SEE IT ALL AT THE 70TH SYDNEY FILM FESTIVALGLEE
DESIRE
NERVE
GLORY
PRIDE
CHILLSGET YOUR TICKETS AT SFF.ORG.AU

200+ FILMS AT VENUES ACROSS SYDNEYYOUR GUIDE TO THE 2023 SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL

SEE IT ALL AT THE 70TH SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL

THUNDER

PAST LIVESRACHEL'S FARM

RUN RABBIT RUN

RED, WHITE & BRASSORLANDO,MY POLITICAL
BIOGRAPHY

THE NEW BOY

KEEPING HOPE

REALITY

20,000 SPECIES OF BEESSCARYGIRLGLEEDESIRE
NERVE
GLORY
PRIDE
CHILLSPASSAGESASTEROID CITY

BAD BEHAVIOUR

BIRDEATER

L'IMMENSITÀGLEE DESIRE GLORY
200+ FILMS AT VENUES ACROSS SYDNEY

BIOSPHEREI LIKE MOVIESBLUE JEAN

JORAMSHIN ULTRAMAN

THE DEFENDERS

PRETTY RED DRESSMONSTERSCRAPPER

BLIND WILLOW,SLEEPING WOMANSUNFLOWERCARMENCHILLS PRIDE NERVESEE IT ALL AT THE 70TH SYDNEY FILM FESTIVALGLEE
DESIRE
NERVE
GLORY
PRIDE
CHILLS

200+ FILMS AT VENUES ACROSS SYDNEY

2

WELCOMECONTENTS

3

WELCOME
NASHEN MOODLEYFESTIVAL DIRECTOR“THE FILMS AND
FILMMAKERS OFOUR TIME, BUT
ALSO OF OUR
FUTURE.”—NASHEN MOODLEY, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Cinema is a remarkable snapshot of the time inwhich it’s made and absorbed by an audience.
Sydney Film Festival has been fortunate to
document and reflect those times for 70
years now. We celebrate this milestone withall of Sydney, as it’s the ever-curious cinema
culture of Sydney that has allowed us to reachthis momentous occasion and made it such awelcoming event for films and filmmakers. We
thank you all deeply for that.
SFF’s 2023 edition is no different. We’resharing remarkable films from all corners of
the globe – many with filmmakers as guests.
They’re the films and filmmakers of our time,
but also of our future. The program celebrates
cutting-edge cinema that speaks to who wewere, are and can be.
The cinema experience is always special, butthere’s something to be said for the specific film
festival experience where the atmosphere iselectric with a shared passion for cinema –with all the communal gasps, laughs and big
feelings that you share.
Welcome to the 70th Sydney Film Festival.
Whether it will be at the cinema, at a talk or ata party in The Hub, it will a pleasure celebrating
cinema with you.

DEANNE WEIRFRANCES WALLACE

THE HON. JOHN GRAHAM MLC CLOVER MOOREFESTIVAL CHAIR

FESTIVAL CEO

MINISTER FOR THE ARTSLORD MAYOR OF SYDNEY

Welcome to SFF 2023, where we will honour our
70-year history while celebrating the world’s great
filmmakers of today and tomorrow.

Welcome to SFF 2023, it is my honour to be the
new CEO here and what an extraordinary Festival,
Board, team and community. The passion for SFF
is simply unmatched.

The NSW Government proudly supports the Sydney
Film Festival, one of the world’s longest runningfilm festivals. Celebrating its 70th year, the Festivalcontinues to connect audiences with world-classcinema, showcase established and emerging
filmmakers, and enrich the cultural life of thepeople of NSW.

Sydney Film Festival, now in its 70th year, does ourcity proud.

We look forward to welcoming many of thosefilmmakers to share some incredible stories on the big
screen with our passionate audiences.
We are very thankful to our government, corporate
and philanthropic partners including the NSW
Government through Screen NSW; the Federal
Government through Screen Australia; and our major
Local Government partner, the City of Sydney. Pleasepatronise the services of all our supporters listed in
the program.
My sincere thanks to our SFF team who are excited topresent you with a fabulous festival experience. Enjoy!

The 70th program is outstanding in its breadth anddiversity of subject matter and storytelling, and what
we invite our dedicated SFF audience to do is bring in
a new film-goer – someone who hasn’t experienced
the magic before – as we build up our cinema goingaudience, create that festival buzz and celebrate thesheer joy of cinema for another 70 years to come!
I look forward to meeting you all at what will be atremendous celebration of film at SFF70.

Once again, Screenability showcases the talent offilmmakers with disability, including world premieresof three short films, supported by Screen NSW.
The prestigious Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award
acknowledges a NSW-based screen practitioner
whose innovation and imagination makes anextraordinary impact.
I hope you enjoy many courageous, audacious
and cutting-edge films and events and celebrate
everything our premier film festival has to offer.

This iconic, world-class festival celebrates thediversity and richness of global cultures, informs
and debates the most important issues of our time,
expands our minds and challenges our thinking... andall while entertaining us.

Opening Night 					 4Closing Night and Awards
5
Official Competition
6
Documentary Australia Award
10
Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films
12
Special Presentations
14
Features
17
The Box Set
23
International Documentaries
24

Sounds on Screen
Europe! Voices of Women in Film
First Nations
FamilyFreak Me Out
Screenability
FLUX: Art+Film
Retrospectives
Classics Restored

29
30
32
33
34
36
37
38
41

ShortsThe Hub
LocationsTickets and Access
Calendar
Restaurant and Drinks Partners
SupportThe Living Archive

VISIT SFF.ORG.AU FOR TICKETS, PROGRAM INFORMATION AND MORE
JOIN THE CONVERSATION #SYDFILMFEST
Sydney Film Festival@SydFilmFest@SydFilmFest

sydfilmfest

youtube.com/sydfilmfest

Audiences will find much to love among thisyear’s Australian and international feature films,
documentaries and shorts screening in some of
Sydney’s best venues.
The City of Sydney is a proud partner of the launch of
the SFF Living Archive project this year and a longtime supporter of the Festival – which has becomea truly essential part of the creative, cultural andeconomic life of our city.

42
46
48
49
50
56
60
61

We acknowledge Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners andCustodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation,
upon whose Country SFF offices are based. We honour the storytelling and culture of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

sff.org.au

4

OPENING NIGHT

CLOSING NIGHT AND AWARDS CEREMONY

CLOSINGNIGHT AND
AWARDS
CEREMONY
Find out which films take out the top prizes at Sydney Film Festival’s Awards Ceremony at the State Theatre,
followed by a yet-to-be-announced Closing Night film. A buzzing evening full of entertainment and theculmination of the Festival’s momentous 70th journey, this is a night not to be missed!
Before the film, enjoy the classic sound of the State Theatre’s restored Wurlitzer played by one of theworld’s foremost theatre organists, Neil Jensen.
Book early as tickets are limited.
CLOSING NIGHT $35

CLOSING NIGHT CONCESSION $30

FESTIVAL AWARDSThe New Boy

OPENING
NIGHT

THE NEW BOY

The Sydney Film Festival Opening Night Gala is Australia’s moststylish celebration of cinema. Kick off your experience of the
momentous 70th Festival with all the glamour of a red-carpet
Australian Premiere of The New Boy, featuring international andAustralian film industry guests, followed by the exclusive Opening
Night afterparty at Sydney Town Hall. Feel that post-premiere buzzwith complimentary canapes, cocktails and curated DJ sets.
Prior to the film enjoy the classic sound of the State Theatre’s
restored Wurlitzer played by ‘Australia’s First Lady of the Theatre
Organ’, Margaret Hall.

WED 7 JUN 7:00 PM

A strictly limited number of tickets are available so grab yours
today! This event is strictly 18+
OPENING NIGHT (FILM + AFTERPARTY) 
OPENING NIGHT (FILM ONLY) $150$50/$42 CONCCTC 

Australia | 2023 | 110 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director Screenwriter: Warwick Thornton | Producers: Kath Shelper, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton,
Georgie Pym, Lorenzo De Maio, Coco Francini, Gretel Packer | Cast: Cate Blanchett, Aswan Reid,
Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair | Australia Distributor: Roadshow Entertainment

Warwick Thornton was born andraised in Alice Springs. His shortfilms Green Bush (SFF 2005) andNana (SFF 2007) premiered at
Berlinale. His debut Samson and
Delilah won the 2009 Cannes
Caméra d’Or. Other films as
director: The Darkside (2013), We
Don’t Need a Map (SFF 2017) and
Sweet Country (2017).
OTHER SCREENINGS:
SAT 10 JUN 6:40PM STATESUN 11 JUN 11:45AM STATE

Warwick Thornton’s Cannes-selected new film stars Cate Blanchett, Deborah
Mailman, Wayne Blair and newcomer Aswan Reid in a beguiling story of spirituality
and survival set in 1940s Australia.
In an exhilarating start to the film, a brave Aboriginal boy (Reid) is engaged in a battlewith police, fighting with all his might. Eventually subdued, he is sent off to a remotemonastery – and home to orphaned boys – run by Sister Eileen (Blanchett). The kindly
nun has a calming effect on the new boy, and he also forms connections with Sister Mum(Mailman) and George (Blair) who manages the farmlands. An attempt at bullying the newboy falls flat, and he soon becomes an established, unique presence at the monastery.
But he possesses unusual powers, and as Sister Eileen’s religious zeal intensifies,
things begin to unravel. Thornton’s elegant and concise storytelling is augmented with
spectacular images and a uniformly superb cast – including a group of very promising
actors playing the boys at the monastery. But it is the magnetic on-screen presence ofyoung Aswan Reid that astonishes. A film of great symbolism and impact, The New Boy
finds Thornton at the height of his cinematic powers: it is intoxicating and magical.

As well as presenting the best filmmaking from around the world, Sydney Film Festival celebrates theremarkable talents of emerging and esteemed filmmakers with the presentation of nine illustrious awards– and a record-breaking prize pool of more than $160,000.

THE OFFICIAL COMPETITION
AND SYDNEY FILM PRIZE

DENDY AWARDS FOR
AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS

THE SYDNEY UNESCO
CITY OF FILM AWARD

A prize awarded to the most “audacious,
cutting-edge and courageous” film in the Official
Competition. Endorsed by FIAPF, the regulating
body for international film festivals, this prize isjudged by a jury of international and Australian
filmmakers and industry professionals, who award
a $60,000 prize to the winning filmmaker.

SFF’s prestigious Australian Short Film Awards
were established in 1970 and have beensponsored by Dendy Cinemas since 1989.

Chris Godfrey is this year’s recipient of the Sydney
UNESCO City of Film Award, which recognises a
trailblazing NSW-based screen practitioner whose
work stands for innovation, imagination and highimpact, with a $10,000 cash prize awarded by
Screen NSW. See Godfrey in conversation on Mon
12 Jun, 1:00pm, at The Hub. (more info page 46).

DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIAAWARD FOR AUSTRALIAN
DOCUMENTARYOPENING GALA

Tjanpi Desert Weavers artists Imuna Kenta andElizabeth Dunn, winners of the 2022 Yoram Gross
Animation Award and AFTRS Craft Award for Tangki(Donkey), with Creative Emma Franklin

Supported by Documentary Australia, thisprize acknowledges excellence in Australian
documentary production. As well as receiving a$20,000 cash prize, the winning film becomesAcademy Award eligible.

• The Dendy Live Action Short Award, sponsoredby Dendy Cinemas, provides a $7,000 cash prize
to the best Australian short film. Winners are
Academy Award eligible.
• The Rouben Mamoulian Award, sponsored by Dendy
Cinemas and named after the director who firstpresented the award in 1974, provides a $7,000 cash
prize to the best direction of an Australian short film.

• The Yoram Gross Animation Award, sponsoredby Sandra and Guy Gross in memory of the late
Yoram Gross, provides a $5,000 cash prize to thebest Australian animated short film. Winners are
Academy Award eligible.

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AWARD
The Sustainable Future Award, with a cash prizeof $40,000, is now the largest environmental
film prize in the world. It is made possible
through philanthropic support from a syndicate ofpassionate climate activists. The award recognises
a narrative or documentary film of any length thatdeepens our knowledge and awareness of the
impact of the global climate emergency.
KEY:
Films shortlisted for the
Sustainable Future Award.

• The AFTRS Craft Award, sponsored by the AustralianFilm Television and Radio School, provides a $7,000
cash prize for demonstrated excellence by a craftpractitioner in an Australian short film.

50• The Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award recognises an
emerging short filmmaker with a cash prize of $7,000.
Open to film creatives, directors and screenwriters
who have had no more than five short film credits.

DINOSAUR DESIGNSAll Sydney Film Festival Award winners arepresented with the Festival’s signature mesmeric
swirl award, designed and handmade in Sydney by
SFF’s partners Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandyof Dinosaur Designs.

VOTE + WIN!
GIO AUDIENCE AWARDS
Have your say! Rate the feature-lengthfilms you see at the Festival and you could
win the chance to host your own private
screening for 50 friends of an audienceaward winning film, courtesy of GIO, or otherfantastic prizes from Crumpler, SFF cinema
venues and restaurant partners.
The GIO Audience Awards for Best International
Narrative Feature, Best International
Documentary, Best Australian Narrative
Feature and Best Australian Documentary areannounced after the Festival.

HOW TO VOTE
Visit sff.org.au/vote and use the code at thebottom of your ticket to rate each film out of a
possible 10 stars.

OFFICIAL JURY PARTNER

Or log in to the official SFF 2023 App, go to ‘My
Tickets’, select a title and rate it out of 10 stars.

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney is proud tobe the official home away from home for SFF’s
Awards Juries.

You can only vote once per ticket.
Voting closes midnight 18 June 2023.

GET THE SFF 2023 APP

5

6OFFICIAL COMPETITION

OFFICIAL
COMPETITION

OFFICIAL COMPETITIONBAD BEHAVIOUR
In 2023, the Official Competition
celebrates 15 years of awarding
the prestigious Sydney Film
Prize to each year’s most“audacious, cutting-edge andcourageous” film.

7

COBWEB

GEO-MI-ZIP

Sydney Film Prize winners to date: Close (2022),
There Is No Evil (2021), Parasite (2019), The
Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017),
Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days,
One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps
(2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010),
Bronson (2009), and Hunger (2008).

<F>SUN 11 JUN 6:15 PM STATE</F>< | MON 12 JUN 11:20 AM STATE</F> | THU 15 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5</F> | 15+</F><F>SAT 17 JUN 8:50 PM STATE</F> | SUN 18 JUN 9:30 AM STATE</F> | 15+

New Zealand | 2023 | 108 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Alice Englert | Producers: Molly Hallam, Desray Armstrong | Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Alice Englert,
Ben Whishaw | Australian Distributor: Ahi Films

South Korea | 2023 | 134 mins | In Korean with English subtitles | Australian Premiere<o>Director: Kim Jee-Woon | Screenwriter: Yeon-shick Shin | Producers: Jae-won Choi, Eun-mi An, Yeon-shick Shin
Cast: Kang-ho Song, Soo-jung Lim, Jung-se Oh | Sales Agent: Barunson E&A

Alice Englert’s Sundance-selected debut stars Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Dasha Nekrasova andEnglert herself, in a dark New Zealand-produced comedy about spiritual retreats and a turbulent motherdaughter relationship. Lucy (Connelly) is a former child actor trying to resolve some of her traumas byattending a therapeutic sanctuary run by new-age guru Elon (Whishaw). Before going off the grid, Lucyreaches out to her stunt-performer daughter Dylan (Englert), who’s shooting a film in New Zealand andexperiencing her own set of challenges. From the outset, Lucy struggles to find tranquillity – she’s irritatedby the other attendees and is particularly rankled by the celebrity model Beverly (Nekrasova), and is poised
to explode. Meanwhile, Dylan has her own difficulties on set, particularly with the leading actor. Motherand daughter must find each other for mutual support, and confront the realities of their own relationship.
Established actor Englert draws engaging, committed performances from this impressive cast in what is anintelligent, incisive and very funny first feature film.

It’s the 1970s, Director Kim Ki-yeol (Song) has just completed the shooting of his latest film and each nighthas dreams about scenes he didn’t shoot that would make his film perfect. In a restaurant he is taunted
by film critics for always making “trashy, racy dramas”. There is only one solution for Director Kim – heneeds just two more days for re-shoots and his film will be a masterpiece. But over at the Shinseong Film
Studio there is no appetite whatsoever to allow him to do so. And there’s also a problem with the censors
who would not look kindly upon re-shoots with an unauthorised script, especially one deemed by the studiohead to be “anti-establishment, insulting to common decency, and decadent too!”. Using all his powers of
persuasion, Kim gathers the reluctant cast and crew and begins his reshoot which quickly descends intochaos. Kim – plagued by self-doubt – will have to muster all his will to complete his masterpiece. Reveredfor his brilliant action films, director Kim Jee-woon here takes a deeply satisfying swerve into comedy. The
result is not only extremely funny, but also a virtuoso portrayal of the torment involved in creating art.

Festival guest: Alice Englert<strong>Alice Englert</strong> is an Australian-New Zealand actor and filmmaker who starred in
Ginger & Rosa (SFF 2013) and <bi>Beautiful Creatures (2013). Her films as director
include The Boyfriend Game and Family Happiness (SFF 2017). Englert’s debut
feature <bi>Bad Behaviour premiered at Sundance earlier this year.

Kim Jee-Woon was a theatre actor and director before debuting withThe Quiet Family (1988). Other films include: A Tale of Two Sisters (2003);
A Bittersweet Life (2005); The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) and
The Age of Shadows (2016).

AFIRE

ART COLLEGE 1994

THE DARK EMU STORYFALLEN LEAVES<F>WED 14 JUN 6:00 PM STATE</F> | <F>THU 15 JUN 12:30 PM STATE</F> | <F>FRI 16 JUN 8:30 PM PNORT3</F> | 15+<F>MON 12 JUN 6:45 PM STATE | TUE 13 JUN 3:45 PM STATE | THU 15 JUN 6:00 PM DNT1 | <F>15+</F><F>SAT 17 JUN 4:40 PM STATE</F> | SUN 18 JUN 12:15 PM STATE</F> | ALL AGES

<F>SUN 11 JUN 4:20 PM STATE</F> | <F>MON 12 JUN 9:30 AM STATE</F> | 15+

Germany | 2023 | 103 mins | In German with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Christian Petzold | Producers: Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber, Anton Kaiser | Cast:
Thomas Schubert, Paula Beer, Langston Uibel | Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

China | 2023 | 118 mins | In Mandarin with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Liu Jian | Screenwriters Lin Shan, Liu Jian | Producer: Yang Cheng | Cast: Dong Zijian, Zhou Dongyu, Jia Zhangke
Sales Agent: Memento International

Finland, Sweden | 2023 | 81 mins | In Finnish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director. Screenwriter: Aki Kaurismäki | Producer: Misha Jaari, Aki Kaurismäki, Mark Lwoff | Cast: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen
Sales Agent: The Match Factory

Silver Bear winner at the Berlinale, Christian Petzold (Undine, SFF 2021; Barbara, SFF 2012) returns witha tragicomic romp about four young people trapped at a holiday house as a fire draws near. Friends Leon
(Thomas Schubert) and Felix (Langston Uibel) head to an idyllic seaside home for the summer. They lookforward to relaxation, but also must work on their creative projects. Leon to finish the manuscript of his
anticipated second novel, Felix to complete a photography portfolio. On arrival they find an unexpected
guest Nadja (Paula Beer, Undine), whose loud sex with local lifesaver Devid (Enno Trebs) elicits irritation...
among other feelings. Soon Leon is smitten with Nadja, and Felix taken with Devid – and the summer
holiday is filled with lust, jealousy, competition and creativity. All the while the forest fires, once distant,encroach and grow, leading to a shocking climax. Following Undine, in which water and architecture were
pivotal, Petzold now grapples with fire, literature and photography. Filled with mischievous humour, and theheady matters of artistic value and creation, ultimately Afire is preoccupied with love.

