rui Ribeiro | Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana
• TIGERS India, France, UK | 2014 | 90 mins | In English and Urdu with English subtitles
Director: Danis Tanovic | Screenwriters: Danis Tanovic, Andy Paterson | Producers: Prashita Chaudhary, Kshitij Chaudhary, Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap, Cedomir Kolar, Marc Baschet, Andy Paterson, Cat Villiers | Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Geetanjali, Danny Huston
• THE TRIBE Ukraine | 2014 | 132 mins | In Ukrainian Sign Language
Director, Screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy | Producers: Valentyn Vasyanovych, Iya Myslytska, Elena Slaboshpytskaya | Cast: Grigory Fesenko, Yana Novikova
• UNEXPECTED USA | 2015 | 100 mins | In English
Director: Kris Swanberg | Screenwriters: Megan Mercier, Kris Swanberg | Producer: Andrea Roa | Cast: Cobie Smulders, Gail Bean, Anders Holm
• VILLA TOUMA 2014 | 87 mins | In Arabic with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Suha Arraf | Cast: Maria Zreik, NIsreen Faour, Cherien Dabid, Ula Tabari
• THE VOLCANO Guatemala, France | 2015 | 91 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Jayro Bustamante | Screenwriter: Jayro Bustamante | Producers: Jayro Bustamante, Marina Peralta, Pilar Peredo, Edgard Tenembaum | Cast: María Mercedes Croy, María Telón, Manuel Antún
BOX SET
Cinematic television continues to thrive, bringing some of cinema’s great directors and feature-film production values to home viewers. The Secret River is a world-class example of a small-screen story of such quality and resonance it deserves to be seen on the big screen.
• THE SECRET RIVER Australia | 2015 | Part 1: 80 mins Part 2: 80mins | In English
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES
Documentaries continue to increase in popularity all around the world each year. This selection is an excellent survey of the best examples of the factual-film form being created internationally. International Documentaries are supported by the University of Sydney.
SFF International Documentaries:
• BEING EVEL USA | 2015 | 100 mins | In English
Director: Daniel Junge | Producers: Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, Mat Hoffman
• BEATS OF THE ANTONOV Sudan, South Africa | 2014 | 68 mins | In Arabic with English subtitles
Director: Hajooj Kuka | Producers: Steven Markovitz, Hajooj Kuka
• BEST OF ENEMIES USA | 2015 | 87 mins | In English
Directors, Producers: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon
• BIKES VS. CARS Sweden | 2015 | 91 mins | In English, Portuguese and Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Fredrik Gertten | Producers: Margarete Jangård, Elin Kamlert
• CARTEL LAND USA, Mexico | 2015 | 98 mins | In English and Spanish with English Subtitles
Director: Matthew Heineman | Producer: Tom Yellin
• THE CHINESE MAYOR China | 2014 | 86 mins | In Mandarin with English subtitles
Director: Zhou Hao | Producer: Zhao Qi
• DEMOCRATS Denmark | 2014 | 99 mins | In English with English subtitles
Director: Camilla Nielsson | Producer: Henrik Veileborg
• DREAMCATCHER UK | 2015 | 104 mins | In English with English subtitles
Director: Kim Longinotto | Producers: Lisa Stevens, Teddy Leifer | World Sales: Dogwoof
• DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON USA | 95 mins | In English
Director: Douglas Tirola | Producers: Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, John Battsek, Molly Thompson, Celia Taylor
• THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES UK | 2015 | 101 mins | In English
Directors: Michael Winterbottom, Russell Brand | Producer: Melissa Parmenter
• FOODIES Sweden | 2014 | 98 mins | In English
Directors: Thomas Jackson, Charlotte Landelius, Henrik Stockare | Producers: Patrik Andersson, Fredrik Heinig, Mattias Nohrborg
• GOOD THINGS AWAIT Denmark | 2014 | 100 mins | In English and Danish with English subtitles
Director: Phie Ambo | Producer: Malene Flindt Pedersen
• HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD UK, Canada | 2015 | 109 mins | In English
Director: Jerry Rothwell | Producers: Al Morrow, Bous De Jong
• THE HUNTING GROUND USA | 2015 | 103 mins | In English
Director: Kirby Dick | Producer: Amy Ziering
• IN THE BASEMENT Austria | 2014 | 81 mins | In German with English subtitles
Director, Producer: Ulrich Seidl
• IRIS USA | 2014 | 83 mins | In English
Director: Albert Maysles | Producers: Laura Coxson, Rebekah Maysles, Jennifer Ash Rudick
• LIFE IS SACRED Denmark | 2014 | 108 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles
