Sydney Film Festival today announced the Australian premiere of 20,000 Days on Earth, an innovative film about international cultural icon Nick Cave, as the Opening Night Film to screen at the State Theatre at 7:30pm on Wednesday 4 June.
Sydney Film Festival’s Opening Night is proudly presented, for the second year running, by Audi.
Tickets go on sale at 9am Thursday 10 April via sff.org.au or 1300 733 733
20,000 Days on Earth is the first feature-length film by UK visual artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who recently collaborated on a sound installation with Scott Walker as part of Vivid Live 2013. Forsyth and Pollard take a fascinating approach in this visually astonishing and highly stylised imagination of Cave’s 20,000th Day on Earth, all to a narration by Cave himself.
“We're blown away to be invited to open the mighty Sydney Film Festival,” said Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. “It’s a total thrill to bring the film not only to Nick’s home country but also back to the city where we shot the climactic live performance at Sydney Opera House that closes 20,000 Days on Earth.”
“We are very proud to confirm this eagerly anticipated Australian Premiere as our Opening Night Film,” said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “Imaginative, intimate, daring and defying easy categorisation, 20,000 Days on Earth is not just a scintillating portrait of a visionary artist, but a tremendous work of art in itself.”
“Simply astounding, razor-sharp, dynamic”
Variety
“Incredible. Puts most music films to shame. So inventive and inspiring.”
Time Out
20,000 Days on Earth was recently awarded the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary and the Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2014.
NB: In addition to film-only tickets available from 9am on Thursday 10 April, a strictly limited number of ‘Film and Party’ tickets are also available. ‘Film and Party’ tickets include entry to the Opening Night Film and the exclusive afterparty at Keystone’s Bungalow 8.
Last week, Sydney Film Festival announced 32 films to be featured in this year’s event in advance of the full program launch on Wednesday 7 May. Last week’s early announcement comprised 32 titles including one World Premiere, 19 Australian premieres, 13 features, 11 documentaries and a special eight-film retrospective of maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman, with his son and filmmaker Michael Altman attending the Festival as one of our many special guests. The full Sydney Film Festival program is announced on Wednesday 7 May at 10am.
20,000 Days on Earth
Directors: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard | UK | 2013 | 95 mins | In English
Drama and reality collide in this extraordinary portrait of musician and cultural icon Nick Cave. Artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard take a fascinating approach in this visually astonishing and highly stylised imagination of Cave’s 20,000th day on Earth, all to a sparkling narration by Cave himself. Through his visits to his archive and a long and revealing session with his therapist, a picture of the artist, his origins, and his creative process is beautifully drawn. The filmmakers also follow Cave into the studio as he writes and records his hit album Push the Sky Away. Along the way, we witness fascinating and humorous conversations between Cave and his friends and collaborators like Kylie Minogue, Ray Winstone, Blixa Bargeld and Warren Ellis. Capturing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds live at Sydney Opera House helps reveal the massive impact Cave has and the deep devotion he inspires. Imaginative, intimate, daring and defying easy categorisation, 20,000 Days on Earth is not just a scintillating portrait of a visionary artist, but a tremendous work of art in itself.
Note: Flexipasses and subscriptions to Sydney Film Festival 2014 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.