Liu Jian’s gorgeous animation is a slacker comedy-drama about a group of art students in China in the’90s – a time of great change for the nation that is instrumental to their futures. On the campus of theChinese Southern Academy of Arts, the students – Xiaojun, Rabbit, Lili, Hong and others – learn, create,argue, fall in love, smoke too many cigarettes and contemplate what will come. As China undergoes anextreme change – moving to a market-driven economy and greater engagement with the outside world –the art world too grapples with whether to maintain traditional methods or further pursue a modern modeof artistic creation. This seismic societal shift is a matter of preoccupation for the students and has a great
influence on not only their artistic direction but their future lives. With his follow-up to Have a Nice Day,
featuring an incredible voice cast including the filmmakers Jia Zhangke and Bi Gan, along with Dong Zijian,Zhou Dongyu and Ren Ke, Liu has created an incredibly detailed and immensely rewarding snapshot of a
crucial juncture in recent Chinese history.

Australia | 2023 | 95 mins | In Gamilaraay, English, Wik-Mungkan and Wik-Ngathan with English subtitles
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Allan Clarke | Producers: Darren Dale, Jacob Hickey, Belinda Mravicic | Cast: Bruce Pascoe
Distributor: ABC Commercial

ROTER HIMMELA thought provoking, revelatory and inspiring documentary telling the story of Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu– the publishing phenomenon that challenged Australia to rethink its history and ignited a raging debate.
The 2014 best-selling book makes explosive claims that First Nations people were not only huntersand gatherers but also farmers, part of a complex economic system. Inspired by the journals of British
explorers, Pascoe prosecutes the contentious argument that First Nations people settled in villages anddevised extraordinary methods of aquaculture and astronomy. The author’s compelling narrative smashes
the orthodoxy and turns the view of ‘traditional’ Aboriginal life on its head. But Dark Emu ignited a fierce
debate, sparking searing criticism. Academics and conservative commentators lined up to scorn Pascoe’s
work and question the knowledge of the First Australians. A public war of words then swirled over the
Aboriginality and identity of Pascoe himself. Allan Clarke’s The Dark Emu Story, produced by Blackfella
Films (First Australians, Redfern Now), delves deep into the controversy, enlightens our understanding ofAustralian history and provides a platform for First Nations peoples to share their story.

Ansa (Alma Pöysti) works at an unpleasant supermarket where the job is so badly paid that she takes home
expired sandwiches to eat. Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) is a metalworker, labouring each day in a hazardous
job that he is sure will kill him. He drinks through the working day, and then drinks again at night.
Meanwhile, on the radio there are constant announcements about the Russian attacks on Ukraine, and on
the streets, there are posters about climate protests. Against his will, Holappa is dragged to a karaoke nightby a friend. “Tough guys don’t sing”, he says. But karaoke night is also a night for romance. There, Holappa
meets Ansa and there’s a spark. Lost phone numbers, Holappa’s alcoholism and a variety of obstacles getin their way but still these two remain hopeful. With beautiful performances by Pöysti and Vatanen, Fallen
Leaves is a vital and welcome addition to Kaurismäki's working-class trilogy (Shadows in Paradise, Ariel
and The Match Factory Girl ). Kaurismäki’s mastery at depicting down-on-their-luck characters in all theircomplexity, and in finding humour in the unlikeliest of situations, remains undiminished here. In this time ofwar, economic disparity and turmoil, his message is to still look for love.

Festival Guest: Members of the film team<strong>Christian Petzold is a German director who won the Silver Bear at the Berlinale
for Barbara (2012) and Afire (2023) and has had six films in Competition there.
He has won the German Film Critics Association Award for Best Film several
times, and his most celebrated films include Wolfsburg (2003), Ghosts (2005),
Yella (2007), Phoenix (SFF 2015) and Transit (SFF 2018).

<strong>Liu Jian graduated with a degree in Chinese painting in 1993 and has beenworking in animation since 1995. His feature debut, Piercing 1</bi>, won the 2010
Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Feature Film and Have a Nice Day</bi>(2017) premiered at the Berlinale.

Allan Clarke is a Muruwari and Gomeroi filmmaker, investigative journalist
and writer who has made significant contributions to the representation ofIndigenous issues in the media. Projects include: Blood on the Tracks; The
Bowraville Murders (SFF 2021).

Aki Kaurismäki started out writing screenplays and then moved into directing with
Crime and Punishment (1983). He was the subject of a SFF Retrospective in 2018.
His films include: Hamlet Goes Business (SFF 1990); The Match Factory Girl (SFF
1990); Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana (SFF 1995); Drifting <em>Clouds (SFF 1997); The
Man Without a Past (2002); Le Havre (2011) and The Other Side of Hope (SFF 2017).

8

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

PAST LIVES9SCRAPPERJORAMMONSTERTHU 15 JUN 8:00 PM STATE | FRI 16 JUN 12:30 PM STATE | SAT 17 JUN 7:30 PM HOC5 | 15+

FRI 16 JUN 6:00 PM STATE | SAT 17 JUN 11:45 AM STATE | SUN 18 JUN 3:15 PM HOC4 | 15+

FRI 9 JUN 8:15 PM STATE | SAT 10 JUN 11:45 AM STATE | FRI 16 JUN 6:30 PM RITZ1 | 15+

THU 8 JUN 6:00 PM STATE | FRI 9 JUN 10:00 AM STATE | SUN 18 JUN 5:45 PM HOC5 | ALL AGES

India | 2022 | 139 mins | In Hindi with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Devashish Makhija | Producer: Shariq Patel, Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, Anupama Bose,
Devashish Makhija | Cast: Megha Mathur, Manoj Bajpayee, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub | Sales Agent: Zee Studios

Japan | 2023 | 127 mins | In Japanese with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Screenwriter: Sakamoto Yûji | Producers: Kawamura Genki, Yamada Kenji, Banse Megumi,
Ito Taichi, Taguchi Hijiri | Cast: Ando Sakura, Nagayama Eita, Kurokawa Soya | Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

USA | 2022 | 106 mins | In English, Korean with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Celine Song | Producers: David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler | Cast: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo,John Magaro | Australian Distributor: StudioCanal

UK | 2022 | 84 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Charlotte Regan | Producer: Theo Barrowclough | Cast: Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

A labourer in Mumbai goes on the run in this edge-of-your-seat survival thriller that deftly weaves political
intrigue with a stylish and propulsive cinematic sensibility. Dasru (Manoj Bajpayee) and Vaano (Tannishtha
Chatterjee) are migrant labourers in the sprawling city, doing backbreaking work on a construction site,where they also live with their baby daughter, Joram. A flashback reveals their much happier life five years
earlier in the forests of Jhinpidi, Jharkhand. A sadness and a sense of loss permeates, interrupted only by
the folk songs they hum. The arrival of Phulo Karma (Smita Tambe), a politician from Jharkhand handingout gifts, seems innocent enough at first, but soon sets in motion a devastating series of events. Dasru,
with Joram in tow, flees. He is pursued by the jaded, downtrodden Mumbai cop Ratnakar who reluctantly
travels across the country in pursuit. Director Devashish Makhija skilfully creates great tension while
gradually revealing the political underpinnings of the thrilling action. Ultimately, Joram pointedly questions
the cost of development and progress for the powerless – people who have, as Dasru says, “lived here for2000 years” but can lose it all in a day.

Direct from the Cannes Competition, Monster is an intense, mysterious and morally complex dramafrom Kore-eda Hirokazu (Shoplifters, SFF 2018; Broker, SFF 2022), told through multiple perspectives.
Young Minato starts to behave very strangely. He insists that he is a monster; that his brain was switchedwith a pig’s, and he also bears physical injuries. His concerned mother, Saori, discovers that a teacher,Hori, is responsible for her son’s distress and storms into the school demanding the truth and that theteacher be disciplined. All she gets in response are robotic apologies and the claim that it has all beena “misunderstanding”. As the battle between mother and school intensifies, Kore-eda deftly switches
perspectives, and everything Saori thinks she knows comes into question. Kore-eda, a brilliant director ofchildren as in Nobody Knows, draws nuanced performances from the child actors here, who are sometimes
vulnerable and sweet and at other times terrifying. As the intricate details are gradually revealed, andKore-eda X-rays these characters and community, Monster keeps you on the edge of your seat, weaving a
provocative and mesmerising contemporary tale.

In this delicate, spellbinding romance, selected for both Berlinale and Sundance 2023, two school friends
explore a lingering, deep connection that appears to transcend time and distance. Na Young and Hae Sung
are friends but also academic rivals in their Korean school. A budding childhood romance is prematurely
ended when Na Young emigrates with her family to Canada, adopting the name Nora for her new life.
Twelve years later, Nora (Greta Lee) is a student in New York working on becoming a writer, while Hae
Sung (Teo Yoo) is doing military service in Korea. An intriguing social media query leads to an online
reunion for the two. Catching up on a video call leads to further appointments, and love is once again on
the cards. Flashing forward a further 12 years sees Hae Sung and Nora finally reunited in New York, when
Hae Sung decides to visit the city for a week. By now Nora is happily married to Arthur (John Magaro), but
this decades-later reunion raises the inevitable question of destiny and what might have been. Past Lives
beautifully reflects on the Korean concept of In-Yun – the idea that interactions in past lives can lead tomeaningful or intended connections in the present. Past Lives is a film of great ambition, and deep emotion,and in its intimate tale of two people, it also captures something profound and universal in us all.

Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema Dramatic), Charlotte Regan’s joyous, inventive
debut follows Georgie (Lola Campbell), a 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in London until her
estranged father (Harris Dickinson, Triangle of Sadness, SFF 2022) turns up. When her mother dies,resourceful Georgie manages to convince social workers and the surrounding community alike that she isin the care of her uncle ‘Winston Churchill’. Within her home, Georgie has created a magical lair, and to getby she steals bicycles with her friend Ali (Alin Uzun). Her recent bereavement aside, all seems to be goingquite well for Georgie. But then her long absent father Jason (Dickinson) arrives, unannounced. Georgie
resists this unwanted, belated paternal attention, and Jason is more man-child than parent. Regan brings
a fresh and vibrant approach to this British working class story – her film is filled with vibrant colours, witty
dialogue and a propulsive energy. Says Regan: “I wanted it to be joyful and funny. I've seen films about
working class lives where the characters get one minute of happiness in the whole film, where no-one isfunny, everyone’s miserable. But that wasn’t my experience.”

Festival Guests: Devashish Makhija and Megha Mathur

Devashish Makhija is a filmmaker, screenwriter, writer and poet. He won the
Fresh Blood Film Award at the Beaune International Thriller Film Festival for his
feature, Ajji (2017) and Best Director and Best Screenplay at Asian Film Festival
Barcelona for Bhonsle (2018).

THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES

KADIB ABYAD

Kore-eda Hirokazu’s directorial debut, Maborosi (SFF 1996), won the Venice
Film Festival’s Golden Osella. Other films include: After Life (SFF 1999), Distance(2001); Nobody Knows (2004), Hana (SFF 2007); Still Walking (SFF 2009);
Air Doll (2009); I Wish (2011); Like Father Like Son (2013); Our Little Sister (SFF
2015); After the Storm (2016); Shoplifters (SFF 2018) and Broker (SFF 2022).

Celine Song’s play Endlings received its world premiere at the American
Repertory Theater (2019). She has been a finalist for the Susan Smith
Blackburn Prize, and also wrote the first season of Amazon’s Wheel of Time.
Past Lives is her feature film debut and appeared at both Sundance and the
Berlinale earlier this year.

Charlotte Regan is a filmmaker from London who grew up making low-budget
music promos for local rappers. Her first short film, Standby, was nominated fora BAFTA. Her second short, Fry-Up, screened at Sundance and Berlinale. She
was named as a 2020 Screen International Star of Tomorrow.

THE NEW BOY

NAME THIS FILM

TUE 13 JUN 6:15 PM STATE | WED 14 JUN 2:15 PM STATE | 15+

WED 7 JUN 7:30 PM STATE | SAT 10 JUN 6:40 PM STATE | SUN 11 JUN 11:45 AM STATE | CTC

Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar | 2023 | 96 mins | In Arabic with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Producer: Asmae El Moudir | Sales Agent: Autlook Film Sales

Australia | 2023 | 110 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Warwick Thornton | Producers: Kath Shelper, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Georgie Pym,
Lorenzo De Maio, Coco Francini, Gretel Packer | Cast: Cate Blanchett, Aswan Reid, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair
Australia Distributor: Roadshow Entertainment

Direct from its Cannes Un Certain Regard premiere, Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir’s audaciousfeature melds fact, fiction and captivating figurines to lay bare a hidden personal and national history.
Asmae recreates the events around a government atrocity using doll-like figures, akin to Cambodian
director Rithy Panh’s 2013 Cannes winner The Missing Picture. But in this instance the focus is Morocco’s
1981 Bread Riots. Asmae’s father helps construct the scene, from crafting a replica of the family’s former
home and environs, to creating models of family, friends and former neighbours. Asmae’s mother provides
support with needle, thread and fabric scraps. The finely detailed miniatures, and amusing juxtapositions ofscale, create a place where memories can roam and long-held secrets can be revealed. Asmae’s fearsome
grandmother is mightily dismissive of the process, raging equally against her tiny replica doll and her
granddaughter’s ever-present camera. As recollections surface and terrible truths are revealed, the oldwoman remains stubbornly determined to leave history undisturbed, as all those around her confront thetrauma of the past.
Festival Guest: Asmae El Moudir

Warwick Thornton’s (Samson and Delilah; We Don’t Need a Map, SFF 2017; Sweet Country ) Cannesselected new film stars Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and newcomer Aswan Reid in a
beguiling story of spirituality and survival set in 1940s Australia. In an exhilarating start to the film, a brave
Aboriginal boy (Reid) is engaged in a battle with police, fighting with all his might. Eventually subdued, heis sent off to a remote monastery – and home to orphaned boys – run by Sister Eileen (Blanchett). The
kindly nun has a calming effect on the new boy, and he also forms connections with Sister Mum (Mailman)
and George (Blair) who manages the farmlands. An attempt at bullying the new boy falls flat, and he soon
becomes an established, unique presence at the monastery. But he possesses unusual powers, and as
Sister Eileen’s religious zeal intensifies, things begin to unravel. Thornton’s elegant and concise storytellingis augmented with spectacular images and a uniformly superb cast – including a group of very promising
actors playing the boys at the monastery. But it is the magnetic on-screen presence of young Aswan Reid
that astonishes. A film of great symbolism and impact, The New Boy finds Thornton at the height of his
cinematic powers: it is intoxicating and magical.

We know insurance. Do you know movies?
Have a go at solving our movie puzzle in the picture above. The clues will help you guess the name of a much-loved film. To solve morepuzzles just like this, visit the Sydney Film Festival Facebook page. You can go in the running to win tickets to a film at the festival, too!

Festival guests: Members of the film team
Warwick Thornton was born and raised in Alice Springs. His short films
Green Bush (SFF 2005) and Nana (SFF 2007) premiered at Berlinale. His
debut Samson and Delilah won the 2009 Cannes Caméra d’Or. Other films
as director: The Darkside (2013), We Don’t Need a Map (SFF 2017) and
Sweet Country (2017).

Insurance issued by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807 trading as GIO.
Registered Office, Level 23, 80 Ann Street Brisbane QLD 4000.

ANSWER: Don’t Look Up

Asmae El Moudir has been working in the cinema and audio-visual industries
since 2010. She has directed three short fiction films, and studied at La Fémis,where she produced the award-winning Thank God It’s Friday. In 2020, she
directed and produced The Postcard, her first feature-length documentary.

10

DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA AWARD

DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA AWARDKEEPING HOPE

DOCUMENTARY
AUSTRALIAAWARD

KINDREDMON 12 JUN 4:15 PM EV5
TUE 13 JUN 6:00 PM DNT3

15+

Australia | 2022 | 52 mins | In English
Director: Tyson Mowarin | Producer: Darren Hutchinson
Australian Distributor: SBS/NITV

If the Kimberley was a country, at times it would
have the highest suicide rates in the world. The
vast majority are young Indigenous men. MarkColes Smith, an Indigenous actor who grew up in
the Kimberley, returns to try to discover why this is
the case. It's a subject that’s close to Mark’s heart– his best friend committed suicide at just 23. On
his journey, Mark meets some remarkable people
directly affected by suicide who are now making areal and hopeful difference in its prevention.
Screens with Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped In Black)

Sydney Film Festival is honoured topresent the annual Documentary
Australia Award, supported byDocumentary Australia.

THE CAPE

Festival Guests: Tyson Mowarin andMark Coles Smith
Previous winners include: Keep Stepping (2022),
I'm Wanita (2021), Descent (2020), She Who
Must Be Loved (2019), Ghosthunter (2018),
The Pink House (2017), In the Shadow of the Hill
(2016), Only the Dead (2015), 35 Letters (2014).

THE CARNIVALFRI 9 JUN 6:15 PM EV915+

Australia | 2023 | 77 mins | In English
Directors: Michael Ware, Justine A. Rosenthal
Screenwriters: Michael Ware, Justine A. Rosenthal
Producers: Richard Finlayson, Jude Troy, Alexandra Cameron
Production Company: Wooden Horse for STAN

A chilling documentary about the mysterious
tragedies befalling an isolated fishing community
in Australia’s frontier-like Cape York Peninsula,
as revealed in interviews with family, locals andofficials. When a 10-year-old boy and his father
vanish while checking their shark nets, it unravels
a dynastic alliance between powerful fishing clans.
A mother and son are accused of murder, while alove triangle gone horribly wrong raises questionsof guilt and complicity that ripple out far beyond thealleged killers.
Festival guest: Members of the film team

SAT 10 JUN 6:00 PM EV5
SUN 11 JUN 9:30 AM STATEMON 12 JUN 3:45 PM HOC5

CLIMATE CHANGERS

ALL AGES

Australia | 2023 | 85 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director: Isabel Darling | Producers: Tom Zubrycki,
Isabel Darling | Production Company: Jotz Productions

The Carnival captures the intimate moments ofthe sixth-generation carnival family, the Bells, as
they haul their convoy of trucks, rides and workers
from Batemans Bay to Darwin and back. Filmedover seven years, their journey includes pandemic
shutdowns, bushfires, persistent rain and rising fuelcosts – with a dwindling economy thrown in. The
close-knit family battles not only to keep Australia’s
oldest show on the road, but ultimately to keep theircarnival legacy alive.
Festival guests: Isabel Darling and members of
the film team

SAT 17 JUN 3:30 PM EV5
SUN 18 JUN 4:00 PM RITZ5

THE DEFENDERSALL AGES

Australia | 2023 | 62 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director: Johan Gabrielsson | Screenwriter, Producer:
Mark Forstmann | Australian Distributor: Antidote Films

Australian scientist and conservationist Tim
Flannery is on a global search for genuine
leadership on climate change. Interviewing
everyone from CEOs to politicians and activists,
he poses the question: Do we have what it takes
to get out of this mess? This investigation traces
Tim’s journey back from his early days as apalaeontologist piquing his interest in climatechange, to his tireless – but fruitless – efforts
at the 2009 Copenhagen COP, before returning
to the 2021 Glasgow COP. His ongoing fight forchange brings with it geopolitical troubles, adversity
from a fossil fuel industry reluctant to change, as
well as personal attacks from deniers and rightwing media.

THU 15 JUN 6:15 PM EV5

MARUNGKA TJALATJUNU

Australia | 2023 | 81 mins | In English and Arabic withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Matthew Bate | Producer:
Gal Greenspan, Alice Burgin | Australian Distributor:
Amazon Studios

When talented Australian refugee footballer
Hakeem al-Araibi steps off the plane in Thailand
for his honeymoon, he finds himself facing an
Interpol arrest order for alleged terrorism offences.
What unfolds is the gripping true story of a heroic
whistle-blower who, on speaking out about his
own torture, sets off a revenge plot involving three
countries, two royal families and the world's mostpowerful sporting body, FIFA. As Hakeem awaits
extradition back to Bahrain, a group of campaigners
led by a retired Australian football captain Craig
Foster fight for his release.
Festival guests: Matthew Bate, Craig Foster and
Hakeem al-Araibi

MON 12 JUN 4:15 PM EV5
TUE 13 JUN 6:00 PM DNT3

15+

Australia | 2022 | 24 mins | In Yankunytjatjara withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Directors, Screenwriters: Derik Lynch, Matthew Thorne
Producers: Matthew Thorne, Patrick Graham
Festival Contact: Matthew Thorne

Yankunytjatjara artist Derik Lynch escapes the
oppressive white city life of Adelaide, taking a roadtrip back to Country (Aptula), his remote Anangucommunity. There, he seeks spiritual healing
and performs on sacred Inma ground. Inma is a
traditional form of storytelling using the visual,verbal and physical. It is how Anangu Tjukurpa(myths) have been passed down for more than
60,000 years. Marungka Tjalatjunu won the Silver
Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) and a Teddy Award forbest queer short film at the 2023 Berlinale.
Festival guests: Derik Lynch andMatthew Thorne

Festival Guests: Johan Gabrielsson and
Tim Flannery
Michael Ware and Justine Rosenthal
are the Emmy-nominated creators of
Only the Dead (SFF 2015). Michael
is a former CNN war correspondent
and Justine the executive editor ofNewsweek magazine.