Directors: Andreas M. Dalsgaard, Nicolas Servide, Vivana Gomez | Producers: Signe Byrge Sørensen, Anne Köhncke
• LISTEN TO ME MARLON UK | 2015 | 103 mins | In English
Director: Stevan Riley | Producers: John Battsek, R.J. Cutler, George Chignel
• THE LOOK OF SILENCE Indonesia, Denmark, Norway, Finland, UK | 2014 | 103 mins | In Indonesian and Japanese with English subtitles
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer | Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
• MEET THE PATELS USA, India | 2014 | 87 mins | In English and Gujarati with English subtitles
Directors: Geeta V. Patel, Ravi V. Patel | Producers: Janet Eckholm, Geeta V. Patel
• MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER South Korea | 2014 | 86 mins | In Korean with English subtitles
Director: Jin Mo-young | Producer: Han Kyung-soo
• OF MEN AND WAR France, Switzerland | 2014 | 142 mins | In English
Director, Producer: Laurent Bécue-Renard
• On The Rim Of The Sky Germany | 2014 | 102 mins | In Chinese with English subtitles
Director, Producer: Xu Hongjie
• PALIO UK, Italy | 2015 | 92 mins | In Italian with English subtitles
Director: Cosima Spender | Producers: James Gay-Rees, John Hunt
• THE PEARL BUTTON Chile, France, Spain | 2015 | 82 mins | In Spanish and Kawesqar with English subtitles
Director: Patricio Guzman | Producer: Renate Sachse
• THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER USA, UK | 2014 | 82 mins | In Russian with English subtitles
Director: Chad Gracia | Producers: Mike Lerner, Ram Devineni
• SEMBENE! USA, Senegal | 2014 | 88 mins | In English, French and Wolof with English subtitles
Directors, Producers: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman
• SERGIO HERMAN: FUCKING PERFECT Netherlands | 2015 | 80 mins | In English and Dutch with English subtitles
Director: Willemiek Kluijfhout | Producer: Reinette van de Stadt
• SEYMOUR: AN INTRODUCTION USA | 2014 | 84 mins | In English
Director: Ethan Hawke | Producers: Ryan Hawke, Greg Loser, Heather Smith
• SOME KIND OF LOVE Canada | 2014 | 81 mins | In English
Director: Thomas Burstyn | Producers: Trish Dolman, Sumner Burstyn
• SOMETHING BETTER TO COME Denmark, Poland | 2014 | 100 mins | In English and Russian with English subtitles
Director: Hanna Polak | Producers: Sigrid Dyekjaer, Hanna Polak
• TEA TIME Chile | 2014 | 70 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Maite Alberdi | Producer: Clara Taricco
• ULRICH SEIDL – A DIRECTOR AT WORK Austria, Switzerland, Germany | 2014 | 52 mins | In German with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Constantin Wulff | Producer: Johannes Rosenberger
• WELCOME TO LEITH USA | 2014 | 86 mins | In English
Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker | Producers: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker, Jenner Furst, Joey Carey, Joshua Woltermann
• THE WOLFPACK USA | 2015 | 89 mins | In English
Director: Crystal Moselle | Producers: Izabella Tzenkova,
Crystal Moselle, Hunter Gray, Alex Orlovsky
SOUNDS ON SCREEN
A celebration of the way films about music and musicians make for some of the most compelling cinema created
SFF Sounds on Screen:
• AMY UK | 2015 | 90mins | In English
Director: Asif Kapadia | Producer: James Gay-Rees
• BREAKING A MONSTER USA | 2014 | 93 mins | In English
Director: Luke Meyer | Producers: Tom Davis, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill
• MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN USA | 2014 | 120 mins | In English
Director: Alex Gibney | Producers: Mick Jagger, Victoria Pearman, Peter Afterman, Blair Foster
• LAMBERT & STAMP | USA | 2014 | 117 mins | In English
Director: James D. Cooper | Producers: James D. Cooper, Loretta Harms, Douglas Graves
• MAX & LENNY France | 2014 | 85 mins | In French with English subtitles
Director: Fred Nicolas | Screenwriters: Fred Nicolas, Francois Begeaudeau | Producer: Elisabeth Perez | Cast: Camelia Pand’Or, Jisca Kalvanda, Adam Hegazy
• SONG OF LAHORE USA | 2015 | 82 mins | In English, Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles
Director, Producer: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken
• STATION TO STATION USA | 2015 | 70 mins | In English
Director: Doug Aitken | Producers: Chris Totushek, Alex Waite
FAMILY FILMS
Share the excitement of Sydney Film Festival with your family. Featuring the finest films from around the world, these quality titles will surprise and delight both the child inside and the child beside you.