Isabel Darling worked as an offline
editor before directing. Her films
include Being Frank (2015, selected forfestivals locally and overseas) and Corey
the Warrior (2017, selected for Cannes
Festival on International Disability).

Johan Gabrielsson has madeshort films, commercials anddocumentaries, many of whichhave been broadcast worldwide.
He’s worked mainly in Sweden
and Australia.

Matthew Bate’s debut feature film
Shut Up, Little Man! (SFF 2011)
premiered in competition at Sundance
2011. Other projects include 2014
Dendy Award winner, I Want to Dance
Better at Parties.

15+

THU 8 JUN 6:15 PM EV3
SAT 10 JUN 2:00 PM EV11

MAN ON EARTH

ALL AGES

WED 14 JUN 6:05 PM EV9
SUN 18 JUN 3:30 PM DNT3

18+

Australia | 2023 | 88 mins | In English | World Premiere
Directors: Adrian Russell Wills, Gillian Moody | Producers:
Tom Zubrycki, Gillian Moody | Production Company:
Jotz Productions

Australia | 2022 | 87 mins | In English
Directors: Brenda Matthews, Nathaniel Schmidt | Producers:
Simon Williams, Brendon Skinner | Australian Distributor:
Bonsai Films

Australia | 2022 | 97 mins | In English
Director: Amiel Courtin-Wilson | Producers:
Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Alice Jamieson-Dowd, John Baker
Production Company: Flood Projects

When Wodi Wodi woman Gillian Moody and
Wonnarua man Adrian Russell Wills met making
their first short film together, little did they knowthat 25 years later they would be best friends.
The pair turned to each other in navigating theemotional rollercoaster of being adopted into whitefamilies, and when connecting back with theirbloodlines. Kindred explores the importance of
discovering your place in the world, and realisingthat home and love truly can be found in the people
and places your heart connects to.

As a child, Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews was
handed over to a white family to be raised, before
eventually being returned to the Aboriginal family
she no longer knew. She remembers her whiteparents with fondness, especially their daughter
who was around her age. Now an adult, Brenda
searches for her foster family and the truth behind
her government-ordered abduction. In the process
she uncovers long-buried secrets, whilst reconcilingher past and the two sides of her family. Winner,
Audience Documentary Award, Adelaide Film
Festival 2022.

Australian filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson has
spent four years researching the current trends
in society’s approach to death and dying. He isthen approached by a man, Bob, who wants hislast week on earth documented. The result, Man
on Earth, combines highly intimate, direct-tocamera interviews, with a real-time observationof Bob’s last seven days as he makes peace withhis family, the love of his life and himself. As thedays go by, the dying man and the filmmaker
become dear friends. A moving portrait of a funny,
flawed man, reflecting on his life with profound,irreverent pathos.

Festival guests: Brenda Matthews and membersof the film team

Gillian Moody, a Wodi Wodi womanfrom NSW, has worked in management
and production in the Australian screen
industry. Adrian Russell Wills, writerand director, is a Wonnarua man
originally from Bourke NSW.

Festival guest: Amiel Courtin-Wilson

Brenda Matthews is a proud
Wiradjuri woman living in BundjalungCountry, Queensland. She co-directed
her debut feature film The Last
Daughter with Australian/American
filmmaker Nathaniel Schmidt.

Amiel Courtin-Wilson has directed
over 20 short films and seven featurefilms, including Chasing Buddha (SFF
2000, Dendy Award winner), Bastardy(SFF 2009), Cicada (SFF 2009), Hail
(SFF 2011) and Ruin (SFF 2014).

RACHEL'S FARM

(DIPPED IN BLACK)M

FRI 16 JUN 6:00 PM EV5
SAT 17 JUN 9:30 AM STATE

Festival guests: Gillian Moody and
Adrian Russell Wills

Tyson Mowarin’s award-winning films
include Undiscovered Country (SFF
2019) and Connection to Country (SFF
2017). For over 10 years, he’s produced
innovative digital projects plus factualand drama content in WA’s Pilbara.

Luke Cornish, winner of the 2022 Documentary
Australia Award for Keep Stepping

THE LAST DAUGHTER

Matthew Thorne is an
Australian artist andfilmmaker. Derik Lynch isan initiated Yankunytjatjara
man born in Alice Springs.

11

SUN 11 JUN 2:15 PM STATEMON 12 JUN 6:00 PM HOC5
SAT 17 JUN 5:30 PM PNORT3

ALL AGES

Australia | 2022 | 91 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Rachel Ward | Producer: Bettina Dalton
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

In this uplifting documentary, actor-director Rachel
Ward sets out to regenerate her northern NSW beef
farm. For years, the property was a family retreat,
conventionally farmed by her neighbour Mick, but
the 2019 Black Summer fires and a first grandchildsets her thinking about the future. Mick encourages
Rachel to take a new approach, starting from thesoil up. It’s hard yakka, but she’s determined,
and her joy at finding solutions – not to mention
dung beetles – is palpable. Rachel’s Farm is about
environmental threats, but it’s also the story of how
one person can tackle them head on.
Festival guests: Rachel Ward and members of
the film team

Rachel Ward’s directing work
includes the features Beautiful
Kate (SFF 2009) and Palm Beach(SFF 2019) and episodes of the
AACTA award-winning series
The Devil’s Playground.

Congratulations

to all the Australian titles screening at this year’s festival.

Run Rabbit Run

12

DENDY AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS

DENDY AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS

DENDY
AWARDS FOR
AUSTRALIANSHORT FILMS

Sydney Film Festival’s
short film competition has
launched the careers ofcountless directors,
writers, producers,
cinematographers andother film creatives in its
54-year history.

Australia | 2023 | 9 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director: Henry Stone | Screenwriters:
Henry Stone, Greg Larsen | Producer:
Haley Dinnison | Cast: Sam Campbell,
Greg Larsen, Henry Stone | Festival Contact:
Henry Stone

A hopeful candidate goes through an
excruciatingly absurd job interview led
by a rogue businessman.

MARIONETTES (AND THE
VIRTUE OF A LOTUS FLOWER)

Free
Book now

The 10 finalists compete for fiveillustrious prizes: the Dendy Live
Action Short Award; Yoram Gross
Animation Award; the Rouben
Mamoulian Award for Best Director;
the AFTRS Craft Award; and theinaugural Event Cinemas Rising
Talent Award. All finalists screen
together in two sessions with thefilmmakers in attendance.
SAT 17 JUN 2:45 PM EV4
SUN 18 JUN 3:30 PM EV5

THE 2IC

Sydney’shome ofcurated film

15+
15+

Tanya Modini and Luisa Martiri, winners of the 2022 Dendy Live Action Short Awardand the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director for The Moths Will Eat Them Up

THE DANCING GIRL AND
THE BALLOON MANKARIWA

Australia | 2023 | 21 mins | In English andMandarin with English subtitles
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: David Ma | Producer:
Georgia Noe | Cast: Jonathan Lo, Robyn Liu
Festival Contact: Georgia Noe

Australia | 2022 | 2 mins | In English andWanarruwa
Director, Screenwriter, Producer:
Kiara Rodriguez-Hextall
Cast: Kiara Rodriguez-Hextall,
Aunty Sharon Edgar-Jones, Zac Duczynski
Festival Contact: Kiara Rodriguez-Hextall

Australia | 2022 | 13 mins | In English andKala Kawa Ya with English subtitles
Director: John Harvey | Screenwriters:
Walter Waia, John Harvey | Producers:
Gillian Moody, John Harvey | Cast: Elma Kris,
Waangenga Blanco | Festival Contact:
John Harvey

With her pride always being challenged
by the views of others, a young
Indigenous woman must come to termswith her identity and relearn to be
proud of her culture.

Martha, an Indigenous woman, works
tirelessly in a laundromat, until her
monotonous routine is interrupted by amysterious visitor who reminds her ofthe life she left behind.

TO FLY A KITEWE CIRCLE SILENTLY

Romance blooms between a dim sum
shop assistant and a street performer
in Chinatown, who carries them in thesafety of his balloon on a rainy night.

TEACUPSKATELEMUDSKIPPER

LINDA 4 EVA

LOVE MOVIES?
JOIN

Australia | 2022 | 14 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Sophie Somerville
Producer: Courtney Bombell | Cast:
Shaelyn Connor, Charlotte Smith, Perry Moon
Festival Contact: Sophie Somerville

An angst-riddled teenager tries
to survive a day at the beach withher friends.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

DISCOUNTED MOVIETICKETS FOR YOU
AND A GUEST

Australia | 2022 | 10 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter, Producer:
Prajdnik Awasthi | Cast: Namrata Shrestha,
Anoushka Pandey | Festival Contact:
Prajdnik Awasthi

Australia | 2023 | 8 mins | In English
Directors, Screenwriters: Alec Green,
Finbar Watson | Producers: Alan Holly,
Alec Green, Finbar Watson, Carla Vulpiani
Cast: Hugo Weaving | Sales Agent: Varicoloured

Australia | 2023 | 15 mins | No Dialogue
Director, Screenwriter: Bernice Jiang
Producers: Bernice Jiang, Ricky Perdec | Cast:
May Li, Wei Jie Jiang, Chu Min Jiang
Festival Contact: Bernice Jiang

Unaware of the strings of sufferingthat manipulate her world, a young girlseeks to understand why her motheris the way she is.

Encapsulates the legacy of Don Ritchie,
who for almost half a century comforted
people contemplating suicide at theedge of a cliff near his home.

Lily, a second-generation Chinese
teenager, discovers a kite while helping
at her parents' restaurant, and in her
quest to fly it high she journeys throughAustralian suburbia and terrain.

Australia | 2022 | 8 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Kate Blackmore
Producer: Colm O'Callaghan | Cast:
Grace Truman, Amber McMahon,
Charlie Garber | Festival Contact:
Kate Blackmore

Judith and her mother share a bondforged through their experience with
an abusive man; is it strong enoughto set them free?

Australia | 2022 | 10 mins | In English
Director: Kalu Oji | Screenwriters: Kalu Oji,
Faro Musodza, Makwaya Masudi | Producers:
Mimo Mukii, Ivy Mutuku | Cast: Faro Musodza,
Makwaya Masudi | Festival Contact: Kalu Oji

Meet Igor and Jamila, a young couple
rediscovering fractures from their past
while the camera is rolling.

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13

14

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONSSPECIAL PRESENTATIONSL’IMMENSITÀ

WED 7 JUN 6:30 PM PNORT3
FRI 16 JUN 6:00 PM HOC4
SAT 17 JUN 2:30 PM STATELOST IN THE NIGHT

15+

Italy, France | 2022 | 98 mins | In Italian withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Emanuele Crialese | Screenwriters:
Emanuele Crialese, Francesca Manieri, Vittorio Moroni
Producers: Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Gangarossa
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Luana Giuliani, Vincenzo Amato
Sales Agent: The Festival Agency

Penélope Cruz is dazzling in this family drama –with exquisite song and dance sequences – asa mother facing marital troubles and her childembracing his gender identity in 1970s Rome.
The incomparable Cruz (Parallel Mothers, SFF2021) plays Spanish expat Clara, who has married
into a sprawling, affluent Italian family. Her
husband, Felice, is unaffectionate and unfaithful
but won’t consider divorce. When their 12-year-old(incredible newcomer Luana Giuliani) begins to
identify as a boy and takes on the name Andrea,
the parents react in very different ways. As Andrea
develops his first crush, and Clara struggles
under the strain of her relationship turmoil, thetwo form an increasingly strong bond. A deeply
autobiographical work for director Emanuele
Crialese, inspired by his own childhood journey,
L’Immensità embraces the musical and thefantastical in its tender tale of maternal love.

Asteroid City

SPECIALPRESENTATIONSAJOOMMA

ASTEROID CITY

BIOSPHEREKENNEDYPICTURES OF GHOSTS

ALL AGES

Singapore, South Korea | 2022 | 90 mins | In Mandarin
and Korean with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: He Shuming | Screenwriters: He Shuming,
Kris Ong | Producers: Anthony Chen | Cast: Hong Huifang,
Jung Dong-Hwan, Kang Hyung Suk | Sales Agent:
Rediance Films

THU 8 JUN 8:00 PM STATEFRI 9 JUN 6:00 PM HOC4
SAT 10 JUN 8:15 PM RITZ1

15+

WED 7 JUN 6:30 PM DNT1
FRI 9 JUN 8:30 PM RITZ5
SUN 11 JUN 8:45 PM STATE

15+

USA | 2023 | 139 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Wes Anderson | Producers:
Wes Anderson, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson | Cast:
Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks,
Australian Distributor: Universal Pictures International

USA | 2022 | 106 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Mel Eslyn | Screenwriters: Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn
Producers: Zackary Drucker, Mel Eslyn, Maddie Buis,
Shuli Harel | Cast: Mark Duplass, Sterling K. Brown
Australian Distributor: The Reset Collective

A Singaporean widow obsessed with Koreansoap operas embarks on a crazy adventure inthis feelgood winner starring national treasure
Hong Huifang.

Wes Anderson’s stylish, delightful andmeticulously designed Cannes Competition
contender features wit, romance andtribulations at a stargazing convention.

Mark Duplass (The Morning Show) and Sterling
K. Brown (This is Us) play the last men on Earthin this unconventional twist-filled comedy.
TIFF 2022.

Writer-director He Shuming’s first feature has
charmed its way around the world since it debuted
at Busan and earned four nominations including
Best New Director and Best Actress in theprestigious Golden Horse Awards. Leading lady
Hong Huifang shines as Mrs Lim, whose closeted
son suddenly drops out of their package holiday
visiting locations of Korean TV dramas. Plucking
up the courage to bust out of her cautious comfort
zone for the first time, Mrs Lim decides to go
anyway and promptly becomes stranded in Seoul.
There’s a beautifully warm heart beating beneath
this breezy comedy of mishaps and misadventure.
A journey that proves that life and love can bewonderfully strange at any age.

The tiny desert town of Asteroid City (population87) plays host to brilliant students and theirparents as they gather for the 1955 JuniorStargazer/Space Cadet convention encouraging
fellowship and scholarly competition. Amongst
the parents are photographer Augustine (Jason
Schwartzman), who’s avoiding dealing with afamily crisis, and the glamorous film star Midge(Scarlett Johansson). The students, while
geniuses, have to overcome social awkwardness
as they show off their incredible inventions. The
inevitable flirtations and fledgling romances arerudely disrupted by a shocking world-changing
event. Featuring a stacked cast including Steve
Carrell, Maya Hawke, Tilda Swinton, Bryan
Cranston, Margot Robbie, and many more!

Welcome to the end of the world. In the first feature
directed by producer Mel Eslyn (The One I Love,
Room 104), life on Earth appears to have been
obliterated by an unexplained catastrophe. All that’s
left is a bio-dome where Billy (Duplass) and Ray(Brown) are left to ponder things, with just a few
fish and their memories for company. This funny,smart and imaginative comedy is best enteredknowing as little as possible. The perfectly paired
actors sparkle through every moment, including a
jaw dropping twist.

Festival guest: He Shuming

WED 14 JUN 8:15 PM STATESAT 17 JUN 3:25 PM EV3

18+

India | 2022 | 143 mins | In Hindi, English, Marathi withEnglish Subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Producers: Shariq Patel,
Ranjan Singh, Kabir Ahuja | Cast: Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone
Production Company: Good Bad Films

Direct from Cannes, Anurag Kashyap’s (Gangs
of Wasseypur, SFF 2012) incendiary, noirish
thriller follows Kennedy, an assassin working
for a corrupt police force with scores to settle.
Kennedy (Rahul Bhat) poses as a driver but isactually an expert assassin, extortionist andblackmailer. Beset by insomnia, he does job aftergrisly job on the instructions of corrupt Police
Commissioner Rasheed Khan. For the cops, theirposition is a means to make money –­ the higher
the rank, the great the expectation of income.
During one of his jobs, Kennedy meets themysterious Charlie (Sunny Leone) and together
they become embroiled in a drama that reaches
the upper echelons of society. In his 27th film,award winning director Kashyap fashions agripping, visually arresting thriller set in Mumbai’s
underworld: where the cops, businessmen,
gangsters, film stars and politicians collude, backstab and try to advance at any cost.
Festival guest: Anurag Kashyap

THU 15 JUN 6:00 PM STATE
FRI 16 JUN 8:45 PM PALC1

18+

SAT 10 JUN 9:15 PM STATE
FRI 16 JUN 8:30 PM RITZ3

18+

Brazil | 2023 | 100 mins | In Portuguese with English
subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho | Producer: Emilie Lesclaux
Production Company: CinemaScópio

SFF favourite Kleber Mendonça Filho’s(Aquarius, Sydney Film Prize, 2016) Cannesselected cinematic essay explores the once
hallowed cinemas in his hometown in Brazil, hisfamily, filmmaking... and ghosts.
The Brazilian city of Recife has been home to
Mendonça Filho’s family since the 1970s. The
family’s coastal apartment is where the director
grew up, made his earliest films and even shot
portions of his first feature Neighbouring Sounds(SFF 2012). And Recife is where he discovered
cinema in the grand picture palaces of the time,
now mostly shuttered, or converted into tacky
shopping centres. Shot over decades, the film
cleverly intercuts archival and contemporary
footage with scenes from Neighbouring Sounds andAquarius. And then there’s the ghost of course, anda curious cab driver with an unusual power. With adelightful, humorous narration by Mendonça Filho
himself, Pictures of Ghosts is a glorious love letterto his historian mother Joselice, his neighbourhoodand the films and cinemas that made him.

PERFECT DAYS18+

MON 12 JUN 4:15 PM STATETUE 13 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5

15+

Mexico, Germany, Netherlands | 2023 | 140 mins
In Spanish with English Subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Amat Escalante | Producers:
Nicolás Celis, Fernanda de la Peza | Cast:
Juan Daniel Garcia, Ester Exposito, Barbara Mori
Sales Agent: The Match FactoryFrance | 2023 | 91 mins | In English and French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Ira Sachs | Screenwriters: Ira Sachs,
Mauricio Zacharias | Producers: Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt
Cast: Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos
Sales Agent: SBS Productions

Japan, Germany | 2023 | 123 mins | In Japanese withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Wim Wenders | Screenwriters: Wim Wenders,
Takuma Takasaki | Producers: Takuma Takasaki,
Wim Wenders, Koji Yanai | Cast: Koji Yakusho, Arisa Nakano,
Tokio Emoto | Sales Agent: The Match Factory

Straight from Cannes, Amat Escalante’s (The
Untamed, SFF 2017) tense Mexican thriller follows
a young man taking justice into his own hands inthe search for his missing activist mother.

Ira Sachs (Love is Strange, SFF 2014) returns
with this sexy Sundance/Berlinale highlightabout a thorny ménage à trois. Featuringknockout performances from Franz Rogowski,
Ben Whishaw and Adèle Exarchopoulos.

Straight from the Cannes Competition, Wim
Wenders’ Japan-set charmer is a deeply
moving and poetic reflection on the beauty to
be found in the everyday.

Emiliano lives in a small Mexican town where thelocal mine has a dominant effect on the entire
community. Years before, his mother, Professor
Paloma disappeared after leading a protest against
the exploitative mining company. With the casebeing ignored by the police, Emiliano determinedly
seeks justice. A clue leads him to the wealthy
Aldama family where he meets and begins to work
for a famous artist, his celebrity actor/singer wife,and their social media-obsessed teenage daughter.
As he conducts his secretive investigation, Emiliano
gets embroiled in a wild conspiracy involving
a vengeful religious cult, the contemporary art
world, corrupt cops, violent narcos and a highly
dysfunctional family. With his trademark panache,Escalante weaves a compelling and potent tale.

Rogowski plays a charismatic, self-involved
film director, Tomas, who leaps back and forth
between the Parisian apartments of artist husband
Martin (Whishaw) and school teacher Agathe(Exarchopoulos). It all unravels when a disinterested
Martin leaves Tomas’s movie wrap party early,
and Tomas hits it off with the younger Agathe on
the dancefloor – which continues to the bedroom.
Prideful and oblivious, Tomas immediately
confesses his affair, triggering an ever-teetering
love triangle. Sachs’s and Mauricio Zacharias’s
bitterly funny script is a whirlwind of raunch,revelations and relapses, exploring the trappings ofindulging the impulsiveness of a narcissist.

RACHEL'S FARMRETRATOS FANTASMAS

SAT 10 JUN 4:20 PM STATESUN 11 JUN 5:45 PM EV5

MON 12 JUN 9:15 PM STATESAT 17 JUN 7:30 PM EV5

PASSAGES

15

SUN 11 JUN 2:15 PM STATEMON 12 JUN 6:00 PM HOC5
SAT 17 JUN 5:30 PM PNORT3

ALL AGES

Australia | 2022 | 91 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Rachel Ward | Producer: Bettina Dalton
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

In this uplifting documentary, actor-director
Rachel Ward sets out to regenerate her northern
NSW beef farm, with the help of experts
and neighbours.
For many years, her Nambucca Valley property wasa family retreat, conventionally farmed by Rachel’sneighbour Mick. The 2019 Black Summer fires spared
the farm, but the near-miss – and a first grandchild– sets Rachel thinking hard about the future. Mick
encourages Rachel to challenge established farming
practices, and take on a new approach which starts
from the soil up. Its hands-on hard yakka, but she’s
determined, and her joy at finding solutions – not tomention dung beetles – is palpable. Rachel’s Farm isabout the environmental threats we face, but it’s also
the story of one woman’s resolve to tackle them headon, intent on making a difference.
Festival guests: Rachel Ward and members of
the film team

Passages

Hirayama (Koji Yakusho, Shall We Dance?, Babel ) isa meticulous man of routine. Each day he awakes,
grooms himself, waters his plants and looks up at
the sky with a smile as he leaves home. And thenhe sets to his work as a toilet cleaner in Shibuya,
Tokyo. In his car, he listens to classic rock tunes oncassettes – the music of The Velvet Underground,
The Kinks, Prince and Van Morrison serving as
the soundtrack to his day. Appearing to be utterly
content with his life, Hirayama also finds pleasure in
photographing trees and reading. The appearance ofa young woman at his doorstep leads to revelations
about Hirayama’s past. Filled with surprisingdelight, and with a soaring lead performance by Koji
Yakusho, Perfect Days is a gentle, inspirational ode
to simple but profound pleasures.

16

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONSRADICALTUE 13 JUN 8:35 PM STATESAT 17 JUN 5:00 PM HOC5FEATURESREALITY

15+

USA | 2022 | 126 mins | In Spanish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla | Producers:
Ben Odell, Eugenio Derbez, Joshua Davis | Cast:
Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo | Sales Agent:
Film Sales Corp

Based on true events. An inspirational teacher(Eugenio Derbez, CODA) takes a radical
approach when he arrives at a poor-performing
school in Mexico, in this 2023 Sundance
Audience award winner.
It’s no wonder that the students of the school in
Matamoros are not thriving. In the northeastern
Mexican border town, the children are faced withrandom violence, poverty, and expectations that theytake on adult responsibilities. And the school itself
is terribly neglected; plundered by unscrupulous
officials. Enter Sergio Juarez (Derbez), the newteacher who uses innovative methods to engage
the troubled children, and finds clever methods tonavigate a malevolent bureaucracy. Along the way, hediscovers that some of the children have extraordinary
talents, particularly Paloma (Jennifer Trejo) who
dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer.
Finely balancing the tragedies inevitable in thesecircumstances with an infectious sense of optimism,
Radical is an incredible tale of possibility and hope.

SUN 11 JUN 8:00 PM RITZ5
MON 12 JUN 8:00 PM DNT1
SAT 17 JUN 7:00 PM STATE

RED, WHITE & BRASS

15+

USA | 2023 | 83 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Tina Satter | Screenwriters: Tina Satter,
James Paul Dallas | Producers: Noah Stahl,
Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile | Cast:
Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis
Australian Distributor: Kismet Movies

Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, The White
Lotus) plays an American veteran turned
yoga teacher who would become the first
whistleblower of the Trump era, in this tense
Berlinale-premiering docudrama.
When a 25-year-old named Reality Winner(Sweeney) pulls into the driveway of her Augusta,
Georgia, rental on a Saturday afternoon in June
2017, she is met by two FBI agents in possession ofa search warrant. Seemingly unfazed, Winner hands
over her mobile phone, tends to her animals andpacks away her perishables before leading Agents
Garrick (Josh Hamilton) and Taylor (Marchánt Davis)
to a dingy backroom of her house where an hourlong interview unfolds. Using dialogue taken entirely
from the FBI’s actual transcript of the interrogation,
debut filmmaker Tina Satter creates a tense thrillerthat offers an unobstructed view of one of the mostpolarising political events in recent US history.

Brix Rum is the proud sponsor of the'Independent in Spirit' film selection
at the 2023 Sydney Film Festival

SHORTCOMINGSFRI 9 JUN 6:00 PM STATESAT 10 JUN 8:00 PM CASULA
SUN 11 JUN 6:00 PM RITZ5
FRI 16 JUN 6:30 PM HOC5PG

New Zealand | 2023 | 85 mins | In English and Tongan
with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Damon Fepulea’i | Screenwriters: Halaifonua Finau,
Damon Fepulea’i | Producers: Georgina Conder,
Morgan Waru, Halaifonua Finau | Cast: John-Paul Foliaki,
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Michael Falesiu
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

This hilarious true story sees Tongan rugby
superfans trick their way to the Rugby World
Cup by forming a marching band — despite
having never played.
After failing miserably in his efforts to securetickets to the much-anticipated Tonga-France
match, Maka (John-Paul Foliaki) rushes head-first
into his last resort. He offers to provide a Tongan
brass band for the pre-match entertainment. The
thing is, the band doesn’t exist and Maka and anassortment of friends and family, most with nomusical experience, have four weeks to build a
credible band and routine. This with no instruments
but plastic bottles and tin cans, and Tongan
community elders staunchly against this potentiallyembarrassing stunt. But Maka is nothing if not
persistent, and along this remarkable journey hegains a great deal more than tickets to a game.
Festival guest: Damon Fepulea'i

SAT 10 JUN 6:40 PM DNT1
WED 14 JUN 6:30 PM EV5
FRI 16 JUN 9:00 PM STATE17

FEATURES

15+

USA | 2022 | 92 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Randall Park | Screenwriter: Adrian Tomine
Producers: Randall Park, Hieu Ho, Michael Golamco,
Margot Hand, Jennifer Berman, Howard Cohen,
Eric d'Arbeloff | Cast: Justin H. Min, Ally Maki, Sherry Cola
Australian Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing

Actor Randall Park’s (Veep, WandaVision)
directorial debut is a hilarious, biting comedy
about race, identity and desire, bringing Adrian
Tomine’s graphic novel to the screen.
Ben (Justin H. Min, After Yang) is a filmmaker who
hasn’t made a film for some time. He lives with his
girlfriend Miko (Ally Maki), who works at an Asian
American film festival. Ben has unrestrained views
on identity and the depiction of Asian Americans onscreen – and is scathing about films that don’t meet
his ideals of representation. But, as both Miko andBen’s queer best friend Alice (Sherry Cola) point
out, Ben’s roving eye (and pornographic interests)
usually settle on white women. When Miko goes off
on a suspiciously spontaneous internship, Ben sees
the opportunity to pursue what he thinks he reallydesires. Park, the brilliant comedic actor, makes anauspicious debut with this sharp, wildly funny andirreverent film.

20,000 Species of Bees

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

SAT 10 JUN 2:15 PM HOC5
MON 12 JUN 6:20 PM PALC1
SUN 18 JUN 5:00 PM PNORT3

FRI 9 JUN 8:15 PM EV3
SUN 11 JUN 6:30 PM EV9

20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS

BEYOND THE WALL

THE BIG DOG

SHAB, DAKHELI, DIVARINDEPENDENTIN SPIRIT
Brix is proud to be championing independent films and bold new Australian voices, throughits presentation of the Independent In Spirit film selection. Featuring exciting new Australiantalent, these films celebrate our uniquely independent Australian spirit and exemplify Brix
Rum’s passion for discovery and adventure.
INDEPENDENT IN SPIRITSo sit back, relax, and enjoy the bestthat Australia has to offer.

ALL AGES

Spain | 2023 | 128 mins | In Spanish, Basque andFrench with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Producers: Lara Izagirre Garizurieta, Valérie Delpierre
Cast: Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain
Sales Agent: Luxbox Films

www.brixdistillers.com

A stirring coming-of-age story about a girlexploring her gender identity among a Basquebeekeeping matriarchy, featuring an astonishing
performance from the youngest Silver Bear
winner in history.

BIRDEATER

THE BIG DOG

LOVE ROAD

Session details on pg 18

Session details on pg 17

Session details on pg 20

SUNFLOWERTENNESSINE

Session details on pg 22

Session details on pg 22

Her birth name is Aitor, and she has the nickname
Coco, but neither represent who she really is.
Sofía Otero’s lead performance of a girl in searchof her own name is masterfully portrayed against
a backdrop of bickering mothers and aunties
reflecting on their own past and the mistakes they
have made. Beehives and gorgeous sun-soaked
landscapes add to the film’s gentle tapestry evoking
the importance of heritage, community, being
nurtured and finding peace in yourself. Estibaliz
Urresola Solaguren’s accomplished debut echoes
the current wave of exceptional Spanish dramas,
akin to last year’s Golden Bear winner Alcarràs(SFF 2022).

18+

Indonesia, France, Singapore, Poland, Philippines,
Germany, Qatar | 2022 | 115 mins | In Indonesian withEnglish subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Makbul Mubarak
Producer: Yulia Evina Bhara | Cast: Kevin Ardilova,
Arswendy Bening Swara, Yusuf Mahardika | Sales Agent:
Alpha Violet

A naive young housekeeper is tempted into
corruption and violence in this outstanding
first feature from Indonesian filmmaker Makbul
Mubarak. FIPRESCI prize, Venice 2022.
Mubarak has made an impressive transition fromfilm critic to filmmaker with this thriller about
the seductive and sinister faces of power. For
as long as anyone can remember, the familyof 18-year-old Rakib have served the wealthyfamily of Purna, a retired general now running forpolitical office on a pro-development platform. At
first Rakib feels honoured to be Purna’s servant,driver and standover man. That’s until an act ofviolence forces Rakib to question everything he
has accepted in his young life. Informed by his
memories of growing up during Indonesia’s
1967-98 military dictatorship, Muburak’s film is achilling drama and a haunting allegory for a nation’s
deep and enduring trauma.
Festival Guest: Makbul Mubarak

WED 7 JUN 8:30 PM EV9
MON 12 JUN 2:00 PM PALC1

15+

Iran | 2022 | 126 mins | In Farsi with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Vahid Jalilvand | Producer:
Ali Jalilvand | Cast: Navid Mohammadzadeh, Diana Habibi,
Amir Aghaee | Sales Agent: The Match Factory

In Iranian director Vahid Jalilvand’s gripping
psychological thriller, a near-blind man hides aterrified mother from the police after a protest
turns into a riot.
Ali (Navid Mohammadzadeh, No Date, No Signature,
SFF 2018) is a deeply depressed man confined to adank flat in a vast, forbidding apartment block. His
life is suddenly interrupted when he is questioned
by police about Leila (Diana Habibi), a fugitive
implicated in an officer’s death during a protest byfactory workers. But Leila is already hiding in Ali’s
home. She is desperate to find her young son who
was lost during the riot, and Ali becomes a willing
accomplice. But as they reveal their stories to eachother, the truth seems ever more elusive. Jalilvand’s
depiction of contemporary Iran is dystopian,even nightmarish, with gritty realism offset by an
unsettling mood of horror.

FRI 9 JUN 6:30 PM EV5
THU 15 JUN 8:20 PM DNT1
SUN 18 JUN 3:45 PM HOC5

15+Australia | 2023 | 83 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Dane McCusker | Producer:
Jessica Murphy, Claudia Shepherd | Cast: Julian Garner,
Felicity Price, Asha Boswarva | Australian Distributor:
Pivot Pictures

A married Sydney stockbroker with a financial
domination fetish has one day to save his life
from ruin in this acidic Aussie comedy fromwriter-director Dane McCusker.
Screwball comedy and corrosive social commentary
are the juicy ingredients of a very modern tale that
unfolds one sunny day in upper middle-class Aussie
suburbia. A few hours before his despondent
son’s graduation party, alpha stockbroker Richard(Julian Garner, Underbelly: Vanishing Act ) has hisbank accounts drained by his “findom” mistress,
Princess Paige (Asha Boswarva, Lambs of God ).
That’s a (usually) non-sexual dominatrix hired bywealthy men to spend their money and humiliate
them. Frantic farce and raw drama follow as
Richard attempts to gather a mountain of cash thatwill prevent his unsuspecting wife Kelly (Felicity
Price, Last King of the Cross ) from discovering
the truth.
Festival guests: Dane McCusker and members of
the film team

18

FEATURESFEATURESBIRDEATER

SUN 11 JUN 8:00 PM EV5
WED 14 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5
SUN 18 JUN 4:30 PM DNT1BLUE JEAN

BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMANSAULES AVEUGLES, FEMME ENDORMIE

18+

WED 14 JUN 6:00 PM DNT1
FRI 16 JUN 8:30 PM EV3

15+

Australia | 2023 | 113 mins | In English | World Premiere
Directors, Screenwriters: Jack Clark, Jim Weir | Producers:
Ulysses Oliver, Stephanie Troost | Cast: Shabana Azeez,
Mackenzie Fearnley, Ben Hunter | Production Company:
Breathless Films

France, Canada, Netherlands, Luxembourg | 2022
109 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Pierre Földes | Producers:
Pierre Baussaron, Tom Dercourt, Emmanuel-Alain Raynal
Cast: Ryan Bommarito, Shoshana Wilder, Marcelo Arroyo
Sales Agent: The Match Factory

The world premiere of a homegrownpsychological thriller in which a bride-to-be
reluctantly attends her fiancé’s buck’s party,
triggering a feral response from the groomsmen.

Haruki Murakami’s short stories come to life inthis fantastical animation about a giant talkative
frog, a lost cat, an existential banker and more
peculiar characters in Tokyo.

Recently engaged Irene (Shabana Azeez, also in
Run Rabbit Run, SFF 2023) has been roped into
joining her awkward but loving fiancé Louie’s(Mackenzie Fearnley) buck’s party weekend out inthe sticks. Louie’s deadbeat groomsmen, however,
have more in mind than just a quiet glass of pinot
by the fire, and as night falls the celebration
nosedives into a feverish, drug-fuelled train wreck.
Inspired by the likes of Wake in Fright, directing
duo Jack Clark (Threshold, SFF 2021) and Jim
Weir present a challenging, darkly comic portraitof young Aussie men that strikes a little too close
to home.

It is 2011 and the city has been struck by a tragicearthquake and tsunami. Anxious banker, Katagiri,
is enlisted by a gregarious humanoid frog to slay
a giant angry worm that is hell-bent on wreaking
more havoc. Meanwhile, apathetic Komura is ona mission to hand-deliver a mysterious package,
while also undergoing a divorce and losing his
job. In a series of enigmatic vignettes, we follow
surreal tales where dreams and reality playfully
blur into one. Director Pierre Földes’s musing,pastel-rich debut stands strong against other recent
award-winning Murakami adaptations like Burning(SFF 2018) and Drive My Car (SFF 2021).

15+

UK | 2022 | 97 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Georgia Oakley | Producer:
Hélène Sifre | Cast: Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes,
Lucy Halliday | Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

Festival Guests: Jack Clark, Jim Weir andmembers of the film teamA GAZA WEEKEND

Anti-gay laws in Thatcher-era ’80s England see
a closeted lesbian (a captivating Rosy McEwen)
walk the tightrope between her teaching job andher love life in this BAFTA-nominated drama.
Jean (McEwen) is content in her double-life routine:
teaching PE by day and visiting her secret girlfriend,
Viv (BAFTA winner Kerrie Hayes), by night. Now thatthe notorious Section 28 has passed, prohibiting
the promotion of homosexuality in schools, thealready reticent Jean retreats further into secrecy.
But when a pupil, 15-year-old Lois, who is beingbullied herself for being gay, spots her at a lesbianbar, Jean has to decide if getting involved is worth
putting her job on the line and risk being outed
herself. Elegantly shot on 16mm, writer-director
Georgia Oakley has made an incisive debut with astory that remains utterly potent today. Premiered
in Venice Critics’ Week; winner British Independent
Film Awards.

THU 8 JUN 10:00 AM STATESUN 11 JUN 7:15 PM PNORT3
SAT 17 JUN 7:00 PM EV11

15+

CHEVALIER

15+

Australia, France | 2022 | 117 mins | In English, andSpanish with English subtitles
Director: Benjamin Millepied | Screenwriters:
Benjamin Millepied, Alex Dinelaris, Loïc Barrère
Producers: Dimitri Rassam, Rosemary Blight | Cast:
Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

Starring Paul Mescal and Melissa Barrera, thisvisionary retelling of Carmen is an exhilarating
thriller combining dance, politics and music,
and features Sydney Dance Company artists.
Carmen (Barrera, In the Heights  ) is forced to go
on the run from Mexico when her mother is killed.
Crossing the border into the US, she encountersruthless vigilantes. Following a violent incident,
she escapes with troubled marine Aidan (Mescal,
Aftersun  ). The pair head to LA to seek refuge with
Carmen’s mother’s friend Masilda (Rossy de Palma)at her nightclub – the site of some of the film’s
most impressive dance sequences. All the while thepolice are tracking down the lovers. Shot in NSW,
acclaimed choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s
debut feature finds contemporary resonance for thisclassic story.
Festival Guests: Rosemary Blight and membersof the film team

WED 7 JUN 6:30 PM HOC5
SUN 11 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ3
SUN 18 JUN 7:35 PM PNORT3

A COUPLE

M

USA | 2022 | 107 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Stephen Williams | Screenwriter: Stefani Robinson
Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Stefani Robinson,
Dianne McGunigle | Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr.,
Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton | Australian Distributor:
The Walt Disney Company

This sumptuous historical drama is based on thetrue story of Black composer Joseph Bologne(Kelvin Harrison Jr., Waves, Elvis) whose musicalmastery led to his rise in the 18th century
French court.
Mozart is performing a concert when he is suddenlyinterrupted by a confident young man who asks
to join on violin – and completely outshines him.
The man is Joseph Bologne, the illegitimate son ofan African slave and French plantation owner who
makes his way to the upper echelons of Frenchsociety, counting Marie Antoinette as a friend. As
he enters a passionate romance with the marriedMarie-Josephine (Samara Weaving) and confronts
the racism underlying the facade of civility, Bologne
is forced to reassert his independence. Beautifully
staged by director Stephen Williams (Lost,
Watchmen) and with a compelling performanceby ever-impressive Harrison, Chevalier is bothprovocative romantic drama and historical redress.

SAT 10 JUN 4:00 PM DNT2
SUN 11 JUN 3:30 PM PNORT3

Based on a true story, this rare drama from
Yemen invites us to follow a loving family forced
to make some tough decisions to survive.
Amnesty International prize, Berlinale 2023.

Gaza suddenly becomes the safest – andfunniest – place on Earth during a pandemic inthis uproarious comedy from Palestinian-British
filmmaker Basil Khalil. FIPRESCI award, Toronto.

Isra’a (Abeer Mohammed) and her husband Ahmed(Khaled Hamdan) are adoring parents to their three
young children. But times are tough in Aden during
Yemen’s civil war, Ahmed hasn’t been paid formonths, and they’re struggling to make ends meet.
Then Isra’a finds out she’s pregnant. Reluctantly,
they decide on an abortion and approach a friend– a female doctor – for help. Director Amr Gamal
and co-writer Mazen Refaat based the film on atrue story, one that offers a glimpse of a little-seensociety, but also resonates widely in the context of
women’s rights and the enduring impact of conflict.