SFF Family Films:
• THE CROW’S EGG India | 2014 | 99 mins | In Tamil with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: M. Manikandan | Producers: Dhanush Kastooriraja, Vetri Maaran | Cast: Ramesh, Ramesh Thilaganathan, Vignesh
Suitable for ages 8 and up.
• GAYBY BABY Australia | 2015 | 85 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Maya Newell | Producer: Charlotte Mars
Suitable for ages 6 and up.
• SONG OF THE SEA Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Denmark | 2014 | 90 mins | In English
Director: Tomm Moore | Screenwriter: Will Collins | Producers: Ross Murray, Paul Young | Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan
Suitable for ages 6 and up.
• WIDE OPEN SKY Australia | 2015 | 79 mins | In English | Documentary
Director: Lisa Nicol | Producers: Lisa Nicol, Anna Craney
Suitable for ages 6 and up.
• KIDS ANIMATION PROGRAM | A special selection of animated short films chosen for a discerning your audience: expect lots of clover animals, plenty o flaughs and the odd scary moment for good measure!
Suitable for children aged 3-8 years.
ESSENTIAL BERGMAN: SELECTED BY DAVID STRATTON
Essential Bergman brings to the Festival one of Australia’s great masters of film criticism to curate and introduce a selection of films by one of the world’s greatest filmmakers. Bergman’s influence on the world of cinema is unquestionable, and his films are indeed essential viewing for film buffs old and new. Essential Bergman: Selected by David Stratton is presented in partnership with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and the National Film & Sound Archive (NFSA). The program will screen in Melbourne at ACMI from June 11-28 and in Canberra at the Arc Theatre from June 25 to July 5.
SFF Essential Bergman: Selected by David Stratton films:
• CRIES AND WHISPERS Sweden | 1972 | 91 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• FANNY AND ALEXANDER Sweden, France, West Germany | 1982 | 188 mins In Swedish with English subtitles
• PERSONA Sweden | 1966 | 82 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• SARABAND Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Finland, Germany 2003 | 107 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT Sweden | 1955 | 108 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• THE FACE Sweden | 1958 | 100 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• THE SEVENTH SEAL Sweden | 1956 | 96 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• THE SILENCE Sweden | 1963 | 95 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• THE VIRGIN SPRING Sweden | 1960 | 89 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
• WILD STRAWBERRIES Sweden | 1957 | 91 mins | In Swedish with English subtitles
RESTORATIONS
Discover or revisit arthouse, genre and Hollywood cinema classics the way they were intended to be seen – on the big screen. This year SFF presents one of the most important films of African cinema, a visually splendid Armenian masterpiece, a Korean hit remastered in monochrome and the director’s cut of a cult classic about the disco era.
SFF Restorations:
• 54: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT USA | 2015 | 106 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
• THE COLOUR OF POMEGRANATES Armenia | 1968 | 79 mins | In Armenian with English subtitles
• MOTHER South Korea | 2009/2014 | 128 mins | In Korean with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
• TOUKI BOUKI Senegal | 1973 | 90 mins | In Wolof with English subtitles
DESTRUCTION CINEMA
During the ’60s and ’70s, cinema underwent radical changes as societies broke down, censorship relaxed and the avant-garde found a wide audience. Bold filmmakers smashed cinematic form itself. SFF gives the name Destruction Cinema to films that, both inside and outside the commercial industry, embraced the art of demolition; and guest programmer Chris Fujiwara has curated five anti-masterpieces from a global subgenre of inexhaustible power.