Khalil’s knockout feature debut is a hugely
entertaining mix of caper comedy hijinks and sharp
political satire. A virus has plunged Israel into
lockdown, leaving British journalist Michael and his
stressed-out Israeli girlfriend Keren stranded. The
desperate couple hire inept Palestinian hustlers
Waleed and Emad to smuggle them to Europe via
the Gaza Strip, which ironically has been madesafe from the virus by the separation wall. Naturally
everything goes spectacularly wrong before
the bickering bunch realise everyone’s survival
depends on putting differences aside and devisinga new plan that’s so crazy it might just work. This
heartfelt satire is loaded with zingy dialogue andsparkling performances.

HEROICLOS DELICUENTES

ALL AGES

15+

Palestine, UK | 2022 | 93 mins | In English, Arabic,
Hebrew, and French with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director: Basil Khalil | Screenwriters: Basil Khalil,
Daniel Chan | Producers: Amina Dasmal | Cast:
Adam Bakri, Stephen Mangan, Mouna Hawa | Sales Agent:
Protagonist Pictures

THE DELINQUENTS

UN COUPLE

MON 12 JUN 6:45 PM EV5
WED 14 JUN 8:30 PM EV5

THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLDNAJSRE NIOT ČOVEK NA SVETOT

Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia | 2023 | 91 mins
In Arabic with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Amr Gamal | Screenwriter: Mazen Refaat,
Amr Gamal | Producers: Mohsen Alkhalifi, Amr Gamal
Cast: Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani
Sales Agent: Films Boutique

Screens with Love ForeverCARMENTHU 8 JUN 6:30 PM RITZ1
SAT 10 JUN 6:30 PM HOC4
TUE 13 JUN 6:30 PM PNORT3

THU 8 JUN 8:35 PM HOC5
SAT 10 JUN 7:45 PM DNT2
FRI 16 JUN 10:00 AM STATE

THE BURDENEDAL MURHAQOONTUE 13 JUN 10:00 AM STATE
THU 15 JUN 7:45 PM EV11

HEROICO18+

THU 8 JUN 8:15 PM DNT2
SUN 18 JUN 6:15 PM EV918+

France, USA | 2022 | 63 mins | In French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Screenwriters:
Frederick Wiseman, Nathalie Boutefeu | Producers:
Frederick Wiseman, Karen Konicek | Cast: Nathalie Boutefeu
Sales Agent: Zipporah Films

Argentina, Luxembourg, Chile, Brazil | 2023 | 180 mins
In Spanish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Rodrigo Moreno | Producer:
Ezequiel Borovinsky | Cast: Esteban Bigliardi,
Margarita Molfino, Daniel Elías | Sales Agent:
Magnolia Pictures International

Mexico, Sweden | 2021 | 86 mins | In Nahuatl andSpanish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: David Zonana | Producers:
Eréndira Núñez Larios, Michel Franco, David Zonana
Cast: Santiago Sandoval Carbajal, Fernando Cuautle,
Esteban Caicedo | Sales Agent: Goodfellas

A rare narrative work from legendary
documentarian Frederick Wiseman explores
the fractious relationship between the literary
couple Leo and Sophia Tolstoy.

Direct from Cannes Un Certain Regard, Rodrigo
Moreno’s Argentinian comedic drama is adelightfully unconventional bank heist film,
fascinating love story and treatise on themeaning of life.

David Zonana’s explosive drama takes aim at
corruption and coercion at a Mexican military
academy. Berlinale (Panorama) 2023, Sundance(World Cinema Dramatic Competition) 2023.

The Tolstoys were married for 36 years, had 13
children and each kept a diary, alongside constantcorrespondence with each other through letters– all while living in the same house. Wiseman,the great chronicler of institutions, here looks
unflinchingly at the institution of marriage. Througha searing monologue, drawn from the diaries andletters of the Tolstoys, Sophia (played brilliantly by
Nathalie Boutefeu) describes a tumultuous marriage
to the mercurial War and Peace author – one ofgreat sadness and intense passion. Shot on thebeautiful, flower-filled Belle Île, an island off thecoast of Brittany, the mesmerising A Couple showsthat the 93-year-old maestro (the subject of SFF's
2022 retrospective) still has something exceptional
up his sleeve.

Amongst his duties at the small bank at which heworks, Morán deposits large amounts of cash into
the bank vault daily. One day, in full view of thesurveillance cameras, he packs up a large amountof that cash and casually walks out of the bank.
He arranges a meeting at a bar with his colleague
Román, making him an unwilling accomplice. Morethan a simple robbery, Morán has a plan and ashort stint in jail is only the first step. Complicating
matters, Morán falls in love during a brief interlude
prior to his imprisonment. Román, guilt-ridden in hiscomplicity, also comes upon a romantic opportunity
as he contemplates his own life choices. With an
appealingly amusing spirit, award winning director
Moreno takes us on an epic multi-faceted journey
where a bank robbery is just the beginning.

19

When asked why he wants to enrol in Mexico’s
Heroic Military College, Indigenous 18-year-old
Luis says, ‘it’s an opportunity to be someone inlife’. Inspired less by idealism than a desire to
support his girlfriend and sick mother, Luis is soon
confronted by the brutal culture underpinning theinstitution. Zonana tells a very different story fromthe one we often see in movies. Instructor Sgt
Sierra doesn’t want to break Luis’s will by the usual
methods. This smiling psychopath instead showsfavouritism, making Luis a bystander who dares notintervene. Stunning surreal sequences illustrating
Luis’s inner torment punctuate this incendiarystatement about perverted patriotism and toxic
male power structures.

SAT 17 JUN 5:00 PM EV11
SUN 18 JUN 3:00 PM PNORT3

15+

North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia, Denmark,
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2022 | 95 mins
In Bosnian with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Teona Strugar Mitevska | Screenwriters:
Elma Tataragić, Teona Strugar Mitevska | Producer:
Labina Mitevska | Cast: Jelena Kordić Kuret,
Adnan Omerović, Labina Mitevska | Sales Agent:
Pyramide International

A speed-dating day in Sarajevo sparks this bold
drama about the trauma of war and the powerof love, from Teona Strugar Mitevska (God
Exists, Her Name is Petrunya, SFF 2019). Venice(Horizons) 2022.
The ironic title of Mitevska’s sixth feature refers
to Zoran, a downcast bank employee who attends
a matchmaking day for Sarajevo singles. His
assigned partner for the event is Asja, a successful
lawyer. But Zoran is not seeking romance. He hascome here to confess to Asja that they share adark connection – dating back to 1993 during theBosnian War. Based on the amazing true storyof co-writer Elma Tataragic, this incisive drama
opens the emotional wounds of both victim andperpetrator. As their souls are laid bare they’resurrounded by amusing banter and fun games
played by other singles seeking a new start in lifeand love.

Carmen

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINEI LIKE MOVIESFRI 9 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5
MON 12 JUN 5:45 PM DNT1
WED 14 JUN 8:10 PM EV3

THU 8 JUN 6:30 PM DNT1
SAT 10 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5
SAT 17 JUN 8:45 PM EV3

15+

USA | 2022 | 104 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Daniel Goldhaber | Screenwriters: Ariela Barer,
Jordan Sjol, Daniel Goldhaber | Producers: Isa Mazzei,
Daniel Goldhaber, Ariela Barer, Adam Wyatt Tate,David Grove Churchill Viste, Alex Black, Alex Hughes
Cast: Lukas Gage, Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

A taut, compulsive Tarantino-esque thriller,
inspired by Andreas Malm’s controversial book,in which a group of environmental activists set
out to sabotage an oil pipeline.
A slick young cast, including Lukas Gage (White
Lotus), Sasha Lane (American Honey) and Marcus
Scribner (Black-ish) star as eight committed
protestors, each with their own eco-agenda. They
come together with a plan to blow up a west Texas
pipeline and disrupt the oil trade. The motley crew
are made up of a Native American bomb specialist;
two women whose lives have been impacted
by pollution (with a partner in tow); a Texan
gun enthusiast; a filmmaker; and two seasoned
campaigners. Director Daniel Goldhaber’s award
winner has all the trappings of a heist movie, witha hectic pace, nail-biting tension and plenty of real
cliff-hangers.

THE LESSON

M

Canada | 2022 | 99 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Chandler Levack | Producers:
Lindsay Blair Goeldner, Evan Dubinsky, Chandler Levack
Cast: Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges
Australian Distributor: Icon Distribution

Chandler Levack’s hilarious ode to cinephiles
and video stores balances a fragile coming-ofage story in the mid-2000s with wicked humour.
A warm-hearted hit at TIFF 2022.
Small-town highschooler and insufferable film
lover Lawrence Kweller dreams of attending NYU’s
Tisch School of the Arts to become a filmmaker.
His ambitions are even more unrealistic when
he decides to get a job at his local video store tosave for the expensive tuition fees. Lawrence’s
film-bro elitism faces a reality check when he starts
alienating the most important people in his life,
all while developing a complicated friendship withhis older manager. Littered with movie references
and homages, Levack’s darkly funny, mid-2000s
tribute is equal parts nostalgia and cringe, all while
maintaining compassion and pathos.
Screens with Ratbag

FRI 16 JUN 8:10 PM HOC4
SAT 17 JUN 6:00 PM RITZ1

15+

UK, Germany | 2023 | 102 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Alice Troughton | Screenwriters: Alex MacKeith
Producers: Camille Gatin, Cassandra Sigsgaard,
Judy Tossell, Fabien Westerhoff | Cast: Richard E Grant,
Julie Delpy, Daryl McCormack | Australian Distributor:
Universal Pictures International

Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy and Daryl
McCormack shine in this literary thriller in whicha young writer takes a job tutoring the son of ahaughty literary giant.
McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,
SFF 2022) plays Liam, an aspiring novelist andsuperb academic, who’s brought in to tutor theson of famed novelist J.M. Sinclair (Grant) and his
art curator wife Hélène (Delpy). Moving in with thefamily on their plush estate, Liam, who’s a fan ofSinclair’s writing, also sees the opportunity to workon his own novel – and to learn from the master
himself. But all is not well within the family Sinclair.
The father is an unrepentant bully; charming
at one moment and vicious the next. No one isspared, although his talented son Bertie (Stephen
McMillan) takes the brunt of his malice. Director
Alice Troughton ratchets up the tension as family
secrets are revealed, leading to a thrilling, andexhilarating, climax.

20

FEATURES

LOVE ROAD

THU 8 JUN 8:45 PM DNT1
FRI 9 JUN 6:30 PM RITZ3

MIDWIVESMUSIC

SAGES-FEMMES

15+

Australia | 2023 | 86 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Ulysses Oliver | Producers:
Ulysses Oliver, Ben Ferris | Cast: Shalane Connors,
Ishak Issa, Aileen Beale | Production Company:
Breathless Films

Ulysses Oliver’s feature directorial debut is anintense relationship drama, jumping acrossthree time periods, detailing the highs and lowsof a tempestuous relationship.
Early one morning Jaz (Shalane Connors) flees
her fractured relationship with Daniel (Ishak Issa),
taking her mother's ashes with her to return themto the family's country property. Daniel is utterly
confused by Jaz’s departure, feeling that theirdifficulties could be resolved. He sets off in pursuit,
determined to talk it over despite her steadfast
refusal to engage. Jaz, along her journey, reflects
on their shared moments, and with the distance
between them begins to re-evaluate elements of
their relationship. Traversing three time periods ofthis complex romance, and remarkably shot in just
two weeks in the middle of the NSW bushfires,
Love Road is an incisive and moving drama of loveand loss.
Festival guest: Ulysses Oliver and members of
the film team

FRI 9 JUN 8:30 PM HOC5
SAT 10 JUN 4:00 PM RITZ5
FRI 16 JUN 6:15 PM PNORT3

15+France | 2023 | 100 mins | In French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Léa Fehner | Screenwriters: Catherine Paillé,
Léa Fehner | Producers: Grégoire Debailly | Cast:
Khadija Kouyaté, Héloïse Janjaud, Myriem Akheddiou |Sales Agent: Pyramide International

Two rookie midwives are thrown into the hectic
deliveries ward of a French hospital. Winnerof the Ecumenical Prize in Berlinale 2023,
this is a triumphant film about often unsung
hospital heroes.
Best friends and flatmates Sofia and Louise(Khadija Kouyaté and Héloïse Janjaud, both superb),
are thrown into the deep end on their first day as
midwives. Both must stay afloat amid the extensive
monitors, understaffed delivery rooms and dizzying
corridors. With compassion and humour, writerdirector Léa Fehner tackles the personal andprofessional sacrifices they make in an underfinanced health system that’s bursting at theseams. Featuring real childbirth scenes, Midwives
captures the broad spectrum of emotions on theward – from screaming labour pains to the relaxedlaughs of late-night camaraderie.
Screens with Cathy’s Doll

SAT 10 JUN 8:35 PM PALC1
SAT 17 JUN 6:15 PM DNT2NO BEARS

PIAFFEKHERS NIST

15+

SUN 11 JUN 6:15 PM EV4
WED 14 JUN 12:00 PM STATEALL AGES

Germany, France, Serbia | 2023 | 108 mins | In Greek
and English with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Angela Schanelec | Producer:
Kirill Krasovski | Cast: Aliocha Schneider, Agathe Bonitzer,
Marisha Triantafyllidou | Sales Agent: Shellac Films

Iran | 2022 | 107 mins | In Farsi, Azeri and Turkish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Jafar Panahi | Cast:
Jafar Panahi, Naser Hashemi, Mina Kavani | Sales Agent:
Pascale Ramonda

Angela Schanelec (I Was at Home, But...)deconstructs the myth of Oedipus
and rearranges it into a song all of her
own in this 2023 Berlinale Silver Bear
(Best Screenplay) winner.

Though banned from making films in Iran, Jafar
Panahi won the Venice Special Jury Prize for hisbold take on two parallel love stories thwarted
by superstition and power.

Fittingly, this contemporary rendering of the familiar
tragedy starts in the mountains of Greece, wherea baby boy is rescued by a local paramedic who
together with his wife, adopts him and names him
Jon. The couple raise him as their own, until an
incident at age 20 again changes the course ofJon’s life. Jon is incarcerated after committing
manslaughter in response to a perceived attack by
a stranger. In prison, he finds himself inextricably
drawn to prison officer Iro, who shows him great
affection and with whom he shares many momentsof tenderness. In true Schanelec fashion, thestory is told elliptically, in an austere but sensuous
manner that recalls the work of French master
Robert Bresson, and the film’s beauty lies in theunspoken passages, where subtext becomes
elegantly and unexpectedly illuminated.

Panahi (Tehran Taxi, SFF 2015; Three Faces,
SFF 2018), only recently released from an Iranianprison on bail, both directs and stars in No Bears.
What results are two powerful sagas unfolding
onscreen. Panahi plays a fictionalised versionof himself directing a film remotely from a smallborder village in Iran. Banned from leaving thecountry, his assistant director instead oversees theshoot in nearby Türkiye. In the film he’s making, acouple desperately tries to secure fake passports
to escape to France. Whilst filming Panahi is swept
up in a scandal surrounding another young couple’s
forbidden romance. In this searing blend of truth
and fiction, Panahi questions the role of an artist insocieties only too willing to scapegoat them.

THU 8 JUN 7:50 PM PALC1
TUE 13 JUN 8:30 PM DNT3

PRETTY RED DRESS

18+

Germany | 2022 | 86 mins | In English and Germanwith English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Ann Oren | Screenwriters: Ann Oren,
Thais Guisasola | Producers: Kristof Gerega, Sophie Ahrens,
Fabian Altenried | Cast: Simone Bucio, Sebastian Rudolph,
Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau | Sales Agent: Rediance Films

An introverted Foley artist unexpectedly grows
a horsetail, sparking a sexual awakening, in Ann
Oren’s astonishing debut. Screened at Locarno,
San Sebastian and London Film Festivals.
When her sibling suffers a nervous breakdown,
Eva (Simone Bucio, The Untamed, SFF 2017)
covers for her as a Foley artist designing aclient’s commercial. Initially, Eva struggles tocreate the correct sounds for a trotting horse.
But she immerses herself in the process, andeventually finds herself growing a horsetail of her
own. Instead of fear or shame, Eva is liberated byher new appendage and initiates a kinky power
relationship with a mysterious botanist. Ethereal
and mystifying, Oren’s experimental film expands
on her visual art practice of performing fantasies.
Oren’s aesthetics, coupled with Carlos Vasquez’s
16mm cinematography, makes this imaginative gem
a sensuous feast for the eyes and ears.
Screens with The Beginning

OMEN

TUE 13 JUN 8:15 PM DNT1
FRI 16 JUN 6:25 PM EV3

WED 7 JUN 6:00 PM EV11
MON 12 JUN 6:15 PM DNT3

RHINEGOLD15+

UK | 2022 | 110 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Dionne Edwards | Producer:
Georgia Goggin | Cast: Natey Jones, Alexandra Burke,
Temilola Olatunbosun | Sales Agent: Protagonist Pictures

An exhilarating South London journey aboutfinding power in self-expression, confronting
truths and a glorious red dress, from writerdirector Dionne Edwards.
Recently out of prison, Travis slowly finds hisplace amongst family and friends. His partner
Candice is set to audition for a career-changing
part as Tina Turner in a stage musical, and hebuys her a stunning red dress to embody therole. But the thoughtful gift threatens to thrust his
family into uncharted territory when Travis finds
himself compelled to try it on. Tensions escalate
as their daughter is caught in the crossfire, and all
three fumble their way through their own buried
secrets. Travis must confront his innermost fears
to reconcile his family. Warm and deeply human,
Pretty Red Dress questions notions of masculinity,
the uncovering of identity and gender expression
with honesty and insight, portrayed beautifully by
the cast.
Screens with Lumber

SAND

Belgium, France, Netherlands, Democratic Republic ofCongo, South Africa, Germany | 2023 | 90 mins
In French, Swahili, Lingala, English withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Baloji | Screenwriters: Baloji, Thomas Van Zuylen
Producers: Benoît Roland | Cast: Marc Zinga,
Marcel Otete Kabeya, Lucie Debay, Yves-Marina Gnahoua,
Eliane Umuhire. | Sales Agent: Memento International

Cannes Un Certain Regard. A man banished fromthe Congo, accused of sorcery, returns fifteen
years later in this visually resplendent debut
from rapper and artist Baloji.
Koffi (Marc Zinga) was banished from Congoand sent to relatives in Belgium because he wasconsidered a sorcerer. Fifteen years later, he isabout to have his first child with partner Alice(Lucie Debay). They travel to the Congolese city of
Lubumbashi to reconcile with his family, bearing acash offering. But Koffi receives a welcome that’s
anything but warm. His father is nowhere to befound, his mother wants little to do with him, andone of his sisters accuses him of trying to curse her
young child. In telling this compelling story, Baloji
takes fascinating diversions through the streetsof vibrant Lubumbashi. The result is filled withastonishing, unforgettable images, and marks the
emergence of an incredible filmmaking talent.

SAT 10 JUN 8:15 PM EV5
THU 15 JUN 8:35 PM RITZ5

THU 15 JUN 8:30 PM EV3
SAT 17 JUN 1:30 PM DNT318+

THU 8 JUN 2:30 PM STATESAT 10 JUN 5:30 PM EV9
SUN 18 JUN 5:45 PM RITZ5

M

Germany, Netherlands, Morocco, Mexico | 2022
138 mins | In German, Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, English
and Dutch with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Fatih Akin | Producers:
Nurhan Şekerci-Porst, Fatih Akin, Herman Weigel | Cast:
Emilio Sakraya, Kardo Razzazi, Mona Pirzad | Sales Agent:
The Match Factory

Canada | 2022 | 117 mins | In English and Korean withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Anthony Shim | Producer:
Bryan Demore, Rebecca Steele, Anthony Shim | Cast:
Choi Seung-yoon, Ethan Hwang, Dohyun Noel Hwang
Australian Distributor: Icon Distribution

Fatih Akin (Head-On, SFF 2004; In the Fade,SFF 2017) tells the extraordinary true life storyof Kurdish refugee-turned-gangster-turnedGerman rap star Giwar ‘Xatar’ Hajabi.

A strong-willed Korean single mother and her
young son start a new life in 1990s Canada.
Anthony Shim’s semi-autobiographical dramahas won more than 20 international awards.

In a career dotted with Cannes, Venice andBerlinale award-winners including Head-On, Soul
Kitchen and The Edge of Heaven, Rhinegold is
Akin’s biggest box office hit. Executed with all thestyle, swagger, humour and intellectual smartsthat are found it in its subject, this amazing-buttrue biopic soars from the start, with Giwar Hajabiborn in a cave during the Iranian Revolution. Whatfollows is an astonishing story that takes Giwar
to Germany as a refugee who later becomes agangster wanted for crimes including a brazen
gold heist. Emilio Sakraya is dynamite as the adult
Giwar, whose deep love of music and emergence
as rapper Xatar serves as the film’s powerfulemotional core.

Seoul-born Canadian filmmaker Anthony Shim’s
second feature is an achingly intimate portrait ofa mother’s love for her son. With delicacy andtenderness that never tips into sentimentality, Shimcharts the difficulties faced by So-young and Donghyun as they attempt to fit into Canadian suburbia
in a time when virtually no support was available.
Years later we meet Dong-hyun (now known asDavid) as a wayward teenager who’s grown distantfrom his mother until a critical event takes themon an unpredictable journey into their Korean past.
This shot-on-16mm treasure, drawing laudatorycomparisons with Minari (SFF 2021), is superbly
performed by dancer-turned-actor Choi Seung-yoon
in her first feature role and 2022 TIFF Rising Star
award winner Ethan Hwang.

THE SHADOWLESS TOWER

15+

Australia | 2022 | 100 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Daina Reid | Screenwriter: Hannah Kent
Producers: Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw | Cast: Sarah Snook,
Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman | Sales Agent: Netflix

THU 15 JUN 10:00 AM STATESAT 17 JUN 6:20 PM EV3

SHIN ULTRAMANBAI TA ZHI GUANGMUNNEL

15+

RICEBOY SLEEPSRHEINGOLD

Festival guests: Anthony Shim and Choi Seung-yoon

RUN RABBIT RUN

AUGURE

Shin Ultraman

21

FEATURES18+

FRI 9 JUN 8:25 PM PALC1
SUN 18 JUN 4:00 PM EV315+

THU 8 JUN 8:30 PM DNT3
THU 15 JUN 8:20 PM EV5

15+

Sarah Snook (Succession) stars in a spinetingling Australian psychological thriller asa troubled single mother whose daughter
grows distant... and disturbing. Official
selection, Sundance.

Sri Lanka | 2023 | 101 mins | In Tamil, English andSinhalese with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Visakesa Chandrasekaram
Cast: Sivakumar Lingeswaran, Kamala Sri Mohan Kumar,
Thurkka Magendran | Festival Contact:
Visakesa Chandrasekaram

China | 2023 | 144 mins | In Mandarin withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Zhang Lu | Producers: Zhang Jian,
Han Mei, Xu Jiahan, Peng Jin | Cast: Xin Baiqing,
Huang Yao, Tian Zhuangzhuang | Sales Agent:
Films Boutique

Japan | 2022 | 113 mins | In Japanese withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Shinji Higuchi | Screenwriter, Producer:
Hideaki Anno | Cast: Takumi Saitoh, Masami Nagasawa,
Hidetoshi Nishijima | Australian Distributor:
Madman Entertainment

An ex-Tamil Tiger and survivor of the Sri Lankan
Civil War, just released from military detention,
searches for his missing lover in this searing
drama. Special Jury Award winner, Rotterdam.

A divorced food critic and a free-spirited
photographer stroll down the road to possibleromance in Zhang Lu’s charming slice-of-life
dramedy. Berlinale 2023.

A raucous, rip-roaring kaiju film, awash withcosmic twists, campy villains and giants of all
species. From the creators of Shin Godzilla andNeon Genesis Evangelion.

This chilling feature debut from Emmy-nominatedAustralian filmmaker Daina Reid (The Handmaid’sTale) is a fantasy and horror tinged journey into
the stark reality of a fractured mother-daughter
relationship. Sarah (Snook) is a divorced fertility
doctor whose daughter, Mia, begins acting
strangely on the eve of her seventh birthday.
The girl’s disturbing drawings, fierce attachment
to a cardboard rabbit face mask and sudden
insistence that her name is Alice drive Sarah todespair and towards a reckoning with her troubled
past. Outstanding performances by Snook andamazingly talented newcomer Lily LaTorre makethis a memorable expedition down the rabbit hole ofmemory, guilt and family secrets and lies.

Director Visakesa Chandrasekaram’s deeply
authentic story features a quietly intense
performance from Sivakumar Lingeswaran (in his
exceptional screen debut) as Rudran – a young
militant who has lost so much due to the war, at thehands of the military. Now freed, Rudran returns
home to his mother (Kamala Sri Mohan Kumar), a
Hindu soothsayer both respected and feared in thecommunity. As he goes through therapy, faces trial
over his wartime activities and tries to reconnect
with his old flame Vaani (Thurkka Magendran),
Rudran struggles to accept all that has beenlost. Though a powerful narrative with tinges ofmysticism, at times the film has a documentary feel
– the cast includes many survivors of the war.

Beijing’s White Pagoda has such an unusualdesign that it never seems to cast a shadow. Local
legend says the temple’s shade can only be foundin far-away Tibet. The 13th century landmark is
a constant presence in the tale of Gu Wentong, a
middle-aged father and modestly successful foodwriter. Rather like the tower, Gu doesn’t seem to be
casting a shadow as he drifts along invisibly in life.
Relaxed pacing and wonderfully natural dialogue
cast a warm glow as Gu begins to think about his
difficult past and contemplate a possible future with
Ouyang, a sparky young photographer with a zest
for life. Novelist turned filmmaker Zhang Lu (LoveAnd... SFF 2016) has created an enchanting andtender film to savour.

When Japan's SSSP kaiju defence taskforce finds
itself in the midst of a particularly challenging kaiju
encounter, a giant silver robot descends from thesky to rescue the country. Dubbed Ultraman, thisrobot’s identity and purpose are a mystery. As
further alien forces arrive on earth, the taskforce,
led by Kimio Tamura (Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive
My Car, SFF 2021), attempt to identify their true
intentions. Mixing the optimistic retro-futurism of
the ’60s television show with modernist pop-art
aesthetics, Shin Ultraman is destined for future
cult classic status, a delightful reimagining of oneof Japan’s classic superheroes with a healthy
dose of large-scale city-smashing combat to leave
you cheering.

Festival Guests: Daina Reid

Festival guest: Visakesa Chandrasekaram

22

FEATURESFEATURESSILVER HAZE

FRI 9 JUN 6:00 PM EV3
FRI 16 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ3

SIRA

15+

Netherlands, UK | 2023 | 103 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Sacha Polak | Producers:
Marleen Slot, Michael Elliot | Cast: Vicky Knight,
Esmé Creed-Miles, Archie Brigden | Sales Agent:
New Europe Film Sales

Director Sacha Polak (Dirty God, SFF 2019)
reunites with Vicky Knight in the semiautobiographical role of a burn survivor
obsessed with revenge. Selected Berlinale 2023.
Fifteen years ago Franky (Knight) was severely
burned when the East London pub where she
slept as a child caught fire – an incident mirroring
Knight’s real experience. Now a nurse, she isunable to let go of the past and becomes obsessedwith exacting revenge on the suspected arsonist.
At the same time, she begins a whirlwind romancewith outpatient Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles) thatchanges the course of her life. Along the way, the
new family Franky makes helps her find a way backto her own roots. Knight, in a performance that won
her the Teddy Jury Award at this year’s Berlinale,
is exceptional in this vibrant social-realist dramathat recalls the work of directors Andrea Arnold and
Lynne Ramsay.

SUN 11 JUN 3:15 PM DNT3
SAT 17 JUN 3:00 PM PNORT3

SLOW

18+

Burkina Faso, France, Germany, Senegal | 2023
122 mins | In French and Fulani with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Apolline Traoré | Producers:
Denis Cougnaud, Apolline Traoré, Souleymane Kebe
Cast: Nafissatou Cissé, Lazare Minoungou, Mike Danon
Sales Agent: Wide

The Berlinale Panorama Audience Award 2023
went to this revenge saga from Burkina Faso, in
which a young Muslim woman must survive herterrorist kidnapping and get retribution along
the way.
Sira (Nafissatou Cissé) is travelling with her
nomadic Fulani Muslim family in the Sahel region of
Africa, introduced strikingly in vibrant colour against
the arid orange dunes. She’s palpably excited tomeet her intended Christian husband, until thefamily is confronted and gunned down by a militantgroup; the leader, Yere, has received advance wordof the forbidden union, and abducts and assaults
Sira. Left alone in the vast desert, she embarks on
a gruelling quest for survival that transforms intoa story of female solidarity and revenge, in thisempowering and visually stunning blend of social
realism and rousing adventure melodrama.

THU 8 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5
SUN 11 JUN 5:45 PM DNT3SNOW AND THE BEARA THOUSAND AND ONE

KAR VE AYI18+

THU 15 JUN 2:45 PM STATESAT 17 JUN 4:15 PM DNT3

15+

WED 7 JUN 8:15 PM RITZ5
SUN 11 JUN 6:00 PM DNT1
THU 15 JUN 6:00 PM EV3

TORA'S HUSBAND

15+

SAT 10 JUN 6:00 PM PALC1
WED 14 JUN 6:15 PM PNORT3

WHEN THE WAVES ARE GONE

KAPAG WALA NANG MGA ALON

15+

Lithuania, Spain, Sweden | 2023 | 108 mins
In English and Lithuanian with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Marija Kavtaradze | Producer:
Marija Razgutė | Cast: Kęstutis Cicėnas, Greta Grinevičiūtė
Sales Agent: Totem Films

Türkiye, Germany, Serbia | 2022 | 93 mins | In Turkishwith English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Selcen Ergun | Screenwriters: Selcen Ergun,Yeşim Aslan | Producers: Nefes Polat, Selcen Ergun | Cast:
Merve Dizdar, Saygin Soysal, Asiye Dinçsoy | Sales Agent:
Arthood Entertainment

A contemporary dancer enters into an uncharted
romance with an asexual sign language
interpreter, requiring the invention of their own
kind of intimacy, in this thoughtful winner of adirecting award at Sundance.

A young nurse embarking on a new assignment
in a small Turkish village becomes embroiled
in mysteries that lie beneath the snow, in thisengrossing, slow-burning noir.

Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, thissweeping story of love follows Inez (R&B star
Teyana Taylor) as she kidnaps her six-year-old
son Terry from the foster care system.

Award-winning Indian filmmaker Rima Das’s
drama invites audiences into the beautifully
detailed and complex life of a young family in
Assam straining under the impacts of the Covid
pandemic. TIFF 2022

Selcen Ergun’s impressive directorial debut
begins with a car driving through a snowy Turkish
hinterland, setting an ominous note of isolation andparanoia that continues right up to the haunting
final shot. The car’s driver is headstrong young
nurse Asli (Merve Dizdar), who has arrived in asmall village for compulsory service despite herfamily’s consternation. The men of this patriarchal
town look down upon Asli, but their condescension
proves to be the least of her worries when atownsperson disappears and the local consensus
settles with conspicuous certainty on a bear attack
as the cause.

Inez, herself an orphan who experienced New
York’s foster care system, is at times volatile andimpulsive, but also incredibly caring and protective.
Recently released from prison and unwilling to leave
Terry to the vagaries of an uncaring bureaucracy,
Inez makes an impulsive decision that will greatly
influence their lives. Growing up with fake papers,
Terry thrives and Inez carefully protects their secret.
Around them New York changes and gentrifies
and all the while the threat of exposure hangs
heavily. A.V. Rockwell’s perceptive direction keeps
the focus tightly on this family while tracing thetransformation of the city over decades. Anchoredby an astonishing Taylor as Inez, A Thousand and
One is an unforgettable film of great power.

“He’s a good person, but he’s not a good husband,”says Tora (Tarali Kalita Das) about her husband
Jaan (Abhijit Das). Jaan is struggling to keep his
restaurant and bakery afloat amidst the pandemic.
He’s generous and altruistic – he went into debt
paying his workers during lockdown. But he’s alsoarrogant, impatient and argumentative – and, as hebuckles under stress, his drinking is getting worse.
Every night he leaves Tora with their young children
while he parties with his buddies. Abhijit Das isquietly magnificent as Jaan, making him a difficultand complicated, but ultimately endearing person.
Day-to-day joys and heartaches, and a looming
sense of crisis, make up this enticing and rich sliceof family life.

Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) is a contemporary dancer
whose craft involves using her body uninhibitedly to
express her inner emotions, desires and demons.
She’s similarly carnal in her intimate life, until thecommencement of a relationship with reserved sign
language interpreter Dovyda (Kęstutis Cicėnas)presents a compatibility challenge to both parties
when he tells her that he’s asexual. They ultimately
find it to be a challenge worth undertaking. Shotin appropriately tactile 16mm cinematography, thisthoughtful and moving romantic drama offers acompelling look at a relationship rarely portrayed onscreen, let alone with such candour and sensitivity.

Festival guest: Selcen Ergun

USA | 2022 | 116 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: A.V. Rockwell | Producers:
Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani,
Brad Weston | Cast: Teyana Taylor, Josiah Cross, Will Catlett
Australian Distributor: Universal Pictures International

India | 2022 | 135 mins | In Assamese withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Rima Das | Cast:
Abhijit Das, Tarali Kalita Das, Bhuman Bhargav Das
Sales Agent: Pascale Ramonda

Screens with How Can I Help You

SORCERY

SUNFLOWERSUBTRACTION

BRUJERIATAFRIGHTENNESSINE

THE WINTER WITHINWORLD WAR III

MAAGH

WED 7 JUN 6:00 PM DNT2
SUN 11 JUN 2:00 PM PALC1

18+

Philippines, France, Portugal, Denmark | 2022
187 mins | In Tagalog with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Lav Diaz | Producers:
Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Jean-Christophe Simon,
Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves | Cast: John Lloyd Cruz,
Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Ronnie Lazaro
Sales Agent: Films Boutique

Amid the Philippines’ war on drugs, twopolicemen are on a deadly collision course inthis searing drama by master director Lav Diaz
(Season of the Devil, SFF 2018).
Known for his incisive looks into the issues being
faced in the Philippines, Lav Diaz has delivered oneof his most thrilling dramas with this study of two
policemen. Lieutenant Hermes is renowned as thenation’s best detective. Ex-sergeant Macabantay
was Hermes’s mentor and superior until Hermes
had him jailed for corruption ten years ago. Now
released from prison and fuelled by a religious
fervour that manifests in performing bizarre
baptisms on strangers, Macabantay is determined
to hunt and kill his former protégé. Diaz’s essayon life and death during the Duterte presidency issuperbly filmed in 16mm monochrome but there
is nothing black and white about this complex andcompelling drama.

23

A WILD ROOMER

GOE-IN

FRI 16 JUN 6:15 PM EV9
SAT 17 JUN 8:00 PM DNT1

15+South Korea | 2022 | 136 mins | In Korean withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Lee Jeong-hong | Producer:
Chung Hyun-jung | Cast: Park Gi-hong, Choi Kyung-jun,
Kim Jeon-gil | Sales Agent: M-Line Distribution

Lee Jeong-hong’s delightfully unconventional
South Korean comedy of manners won theprestigious New Currents competition and the
NETPAC Award at Busan.
The not-so-wild ‘roomer’ of this offbeat charmer
is Gi-hong, a goateed 30-ish carpenter who rents
a room in the fabulously spacious but desperately
sterile house of his landlord and drinking buddy
Jung-hwan. Whilst he’s on the up financially, he’smuch less adept socially. Gi-hong spends most of
his free time hanging out with Jung-hwan and his
enigmatic wife, Hyung-jun – which unexpectedly
becomes a foursome when a stranger from thefringes of society steps onto the scene. Lee’s
carefully composed visuals and the cast’s finely
calibrated performances create an intriguing andwryly humorous portrait of a domestic dynamic
being gently pushed beyond its comfort zone.
Lee’s outstanding debut feature asserts him as afilmmaker to watch.
Festival guest: Lee Jeong-hong and members of
the film team

THE BOX SET

JANG-E JAHANI SEVOMBAY OF FIRESWED 7 JUN 6:15 PM DNT3
SAT 17 JUN 1:45 PM EV918+

Chile, Mexico, Germany | 2023 | 101 mins
In Mapuche, Spanish and German withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Christopher Murray | Screenwriters:
Christopher Murray, Pablo Paredes | Producers:
Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue,
Nicolás Celis | Cast: Daniel Antivilo, Valentina Véliz Caileo,
Sebastian Hülk | Sales Agent: The Match Factory

In 1880s Chile, a 13-year-old Indigenous girlseeks supernatural retribution for the murder ofher father at the hands of German settlers in thistale of grief and resistance. Sundance 2023.
Director Christopher Murray drew inspirationfrom a real-life witchcraft trial in his atmosphericdecolonial folk horror, set on Chiloé Island. Rosa (aluminous Valentina Véliz Caileo) is a Huilliche girland Christian convert who works as a servant fora pious German farmer (Sebastian Hülk). Whenthe farmer’s sheep are all mysteriously killed,
he blames witchcraft and takes out his rage on
Rosa’s father (Francisco Nuñez). Abandoned by
the authorities, the stricken girl turns to a gruff
Indigenous fisherman and mystic (Daniel Antivilo)
for help finding justice. Soon Rosa is pulled into
the uncanny world of those who fiercely protect theisland with spirit powers.

FRI 9 JUN 8:45 PM RITZ3
SAT 10 JUN 8:30 PM EV9
THU 15 JUN 8:15 PM HOC5

15+

Iran, France | 2022 | 107 mins | In Farsi withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Mani Haghighi | Screenwriters: Mani Haghighi,
Amir Reza Koohestani | Producer: Majid Motalebi
Cast: Navid Mohammadzadeh, Taraneh Alidoosti,
Australian Distributor: Vendetta Films

A married couple meet their doppelgängers
in a riveting psychological mystery by leading
Iranian filmmaker Mani Haghighi (Pig, SFF 2018).
Toronto, 2022.
Farzaneh is a pregnant driving instructor who
believes husband Jalal is being unfaithful. But
the man she spotted entering the apartment ofanother woman was not Jalal. It was Mohsen, his
doppelgänger. Farzaneh soon discovers Mohsen’swife, Bita, is her doppelgänger. A heavy air ofdoubt and apprehension hovers once working-class
Farzaneh and Jalal meet their much wealthier
doubles and come to grips with an almost otherworldly new reality. As the quartet look deeper into
each other’s eyes and learn more about their lives,
hidden fears and desires slowly take hold. Superbly
performed by Taraneh Alidoosti (The Salesman) andNavid Mohammadzadeh (No Date, No Signature,
SFF 2018), this elegantly executed mystery keeps
you guessing all the way.

THU 15 JUN 6:30 PM RITZ3
SAT 17 JUN 8:30 PM DNT2

15+

Australia | 2023 | 82 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Gabriel Carrubba | Producers:
Zane Borg, Gabriel Carrubba | Cast: Liam Mollica,
Luke J. Morgan, Daniel Halmarick | Production Company:
Pancake Originals

This classic queer coming of age tale set in
the outer Melbourne suburbs is elevated by aheartfelt authenticity from debut filmmakerGabriel Carrubba, and tender performances.
Seventeen-year-old Leo has his life together inthe high school hierarchy: drunken parties, decent
grades, the popular girlfriend; and comes home tothe loving bickering only a family can provide. But
Leo experiences an identity crisis as he becomesincreasingly attracted to his best friend, Boof.
His well-groomed facade begins to crack andwith every step Leo takes towards embracing his
sexuality, he must also overcome the incessant,socialised homophobia of the boy’s locker room.
Hopeful and romantic, this is an enticing drama
about growing up with your heart stuck in yourmouth. Featuring performances from fresh hottalent including Liam Mollica, Luke J. Morgan anda supporting turn from Elias Anton (Of an Age).
Festival guest: Gabriel Carrubba and membersof the film team

TUE 13 JUN 6:15 PM EV3
FRI 16 JUN 6:00 PM DNT115+

FRI 9 JUN 12:00 PM STATESAT 10 JUN 6:30 PM EV11

18+

SUN 11 JUN 8:15 PM DNT2
MON 12 JUN 5:50 PM PNORT3

18+

Australia | 2023 | 85 mins | In English and Farsi withEnglish subtitles | World Premiere
Director: Amin Palangi | Screenwriter: Osamah Sami
Producers: Ben Ferris, Ulysses Oliver, Amin Palangi | Cast:
Osamah Sami, Faezeh Alavi, Robert Rabiah | Production
Company: Breathless Films

India, France, Qatar | 2022 | 99 mins | In Kashmiri and
Urdu with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Aamir Bashir | Screenwriters: Aamir Bashir,
Shanker Raman | Producer: Claire Lajoumard | Cast:
Zoya Hussain, Shabir Ahmad Lone, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat
Sales Agent: Diversion

Iran | 2022 | 107 mins | In Farsi with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director: Houman Seyedi | Screenwriters: Houman Seyedi,
Arian Vazir Daftari, Azad Jafarian | Producer: Houman Seyedi
Cast: Mohsen Tanabandeh, Mahsa Hejazi, Navid Nosrati
Sales Agent: Iranian Independents

Amin Palangi’s (Love Marriage in Kabul, SFF
2014) debut narrative feature is a sensual
psychological drama in which an Iranian arrives
in Australia to reunite with his lover.