SFF Destruction Cinema films:
• DEUX FOIS France, Spain | 1969 | 66 mins | In French with English subtitles
• DJANGO KILL… IF YOU LIVE, SHOOT! Italy, Spain | 1967 | 116 mins | In Italian with English subtitles
• EVEN DWARFS STARTED SMALL West Germany | 1970 | 96 mins | In German with English subtitles
• GOD TOLD ME TO USA | 1976 | 91 mins | In English
• THE RED LIGHT BANDIT Brazil | 1968 | 92 mins | In Portuguese with English subtitles
FOCUS ON SOUTH AFRICA
Twenty-one years after the advent of democracy, South African cinema continues to grapple with a nation still in transition. SFF presents a snapshot of the country’s vibrant cinematic offerings.
SFF Focus on South Africa films:
• BREATHE UMPHEFUMLO South Africa, Germany, UK | 2015 | 90 mins | In Xhosa with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
• THE DREAM OF SHAHRAZAD South Africa, Egypt, Jordan, France, Netherlands 2014 | 107 mins | In English, Arabic and Turkish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
• JOE BULLET South Africa | 1973 | 85 mins | In English
• NECKTIE YOUTH Netherlands, South Africa | 2015 | 86 mins In Afrikaans, English and Zulu with English subtitles Australian Premiere
• THE SHORE BREAK South Africa | 2014 | 90 mins | In English and isiMpondo with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
FREAK ME OUT
Selected by Guest Programmer Richard Kuipers, and now in its eighth year at SFF, Freak Me Out showcases a mix of horror, fantasy, shock, schlock and extreme arthouse cinema.
SFF Freak Me Out films:
• DEATHGASM New Zealand | 2015 | 86 mins | In English Australian Premiere
• GERMAN ANGST Germany | 2015 | 111 mins | In English, German and Polish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
• GOODNIGHT MOMMY Austria | 2014 | 99 mins | In German with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
• THE INVITATION USA | 2014 | 90 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
• SPRING USA | 2014 | 109 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
• TURBO KID New Zealand, Canada | 2014 | 95 mins | In English Australian Premiere
• WE ARE STILL HERE USA | 2014 | 86 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
• INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS USA | 1956 | 80 mins | In English
• THEM! USA | 1954 | 92 mins | In English
SHORT FILMS
A selection of award-winning and innovative short films, which will screen before selected features.
SFF Short Films:
AVE MARIA Palestine, France, Germany | 2015 | 15 mins | In English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Basil Khalil
THE BABY Iran, Italy | 2014 | 16 mins | In Farsi with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Ali Asgari
BLUEY Australia | 2015 | 13 mins | In English Australian Premiere
Director: Darlene Johnson
BOROM SARRET Senegal | 1963 | 20 mins | In French and Wolof with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Ousmane Sembène
BREAKING DOWN THE DOOR DAY Australia | 3 mins | In English
Director: Andrew Belk | Narrator: Dayna Duncan
CORNERS Singapore | 2014 | 3 mins | In Hokkien with English subtitles | Australian Premiere |
Directors: Kwok Li Chen, Edward Khoo
THE DROVER’S BOY Australia | 2014 | 11 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director: Margaret McHugh
THE ENGLISH TEA PROJECT Australia | 2014 | 4 mins | In English Director: Andrew Belk
Narrator: Marziya Mohammad
THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL Ukraine, Australia | 2014 | 7 mins | In Russian and Ukrainian with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Kitty Green
THE FLIGHT OF THE BUFFALO Australia | 2014 | 11 mins | In English
Director: Brodie Poole
GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART Australia | 2015 | 12 mins | In English World Premiere
Director: Bec Peniston- Bird
THE GUESTS Australia | 2015 | 11 mins | In English Australian Premiere
Director: Shane Danielsen
HOTEL 22 USA | 2014 | 9 mins | In English
Director: Elizabeth Lo
MARCELA & ROCK USA | 2014 | 12 mins | In English
Director: Topaz Adizes
PEBBLES AT YOUR DOOR Denmark | 2015 | 18 mins | In Korean with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Vibeke Bryld
PINK GRAPEFRUIT USA | 2015 | 11 mins | In English Australian Premiere
Director: Michael Mohan
POP-UP PORNO: M4M Canada | 2014 | 3 mins | In English Australian Premiere
Director: Stephen Dunn
PORTRAIT OF A LETTERPRESS PRINTER Australia | 2014 | 7 mins | In English World Premiere
Directors: Amberly K, Florent P
THE REAGAN SHORTS USA | 2014 | 9 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Pacho Velez
SATURDAYUK | 2015 | 14 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Mike Forshaw
SHARE USA | 2015 | 11 mins | In English Australian Premiere
Director: Pippa Bianco
SLINGSHOT Australia | 2015 | 7 mins | In English World Premiere
Director: David Hansen
SMUT HOUNDS Australia | 2014 | 9 mins | In English and Swedish with English subtitles | World Premiere
Director: Sari Braithwaite
SONIA'S DREAM Peru | 2015 | 14 mins | In Spanish and Quechua with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Diego Sarmiento
STAY AWAKE USA | 2015 | 14 mins | In English Australian Premiere
Director: Jamie Sisley
THE TIDE KEEPER New Zealand | 2014 | 10 mins | In No dialogue
Director: Alyx Duncan
WATER PATH Colombia | 2014 | 8 mins | In Spanish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Carlos Felipe Montoya
WHY? Israel | 2014 | 5 mins | In Hebrew and French with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Nadav Lapid
TALKS PROGRAM:
Sydney Film Festival presents a diverse range of talks with guest filmmakers and industry experts. From our highly successful series at the Apple Store, now in its fourth year, to the venerable Ian McPherson Memorial Lecture, once again hosted by David Stratton, SFF offers many opportunities to encounter leading and emerging figures in the film industry.
IAN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL LECTURE 2015
Jan Chapman and David Stratton in Conversation
Monday 8 June, 4pm, The Festival Hub at Sydney Town Hall
David Stratton brings his consummate interviewing skills to bear as host of a special discussion featuring one of the most respected and successful film producers in Australia, Jan Chapman. Chapman has produced some of Australia’s most celebrated and popular films, including the Academy Award-nominated Bright Star; Lantana, winner of the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film; and The Piano, which won three Academy Awards. Her films have won over 38 AFI Awards along with numerous other honours around the world. Chapman was Jury President at SFF 2010 and the 2012 Asia Pacific Screen Awards; and has served on juries at the Berlinale, Istanbul and Rotterdam film festivals. In 2004 Jan was honoured for her outstanding contribution to Australian film as a recipient of the Order of Australia; and is currently on the boards of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and SFF. She is producer, along with Nicole O’Donohue, of this year’s Official Competition film The Daughter.
Register for free tickets at sff.org.au / 1300 733 733.
MEET THE FILMMAKERS: SFF TALKS AT THE APPLE STORE:
To celebrate the 2015 Sydney Film Festival and the spirit of fine filmmaking, the Apple Store Sydney once again hosts its free Meet the Filmmakers series, where you can hear esteemed writers, directors, producers and actors discuss their latest projects and answer your questions.
• Simon Stone (The Daughter) Friday June 5 , 4-5pm (free)
Theatremaker and actor Simon Stone
will discuss working on his feature-film debut, The Daughter. The family drama is based on his award-winning re-imagining of Henrik Ibsen’s play The Wild Duck and stars a host of top Australian talent, including Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Miranda Otto and Sam Neill.
• Kim Farrant (Strangerland) Saturday June 6, 2-3pm (free)
Australian director Kim Farrant has earned numerous accolades with her shorts and
TV documentaries. Her documentary Naked on the Inside screened at the Festival in 2007. Here she will talk about the making of her feature debut, Strangerland, an outback-set thriller starring Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes and Hugo Weaving, which premiered at Sundance.