A young Kashmiri woman searches for her
husband, a militant who has been ‘disappeared’by occupying forces, in this compelling dramafrom actor-turned-director Aamir Bashir.

A filmset labourer becomes an unlikely movie
star in Iranian filmmaker Houman Seyedi’s
sweeping tragi-comic drama. Best Film, Best
Actor, Venice (Horizons) 2022.

Arash (Osamah Sami, Ali’s Wedding, SFF 2017)
defies his family’s wishes and travels from Iranto Australia. While he is ostensibly in Sydney tostudy, his main motivation is to be with the loveof his life, Nazanin (Faezeh Alavi). Nazanin fails
to fetch him at the airport but all is forgiven when
she whisks him away for a romantic weekend in acabin in the country. But there are bemusing signs
that a jetlagged and confused Arash struggles with.
The arrival of Nasser (Robert Rabiah), Nazanin’s
academic supervisor, further elevates Arash’s
paranoia, setting the scene for a showdown.
Tennessine is a thoughtful drama with the tautenergy of a thriller.

Years of documented human rights abuses by
the Indian army in Kashmir are the real-life basis
for this intimate tale of the personal cost of state
violence. Zoya Hussain is outstanding as Nargis, apoor villager who struggles with social stigma as
the wife of a missing rebel militant while pursuing
her desperate search for him. She is also a highly
skilled weaver; the intricate shawl she is making
is emblematic of her fragile hope. Meanwhile thefrigid winter of the Himalayan foothills, beautifully
captured by cinematographer and co-writer
Shanker Raman, underscores the film’s explorationof trauma, fear and oppression. But despite thechill, there is a burning heart of anger and defiancein this powerful drama.

While doing menial tasks on a trashy big-budget
film about history’s worst dictators, widower Shakib
is suddenly cast as Hitler. As his status and income
rise, Shakib is visited by Ladan, the sex worker heloves. Ladan’s violent pimp is searching for her, so
Shakib hides her in a fancy house constructed forthe film. Seyedi masterfully uses the film-withina-film format to initially poke fun at the movie
business, before Shakib’s pent-up anger at thesystem and his longing for happiness with Ladan
propel the tale to a darker and utterly compelling
directions. This stunning allegory for power,
corruption and inequality features a magnificent
lead performance by Mohsen Tanabandeh (A Hero,SFF 2021).

Festival guests: Amin Palangi and members of
the film teamFestival guest: Aamir Bashir

SAT 17 JUN 6:15 PM EV915+

Australia | 2023 | 111 mins | In English | World Premiere
Director: Natalie Bayley | Screenwriter: Andrew Knight, Max Dann | Producer: Yvonne Collins, Marta Dusseldorp | Cast:
Marta Dusseldorp, Toby Leonard Moore, Stephen Curry | Production Company: Archipelago Productions & Fremantle
for the ABC.

In this darkly comic crime series, a mother (Marta Dusseldorp) must flee her comfy city life tohide. But her ‘refuge’ in the wilds of Tasmania has its own quirks, dramas and mysteries.
Stella’s fall from grace is less swan dive and a more a graceless plummet into a darkly comicnightmare. From the top of the corporate food chain to being chased by Chechen hitmen, Stella
and her two children are forced to take refuge in the breathtaking Tasmanian wilderness in a town
among people the world chose to forget. Surrounded by neighbours every bit as dangerous asanything the outside world can hurl at her, Stella must locate survival skills she never knew she had
and quickly. With uniformly fantastic performances, Bay of Fires – co-created by Dusseldorp (Janet
King, Jack Irish, A Place to Call Home  ), and written by Andrew Knight (SeaChange, Jack Irish, Rake,
Hacksaw Ridge ) and Max Dann (Spotswood, Siam Sunset, Dance Academy ) is one tense, grippingand dangerously funny series, every bit as wild as the landscape in which it is set.
The first two episodes, of eight, will be presented
Festival guests: Natalie Bailey, Marta Dusseldorp and members of the film team

24

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIESINTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIESBLUE BAG LIFE

SAT 10 JUN 4:00 PM PALC1
WED 14 JUN 6:30 PM DNT3

The Echo

INTERNATIONAL
DOCUMENTARIESTHE ARC OF OBLIVIONAGAINST THE TIDE

WED 14 JUN 6:00 PM EV3
SAT 17 JUN 2:00 PM DNT1

ALL AGES

India, France | 2023 | 97 mins | In Koli, Marathi and
Hindi with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Sarvnik Kaur | Producers: Koval Bhatia,
Sarvnik Kaur | Sales Agent: Deckert Distribution

Two fishermen from Mumbai’s Indigenous Koli
community confront the impact of the changing
environment – and the toll on their friendship– in this intimate doc. Special Jury Award,
Sundance 2023.
Proud new father Rakesh fishes the shallows of
the bay in the traditional way, physically hauling in
his catch, just like his father before him. His closefriend Ganesh has taken a different path, headingout to deeper water in a power boat, using new andsometimes illicit technologies. The fish are declining
due to pollution, amongst other things, and both
men are struggling to make ends meet. Filmed over
six years, Sarvnik Kaur’s intimate documentarycelebrates the durability of their relationship,
despite their differences, through weddings, births
and financial crises. A touching, humanistic portrait
that also reflects on the fragility of our ongoing
relationship with the environment.

SUN 11 JUN 5:30 PM PALC1
FRI 16 JUN 6:30 PM DNT2

Prize-winning, controversial,mesmerising, eye-opening andvisually stunning; it’s all there
in this year’s International
Documentary line-up.

BETWEEN REVOLUTIONSBEYOND UTOPIAÎNTRE REVOLUȚIIALL AGES

USA | 2023 | 99 mins | In English and French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Ian Cheney | Producers:
Meredith DeSalazar, Manette Pottle, Rebecca Taylor
Production Company: Sandbox Films

Filmmaker Ian Cheney’s plan to build an ark
takes him on a wonderfully whimsical journeythat involves unexpected twists and turns, andsurprise guests (Werner Herzog included).
The physical ark is built, with the help of a woodsavvy neighbour, on the filmmaker’s parents’
farm in rural Maine. His mission to find out what’s
worth saving, or whether anything truly lasts, takes
him around the globe. Award-winning director
Cheney (Picture Character, SFF 2019) talks to adendrologist, geologist, ceramicist, cosmologist,
mycologist, palaeontologist and more. He films
in a salt mine, on Arctic fjords, in the ruins of anancient Saharan library – and finally, within thesmooth panelled walls of his newly constructed ark.
Cheney’s quest to illuminate the world of archives,
record-keeping and memory is an unconventional
documentary delight.

THU 15 JUN 6:10 PM EV11
SUN 18 JUN 4:30 PM PALC1

15+

Romania, Croatia, Qatar, Iran | 2023 | 68 mins | In
Romanian and Farsi with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director: Vlad Petri | Screenwriters: Lavinia Braniște,
Vlad Petri | Producer: Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan
Sales Agent: CAT&Docs

The poignant story of two women – an Iranianand a Romanian – and their deep friendship thatsurvives distance and upheaval in revolutionary
times. FIPRESCI winner, Berlinale Forum 2023.
Zahra and Maria became friends while studying
medicine at university in 1970s Bucharest. Before
graduating, however, Zahra returned to Iran to join
the popular movement against the Shah. Eventually,
Zahra’s dreams of controlling her own destiny fade,along with the hope of a political transformation.
She never returns to Bucharest. Meanwhile
Romanian Maria is working in a hospital during therigid Ceaușescu regime; her own revolution is some
way off. As their correspondence reveals, fitting
into society’s expectations is never easy for either
woman. Director Vlad Petri’s hybrid film, neither
documentary nor fiction, uses archival footage
alongside their ‘letters’ to draw parallels between
revolutions, whilst questioning the nature of theirenduring relationship.

FRI 9 JUN 6:25 PM DNT1
SAT 17 JUN 3:50 PM EV915+

USA | 2023 | 115 mins | In Korean and English withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Madeleine Gavin | Producers: Jana Edelbaum,
Rachel Cohen, Sue Mi Terry | Australian Distributor:
Madman Entertainment

A family of five attempt a dramatic journey from
North Korea to freedom, painting a devastating
portrait of life under an oppressive regime.
Audience Award winner, Sundance 2023.
South Korean Pastor Seungeun Kim uses anunderground network to rescue North Korean
defectors who’ve make the hazardous trip acrossthe Yalu River into China. Time is of the essence– if the Chinese authorities find them, they will
be returned to face severe punishment. When the
pastor hears of a family, including two children anda grandparent, in hiding he rushes to help. The
family embarks on a treacherous journey wherein
their understanding of the West is consistently
challenged, revealing much about their repressive
homeland. Director Madeleine Gavin’s prize-winningdocumentary, packed with hidden camera footage,is consistently gripping and totally unforgettable.

CANNES UNCUT

BOBI WINE:
THE PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT18+

SAT 10 JUN 4:15 PM DNT1
THU 15 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1

18+

UK | 2022 | 92 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors: Rebecca Lloyd-Evans, Lisa Selby, Alex Fry
Screenwriters: Josie Cole, Lisa Selby | Producer:
Natasha Dack Ojumu | Production Company:
Tiger Lily Productions

Uganda, UK, USA | 2022 | 114 mins | In English andLuganda with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Directors: Christopher Sharp, Moses Bwayo | Producers:
Christopher Sharp, John Battsek | Sales Agent:
Dogwoof Sales

By turns frank, funny and heartbreaking, thisdeeply-personal multi-award winner from the UK
about addiction and love, explodes the form of
documentary filmmaking.

The gripping story of a Ugandan pop starturned politician and his determination to end
his country’s brutal dictatorship. Premiered at
Venice Film Festival.

To say this film is about the troubled life of a heroin
addict’s daughter is to diminish its power andresonance. Even though her mother abandoned her
as a baby, Lisa Selby idolised her glamourous yet
addicted parent. Flicking through photo albums andsearching online she tries to find a connection, but
now her mother is dying. What’s more, her partneris then jailed for drug dealing. All this trauma is
captured on her iPhone and multiple hard drives.
A collective of filmmakers, including co-director
Rebecca Lloyd-Evans and director-editor Alex Fry,
worked with artist-lecturer Lisa to assemble theimages into an emotionally raw and striking film –an Audience Award winner at London Film Festival.

Oozing charisma, style and energy, Bobi Wine,a hero of Kampala’s slums, starts out using
his music to protest Uganda’s brutal regime.
After successfully winning a seat in parliament,
campaigning against corruption, injustice andpoverty, Bobi decides to run for president against
the 40+ years incumbent Yoweri Museveni. The
campaign of intimidation and violence that follows
is shocking – the authoritarian Museveni won’t giveup power without a fight. Filmmakers Christopher
Sharp and Moses Bwayo trailed Bobi and his wife
Barbie over eight years, from the ghetto to thecampaign trail, all against the soundtrack of Bobi’s
pumping beats and empowering lyrics.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWERDALTON'S DREAM

SUN 11 JUN 6:00 PM EV3
FRI 16 JUN 6:00 PM PALC1

15+

USA, France, Germany, Israel | 2022 | 135 mins
In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Dror Moreh | Screenwriters: Dror Moreh, Oron Adar,
Stephan Krumbiegel | Producers: Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon,
Vanessa Ciecewski, Sol Goodman | Australian Distributor:
Madman Entertainment

Oscar nominee Dror Moreh (The Gatekeepers)
interrogates the consistent failure of US foreign
policy to challenge genocide, using interviews
with heavyweight politicians and diplomats.
From Bosnia and Kosovo, to Rwanda, Darfur and
Syria, the US government and its allies have failed
to avert humanitarian disasters. This disturbing
history is discussed in interviews with everyonein the ‘corridors of power’, including Madeleine
Albright, George Shultz, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza
Rice, Colin Powell and Henry Kissinger. Former US
Ambassador to the United Nations under President
Obama, Samantha Power – author of a Pulitzer
Prize winning book on genocide – describes her
own experiences and struggle to change theconversation, providing emotional heft to Moreh’s
enlightening documentary.
Presented by Amnesty International
DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTSSAT 17 JUN 5:30 PM EV5
SUN 18 JUN 5:50 PM DNT3

THU 8 JUN 6:30 PM PNORT3
MON 12 JUN 2:15 PM EV5

A COOLER CLIMATEALL AGES

After winning UK’s The X Factor, young queer
man Dalton Harris receives prejudiced backlashfrom his home country Jamaica. Award-winning
director Kim Longinotto beautifully captures
Dalton’s search for love and acceptance.
Velvet-voiced Dalton Harris thought his dreams
had come true when he won one of the world’s
top talent competitions. He was the first nonBritish and Black man to win, and it came with amillion-pound recording deal. But the thrill of alavish lifestyle and new boyfriend, and the launch of
his first single soon sours. He becomes the targetof homophobic death threats, predominantly from
Jamaica – a nation with one of the highest rates
of anti-LGBTQ violence in the world. Directors Kim
Longinotto (Shooting the Mafia, SFF 2019) andFranky Murray Brown filmed Dalton over two years,
as he faced very difficult choices, but also theopportunity to truly be himself.

15+

UK | 2022 | 72 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors: James Ivory, Giles Gardner | Screenwriter:
James Ivory | Producer: Bertrand Faivre | Sales Agent:
The Bureau

A luminary-packed tribute that lifts the curtain
on the Cannes Film Festival in its 75th year – foras they say in France, ‘the story of Cannes is thestory of cinema’.

Oscar-winning filmmaker James Ivory revisits
the long-untouched footage he shot in
Afghanistan, 1960, to deliver a richly evocative
portrait of a time, a place, a life and career.

Cannes Uncut covers it all, from the festival’sbirth and first awards, to the 1968 protests, its
numerous controversies and glorious excesses,
triumphs and failures. It celebrates the glamour,
red carpets, films, stunts, deals, parties andpersonalities. Plus, the Palm Dog Award for best
canine performance, of course. What results is
an exhilarating, behind-the-scenes look at 75
years of cinema history. Featuring interviews withfestival head Thierry Frémaux; Cannes regulars
Tilda Swinton, Juliette Binoche and Léa Seydoux;
filmmakers such as Lynne Ramsay, Mike Leigh,Quentin Tarantino, Sean Baker, Ken Loach and Wim
Wenders; photographers, programmers, fashion
designers and more.

Ivory’s celebrated filmography includes A RoomWith a View, Maurice, Howard’s End, The Remainsof the Day and his Oscar-winning script for Call Me
by Your Name (SFF 2017). Fresh out of university,
Ivory received funding to make two documentaries:
one in India, the other ‘somewhere close by’ – hechose Afghanistan because of the ‘cooler climate’.
The haunting, colourful images he shot of Kabul
and Bamiyan were never crafted into a film. Instead,
Ivory focussed on the India-based documentary,
before a life-changing moment when he met his life
and work partner, Ismail Merchant. The glorious
Afghanistan footage, accompanied by Ivory’s
memories of travelling, growing up in Oregon, andcoming to terms with his sexuality, is at the heart ofthis beautifully insightful film essay.

EASTERN FRONTUK | 2023 | 90 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors: Kim Longinotto, Franky Murray Brown | Producer:
Lorine Plagnol | Sales Agent: Dogwoof Sales

SAT 10 JUN 4:50 PM HOC5
MON 12 JUN 4:35 PM EV9

UK | 2023 | 90 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors: Roger Penny, Richard Blanshard | Producers:
Colin Burrows, Mark Adams, Christopher Pickard,
Richard Blanshard | Sales Agent: Autlook Film Sales

THE ECHOSHIDNIY FRONT

18+

25

WED 7 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1
SUN 11 JUN 1:45 PM DNT2EL ECO

18+

Latvia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, USA | 2023 | 98 mins
In Ukrainian and Russian with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Directors: Vitaly Mansky, Yevhen Titarenko | Producers:
Natalia Manskaia, Nataliia Khazan | Sales Agent:
Deckert Distribution

The brutal reality of the conflict in Ukraine iscaptured in Vitaly Mansky (Under the Sun, SFF
2016) and fellow Ukrainian director Yevhen
Titarenko’s essential doc. Berlinale 2023.
Titarenko has been a member of the Hospitallers,a volunteer medical battalion, for nearly 10
years. Tasked with retrieving the injured from thefrontlines, the poorly equipped medics scramble
over trenches and ruins, frequently under shell fire.
Using his body camera, camcorder and mobile
phone, Titarenko captures one harrowing situation
after another. Briefly on leave, the men and theirfamilies enjoy a rare respite from the carnage – ascene disturbing in its serenity. The co-directors
aim in making this documentary was to alert theworld to the reality of what’s happening in Ukraine;society should know the brutal truth.

SAT 10 JUN 4:15 PM EV11
SUN 18 JUN 4:15 PM DNT2

15+

Mexico, Germany | 2023 | 102 mins | In Spanish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Tatiana Huezo | Producers:
Tatiana Huezo, Dalia Reyes | Sales Agent: The Match Factory

A mesmerising, lyrical portrait of life in a rural
Mexican village from the director of Cannes Un
Certain Regard winner, Prayers for the Stolen(SFF 2021). Berlinale 2023 winner.
Director Tatiana Huezo filmed the tiny village
of El Eco (a few hours from Mexico City) for 18
months, capturing the shift of seasons, frompouring rain to sunshine. She observed the livesof its residents, focussing on perpetually busy
mothers, a frequently absent father, abundant
children, a frail grandmother. Beautifully poetic
scenes give audiences a warm glimpse into daily
life: a young girl caring for her elderly relative or
playing school with her dolls, labouring in thefields, or listening to folk stories. Huezo records thepattern of the villagers’ lives, outwardly static – butchange is on the way. Winner of the DocumentaryAward and Encounters Award for Best Director at
Berlinale 2023.

26

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIESTHE ETERNAL MEMORYINTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIESFANTASTIC MACHINEWED 14 JUN 10:00 AM STATE
THU 15 JUN 6:15 PM PNORT3

15+

Chile | 2023 | 85 mins | In Spanish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Maite Alberdi | Producers: Maite Alberdi,
Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Maite Alberdi won
Sundance’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize
for this heart-wrenching yet humour-filled
documentary about a devoted Chilean couple
facing a challenging future together.
Chilean filmmaker Alberdi returns to the themes ofageing and memory following her acclaimed The
Mole Agent and Tea Time (SFF 2015). Augusto, aformer journalist and TV presenter, and Paulina, anactress and politician, are a devoted long-married
couple. Eight years ago, Augusto was diagnosed
with Alzheimer’s disease, and Paulina is now his
full-time carer. As Augusto struggles to hold onto
his identity, Paulina tenderly leads him througheach day with laughter and grace. Ultimately,
Alberdi’s masterful film touches on the notionof memory itself, both individual and collective,echoing Augusto’s role in recording the truth of
Pinochet’s dictatorship.

WED 7 JUN 6:15 PM RITZ5
MON 12 JUN 6:45 PM DNT2FREE MONEY

15+

Sweden, Denmark | 2023 | 88 mins | In Swedish,English, Arabic, French and German withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Directors, Producers: Axel Danielson,
Maximilien Van Aertryck | Australian Distributor:
Sharmill Films

Take an enthralling trip through 200 years ofimage making, from the camera obscura to theselfie. A Berlinale and Sundance 2023 winnerfrom the company behind Triangle of Sadness(SFF 2022).
Director Axel Danielson, a production partner with
Ruben Östlund, makes his directorial debut, alongwith co-director Maximilien Van Aertryck. The
duo received an Academy Award nomination for
their short film, Ten Meter Tower (SFF 2016). With
Fantastic Machine they take a deep dive into thehistory of the photographic image. Starting withthe first such known picture (a 10-hour exposure),
they use a vast array of archival footage to bringus to the present day, encompassing a zillion
technological developments and iconic pictures on
the way. The result is a clever, fascinating and attimes shocking look at the changing influence ofimagery across time.