• Alex Gibney: In Conversation (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Mr Dynamite: The Story of James Brown) June 7, 11am
Vivid Ideas and Sydney Film Festival will co-present a special talk, with the internationally acclaimed documentarian.. The discussion will explore the nature of telling complex, real-world stories, and delve into how Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, premiering in Australia at the Festival, became the one of the most-watched HBO documentaries in years. Gibney is one of the world’s most prolific and controversial filmmakers (We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, SFF 2014).
• Jeremy Sims and Michael Caton (Last Cab to Darwin) June 7, 2-3PM (free)
Award-winning stage and screen director and actor Jeremy Sims is joined by iconic actor and national treasure Michael Caton (The Sullivans, The Castle). Their talk will focus on the making of Last Cab to Darwin, an adaptation of the Sims-produced hit play about a cancer stricken cabbie (played by Caton) who seeks to die with dignity.
• Brendan Cowell and Kath Shelper (Ruben Guthrie) June 8, 4-5pm (free)
Theatre, film and television actor Brendan Cowell and producer Kath Shelper will discuss Cowell’s feature-film directorial debut, Ruben Guthrie, adapted by Cowell from his critically acclaimed play about a Sydney ad executive who tries to quit drinking. The World Premiere will open the Festival.
Visit apple.com/au/Sydney to see the latest schedule and reserve your spot.
HUB TALKS AND PANELS AT TOWN HALL
• Micro-Talks Saturday June 6, 3-4:30pm
This very popular session from Sydney University returns again this year with short and informative 15-minute talks by leading film academics.
• The History of Animation June 6, 5-6PM
Join Malcolm Turner, Sydney Film Festival programmer and animation researcher, as he talks us through the last 100 years of Australian animation.
• Horror Tragic Talkfest June 7, 6:15-7:15pm
Join Freak Me Out guest programmer Richard Kuipers and producer and horror aficionado Ant Timpson (Deathgasm, Turbo Kid) for a freewheeling discussion about all things horror. Be part of the lively discussion on the past, present and future of the most durable movie genre of them all.
• Refugees on Screen June 8, 6:30-7:30pm
Following the screening of Freedom Stories, OzDox will host a discussion on how refugees are represented on Australian screens big and small.
• The Making of Sherpa June 9, 6:30-7:30pm
Join director Jennifer Peedom, producers Bridget Ikin and John Smithson, the filmmakers behind the extraordinary Official Competition documentary Sherpa.
• Film Festivals Australia Brings Their Monthly Catch-Up to the Hub June 10, 7-8pm
Learn what it takes to run a film festival and their growing importance to filmmakers and the industry.
• Why Do We Need to Engage with Difficult Films? June 11, 6-7pm
Join ABC Radio National’s Jason di Rosso as he ponders this question with fellow critics Margaret Pomeranz, Jack Sargeant and Dr. Sarinah Masukor.
• Human Rights Watch June 11, 8-8:30pm
After the Festival’s screening of The Look of Silence, Joshua Oppenheimer will join us via Skype to discuss
his sequel to award winning The Act of Killing (SFF 2013), moderated by Andreas Harsono, Indonesian researcher from Human Rights Watch.
• The Return of Can Documentaries Change the World? June 12, 7-8pm
After last year’s full-house session it is clear there’s still much to discuss.
• Panel: Dendy Awards Finalists June 14, 1-3:30pm
Meet the Dendy Awards finalists for 2015 at this enlightening panel hosted by Metro Screen, and grill them on what it took to bring their acclaimed short film from idea to red-carpet premiere.
• Margaret and David: The Films We Love – The Neglected and the Unexpected June 7, 3:30pm at Sydney Town Hall ($15)
Australia’s favourite film critics join the Sydney Film Festival stage once more with an entertaining overview of some of the films that they feel deserve our closer consideration. After 28 years and one of the longest and most enduring partnerships on Australian television, Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton recorded the final episode of At the Movies late last year.
In this candid conversation at Sydney Town Hall, David will champion the films he loves that were overlooked by critics or audiences, or both. Margaret will reveal some of her unexpected pleasures, from The Fast and the Furious to even more surprising selections. Their choices, and the reasons behind those choices, will make for a fascinating, lively and thought-provoking event.
Sydney Film Festival runs June 3-14.
Tickets for Sydney Film Festival 2015 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.