MON 12 JUN 2:00 PM DNT1
SUN 18 JUN 6:00 PM PALC1

FREEDOM IS BEAUTIFUL

15+

SUN 11 JUN 4:30 PM EV9
SUN 18 JUN 2:30 PM DNT1

ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY

ORLANDO, MA BIOGRAPHIE POLITIQUE

15+

Kenya, USA | 2022 | 78 mins | In Swahili, Luo andEnglish with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Directors: Sam Soko, Lauren DeFilippo | Producers:
Amanda Pollak, Jordan Fudge, Jeremy Allen,
Lauren DeFilippo, Sam Soko | Sales Agent: Dogwoof Sales

Australia | 2023 | 67 mins | In English and Kurdish withEnglish subtitles | World Premiere
Director: Angus McDonald | Producers: Angus McDonald,
Mélita Toscan Du Plantier | Production Company:
Howling Eagle Productions

Can the concept of a universal basic income
work? This timely documentary follows a longterm charitable initiative that offers adults in an
impoverished Kenyan village a regular income.

Two remarkable Kurdish Iranian asylum seekers,
both musicians and artists, long imprisoned on
Manus Island, use their voices in the struggle
against the Federal Government’s inhumane
refugee policy.

According to GiveDirectly co-founder Michael
Faye the NGO system of offering “seeds andbicycles” hasn’t worked, so he’s formulated a plan
to redistribute wealth bankrolled by a megadollar
donation from Silicon Valley. The rural village of
Kogutu is chosen for the 12-year pilot scheme inwhich $US22 per month is delivered via phone
to all over 18. At first there’s a great deal of
scepticism amongst the villagers, but as the money
starts rolling in, the debate quickly shifts to how
the dollars should be spent – and inevitably friction
arises. Filmmakers, American Lauren DeFilippo and
Kenyan Sam Soko interview locals and organisers
over three years, illuminating the realities ofthis big idea.

27

Farhad Bandesh and Mostafa Azimitibar were
finally freed from detention after being imprisoned
for almost eight years under Australia’s brutal
offshore processing regime. Each fled persecution
in Iran, searching for safety, freedom and abrighter future, only to be treated callously by theAustralia government. Forming a close friendshipwhile detained, they used music and art as aform of peaceful resistance to promote humanity
and tirelessly advocate on behalf of all those who
remained held. Australian artist Angus McDonald’s
passionate documentary, whilst not shying awayfrom the brutality of their experience, embraces
their extraordinary resilience and optimism.

FRI 9 JUN 6:00 PM DNT3
SUN 11 JUN 2:30 PM EV9

15+

France | 2023 | 98 mins | In French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Paul B. Preciado | Producers:Yaël Fogiel, Laetitia Gonzalez | Sales Agent: The Party Sales

Virginia’s Woolf’s 1928 novel provides the
spark for this strikingly inventive exploration ofgender and identity. Winner, Teddy Award, Best
Documentary, Berlinale 2023.
Woolf’s classic – the story of Orlando, a young
nobleman who grows up to be a woman and lives
for centuries – has inspired countless adaptations,but arguably none quite so innovative as thisplayful hybrid. Director Paul B. Preciado melds
dramatisations of the story and his imaginary
correspondence with Woolf alongside interviewsin which trans and non-binary people face thecamera, donning neck ruffles and introducing
themselves as modern-day Orlandos. Philosopher
and writer Preciado’s (Countersexual Manifesto,
Testo Junkie, Pornotopia) intelligent, playful
and fluid directorial debut won four awards at
Berlinale 2023.

Presented by Amnesty International

Free Money

DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS

Festival guest: Angus McDonald

JOONAMMON 12 JUN 5:00 PM EV3
SAT 17 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1KIM’S VIDEO

ALL AGES

USA | 2022 | 103 mins | In Farsi and English withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Sierra Urich | Producers: Keith Wilson, Sierra UrichSales Agent: The Film Collaborative

With warmth and humour, filmmaker Sierra
Urich uncovers her family’s complex history
through the stories of her Iranian-born motherand grandmother in this 2023 Sundance hit.
Sierra grew up in rural Vermont and has neverbeen to the homeland of her mother, Mitra, andgrandmother, Behjat. She is determined to learn
more about her heritage. With a little nudging andtranslating, Behjat tells of her pre-teen marriage
and family traumas, while Mitra discloses hertroubled teens during the Iranian Revolution.
Sierra is inspired to travel to Iran, but her motheris set against it, given the regime’s current
attitude towards women. Flitting between pastand present Sierra unearths a rich and compelling
history, undoubtedly paralleled by other migrantcommunities, as she strives to make sense ofher identity.

SAT 10 JUN 8:20 PM DNT3
FRI 16 JUN 6:15 PM DNT3
SUN 18 JUN 6:50 PM EV3

ON THE ADAMANT

NAM JUNE PAIK:
MOON IS THE OLDEST TV

15+

FRI 9 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1
SUN 11 JUN 3:45 PM DNT1
THU 15 JUN 8:30 PM PALC1

15+

TUE 13 JUN 1:25 PM STATEWED 14 JUN 6:30 PM HOC5
SAT 17 JUN 1:00 PM EV3

PARADIS15+

USA | 2023 | 88 mins | In English, Korean and Italianwith English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Directors: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin | Producers:
Ashley Sabin, David Redmon, Deborah Smith,
Dale Smith, Francesco Galavotti, Rebecca Tabasky
Production Company: Carnivalesque Films

USA, South Korea | 2023 | 107 mins | In Korean,
German and English with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director: Amanda Kim | Producers: Jennifer Stockman,
David Koh, Amanda Kim, Amy Hobby, Jesse Wann,
Mariko Munro | Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

A thoroughly enjoyable, seemingly impossible
tale involving a New York video store, 55,000
missing VHS tapes, a sleepy Sicilian town and a
Korean businessman. Sundance 2023.

An distinctively creative portrait of the father ofvideo art, the trailblazing Korea-born Nam June
Paik, with actor Steven Yeun (Minari, SFF 2021)
reading Paik’s own words.

Berlinale’s 2023 Golden Bear was awarded to
documentarian Nicolas Philibert (To Be and
To Have) for his moving portrait of a floating
Parisian day-care centre for people with mental
health difficulties.

When geeky filmmaker David Redmon moved to the
Big Apple, he became obsessed with the legendary
Kim’s Video store in Lower Manhattan. Thisramshackle treasure trove packed with classic andobscure movies sadly fell victim to changing times
and was forced to close. Owner Mr Kim decided
to give away the entire collection – free to a goodhome. But just who took up the offer? Redmonand co-director Ashley Sabin’s quest to find themissing archive takes us to Seoul and Sicily, withstranger-than-fiction results. By turns funny anddumbfounding, Kim’s Video is a charming tribute to
the power and endurance of cinema.

Nam June Paik was studying classical musicin Germany when his exposure to the work ofavant-garde composer John Cage changed the
direction of his life. He joined the experimental
art group, Fluxus, and continuously extended
the boundaries of performance and art. Moving
to New York in the late 1960s, he credits his‘non-success’ with giving him the opportunity tocontinue experimenting with performance (including
topless cello playing), television and video art.
Amanda Kim’s debut documentary celebrates
the work of this most playful, forward-looking (hecoined the term ‘electronic superhighway’) andhighly inventive artist.

The Adamant is moored on the Seine in the centreof Paris. An unusual setting for a health centre but
perhaps one that suits its distinctive approach.
Visitors to the light-filled vessel will find a respectful
and compassionate environment, a place to sing or
discuss movies, and everyone has a say in the dayto-day activities. This sense of hearing every voice,of seeing people as individuals, has long been anelement of Philibert’s work in films such as In theLand of the Deaf (SFF 1994) and Every Little Thing(SFF 1997). So too his patient observations, usually
over a long period of time, building trust along withremarkable insight.

France, Japan | 2023 | 109 mins | In French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Nicolas Philibert | Producers: Miléna Poylo,
Gilles Sacuto, Céline Loiseau | Australian Distributor:
Madman Entertainment

Screens with Handmade Happiness

PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS

PARADISE

SUR L'ADAMANT

TUE 13 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1
SUN 18 JUN 6:30 PM DNT2

ALL AGESFrance, Switzerland | 2022 | 88 mins | In Yakut withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Alexander Abaturov | Producers:
Rebecca Houzel, Alexander Abaturov, Luc Peter
Sales Agent: The Party Sales

In this gripping IDFA 2022 award-winning doc,
an immense wildfire barrels across the Siberianlandscape – and the villagers are left to defend
their homes on their own, completely abandoned
by Russian authorities.
As one of the largest tracts of virgin forests inthe world, the taiga region is sparsely populated
and hard to access. In 2015 the Russian federal
government decreed that northeast Siberia is a‘control zone’, meaning that local authorities will
no longer help fight wildfires in this area because
the cost of the effort exceeds that of the economic
damage. Abandoned, the inhabitants of Shologon
village face down the raging inferno with little
equipment or training. Russian director Alexander
Abaturov documents their determination andheroism, as prize-winning French cinematographer
Paul Guilhaume (Paris, 13th District, SFF 2021)
captures the scene’s perverse beauty, in this criticalreminder of the impacts of global warming.

SAT 10 JUN 2:15 PM RITZ5
SUN 18 JUN 2:15 PM EV3

QUEENDOM

18+

FRI 9 JUN 8:00 PM DNT3
SAT 10 JUN 5:45 PM EV3

STEPHEN CURRY: UNDERRATED

18+

SAT 10 JUN 7:50 PM EV3
MON 12 JUN 4:15 PM RITZ5

ALL AGES

Ireland | 2022 | 82 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Sinéad O'Shea | Producers: Sinéad O'Shea,
Maya Derrington | Sales Agent: Dogwoof Sales

France, USA | 2023 | 98 mins | In Russian withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Agniia Galdanova | Producers: Igor Myakotin,
Agniia Galdanova | Sales Agent: The Film Collaborative

USA | 2023 | 110 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Peter Nicks | Producers: Peter Nicks, Ryan Coogler,
Sean Havey, Erick Peyton, Marissa Torres Ericson,
Ben Cotner | Australian Distributor: Apple

Irish filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea returns to herhometown to explore the historically shamefultreatment of women and children by church andstate in this intensely moving documentary.

Non-conformity in Putin’s Russia is a riskybusiness, as experienced by queer artist andactivist Gena Marvin. Winner, NEXT: WAVE
Award at CPH:DOX 2023.

A thrilling portrait of American NBA superstar
Stephen Curry’s against-the-odds rise from highschool basketball player to a legend of the sport.
Sundance-selected 2023.

The town of Navan, just west of Dublin, like manyother communities in recent Irish history lived
under the iron control of the Catholic church andofficialdom. Contraception and abortion werebanned, pregnant teens faced harsh punitive
treatment, beatings were the norm for wayward
kids. Award-winning director O’Shea is no stranger
to difficult topics, as evidenced by her previous
film A Mother Brings Her Son to Be Shot (SFF
2018). Nonetheless, amongst the brutality andhurt, O’Shea undercovers stories of kindness andresistance, from doctors who surreptitiously helped
young mothers-to-be to impassioned campaigners
against corporal punishment.

Gena was raised by her grandparents in theSoviet-era industrial city of Magadan. It’s far frombeing a compatible environment for an artist likeGena, as seen in footage of her teetering acrossthe frozen ground in mega-heels and white facepaint. She leaves to study in Moscow, but herradical performances and otherworldly costumes
aren’t tolerated in the Russian capital either. She’s
expelled, and now faces military conscription – justas the conflict in Ukraine looms. Queer Russian
filmmaker Agniia Galdanova filmed Gena over four
years, skilfully capturing both the defiance andvulnerability of this vibrant young activist.

Even as a youngster, Stephen Curry understoodthat when it came to basketball, he was different.
Though tall by most standards, he was considered
undersized for a shooting position. With the helpof his dad (a former NBA player) he doubled down
on strength, speed and accuracy, shrugging
off his lack of centimetres and playing his own
game. It paid off, getting recruited by the smalltown Davidson College, earning a tournament
spot, to becoming a four-time NBA champion.
Curry even returns to study as an adult to fulfil along-held promise, another example of his dogged
persistence. Director Peter Nicks uses video
footage of the young athlete, as well as intimate
interviews with his family, team and coach to tellthis inspiring story. Produced by Ryan Coogler.

28

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIESSOUNDS ON SCREEN PRESENTED BY MOUNTAIN GOAT

A STORM FORETOLDSUBJECTFRI 9 JUN 2:30 PM STATESAT 10 JUN 6:00 PM DNT3

Who I Am Not

TOTAL TRUSTTUE 13 JUN 6:15 PM DNT1
SUN 18 JUN 4:15 PM EV9

TRANSITION15+

SAT 17 JUN 6:05 PM DNT1
SUN 18 JUN 6:00 PM EV5

15+

USA | 2022 | 93 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors: Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall | Screenwriters:
Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall, Lauren Saffa
Producers: Camilla Hall, Jennifer Tiexiera, Joe Caterini
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

A jaw-dropping, no-holds-barred portrait of
Donald Trump’s former adviser, Roger Stone,
filmed over three years in the lead-up to the
6 January storming of the US Capitol.

The impact of high-profile documentaries on
their onscreen participants, in films including
The Staircase and The Wolfpack, is put under the
spotlight in this thought-provoking investigation.

A trickster, a prince of darkness, a thug and abully. They’re just a few of the words that havebeen used to describe Roger Stone. In Danish
filmmaker Christoffer Guldbrandsen’s fly-on-thewall documentary Stone is all of these and more –on display when he parties with the far-right ProudBoys, explains how he ‘managed’ the President,
or applauds his brainchild, the ‘Stop the Steal’campaign. Guldbrandsen’s camera captures allof Stone’s toxicity and shameless contempt forthe opposition. The rotten underbelly of American
politics is on full display in this disturbing,transfixing portrayal.
Festival guest: Christoffer Guldbrandsen

What happens after the cameras have left andyour story is in the public domain? Margie Ratliff(the victim’s daughter from The Staircase), Jesse
Friedman (Capturing the Friedmans), Mukunda
Angulo (The Wolfpack, SFF 2015), aspiring
basketball player Arthur Agee (Hoop Dreams, SFF
1994) and freedom fighter Ahmed Hassan (TheSquare) discuss the painful, liberating, sometimes
life-changing experience of being the subject of adocumentary. In the process, Subject raises highly
pertinent questions about the duty of care andethical responsibility documentarians have towards
their participants. Essential viewing for filmmakers
and non-fiction fans alike.

WHILE WE WATCHED

WHO I AM NOT

Germany, Netherlands | 2023 | 97 mins | In Mandarinwith English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Jialing Zhang | Producers: Knut Jäger,Michael Grotenhoff, Saskia Kress, Zhang Jialing
Production Company: Filmtank

Australia, Iran, Afghanistan | 2023 | 84 mins
In Dari, Farsi and English with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Directors: Jordan Bryon, Monica Villamizar | Producer:
Monica Villamizar | Sales Agent: AGC Studios

Filmmaker Jialing Zhang (One Child Nation, SFF2019) delivers another unsettling depiction ofChina today, exposing the country’s extensive
and insidious surveillance.

Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon documents
his own gender transition while embedded with
Taliban forces in Afghanistan. In Competition,
Tribeca 2023.

For more than two decades the Chinese
government has been using smart technology, suchas voice and face recognition, to collect data andtest each citizen’s trustworthiness. Zhang follows
three stories of ubiquitous surveillance and control:a human rights lawyer who’s been imprisoned forjust doing his job; an independent journalist whose
activities are beginning to attract police attention;
and a lawyer who’s been released from prison but
finds his activities are strictly curtailed. After codirecting One Child Nation, Chinese-born US-based
Zhang was unable to return to China. She directed
Total Trust remotely, and many of the crew arelisted as ‘anonymous’ ­– driving home the sinister
nature of state surveillance.

Jordan has been living and working as a journalist
and filmmaker in Afghanistan for more than six
years. After the departure of US forces, he stays
to document Afghan life under the male-centric
Taliban leadership. With his colleague, Teddy, heheads to a Taliban stronghold in the north-west of
the country, shortly after he started transitioning.
If the Taliban knew he was trans, they would likely
kill him. It’s a chaotic time, for the country and for
Jordan, as he navigates his transformation andlooks to the future.

THU 8 JUN 12:00 PM STATESUN 11 JUN 3:45 PM EV3

ALL AGES

UK | 2022 | 92 mins | In English and Hindi withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Vinay Shukla | Producers: Vinay Shukla,
Khushboo Ranka, Luke W. Moody | Sales Agent: CAT&Docs

Indian TV journalist Ravish Kumar fights tokeep independent reporting alive in the ageof misinformation. A prize winner at Toronto
and Busan – essential viewing for media
watchers everywhere.
Kumar, a veteran with India’s NDTV, is committed
to accountability and the facts. He asks the mostdifficult questions of those in power and, in anage of fake news, clashes with India’s politicalpowermongers and populist movement. Facing
threats and advertising boycotts, with loyal staff
resigning, his network is in deep financial trouble.
Despite the grim news, Kumar remains optimistic,
inspiring a new generation of reporters. Director
Vinay Shukla (An Insignificant Man, SFF 2017)
follows Kumar’s increasingly desperate situation,offering perseverance and hope, and mirroring theissues facing independent journalism worldwide.
Festival guest: Vinay Shukla

THU 8 JUN 6:00 PM DNT3
SUN 11 JUN 8:00 PM DNT3

WED 7 JUN 6:30 PM EV9
SUN 11 JUN 4:00 PM HOC5

15+

Denmark | 2023 | 97 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Christoffer Guldbrandsen | Producers:
Christoffer Guldbrandsen, Peter Engel, Henrik Veileborg
Production Company: Wingman MediaNAMASKAR! MAIN RAVISH KUMAR15+

FRI 16 JUN 3:40 PM STATESUN 18 JUN 2:00 PM EV9

JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE

SOUNDSON
SCREENSAT 10 JUN 4:30 PM PNORT3
SAT 17 JUN 3:00 PM HOC5

PRESENTED BY

THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH

ALL AGES

FRI 16 JUN 8:15 PM EV5
SAT 17 JUN 4:00 PM DNT1

15+

Romania, Canada | 2023 | 105 mins | In English,
Sepedi, Ndebele, Sesotho, Setswana and isiZulu withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Tünde Skovrán | Producer: Andrei Zincă
Sales Agent: CAT&Docs

Poland | 2023 | 89 mins | In Polish, English, Chinese,
Italian, Russian, Slovenian with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director: Jakub Piątek | Producer: Maciej Kubicki
Festival Contact: KFF Sales & Promotion

Australia | 2022 | 80 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Claire Pasvolsky | Producers:
Steve Pasvolsky, Bin Li | Cast: Jackie Marshall,
Maisie Owens, Matt L Heys | Australian Distributor:
Bonsai Films

Follow the trials and triumphs of two intersex
people, beauty queen Sharon-Rose Khumalo
and male-presenting activist Dimakatso
Sebidi – a winner at Thessaloniki and a hit at
SXSW and CPH:DOX.

Young pianists from around the world compete
in a legendary piano competition in thisSundance-selected documentary packed withtension, talent and Chopin’s glorious music.

An emotive Aussie indie, inspired by the reallife story of singer-songwriter Jackie Marshall,
including a dynamo performance from themusician herself.

21 days, 80 participants, 10 finalists. Warsaw’s
International Chopin Piano competition, held every
five years, has launched the careers of many piano
virtuosos. Pianoforte follows seven hopefuls as they
progress – or maybe not – through four gruellingcompetition stages. The stakes are high and thepressure is intense – at times too intense for some.
From rehearsals to performance, backstage and at
home, the camera captures what it takes to makeit in this highly competitive world. It’s a case of
Spellbound meets Tár in filmmaker Jakub Piątek’s
enthralling documentary.

Angie (Marshall) could have been one of Australia’s
leading musicians, but she sabotaged her own
career. Now in her forties, she’s dying and alone –but determined to record one last album. Money istight and the odd gig at the local pub doesn’t exactly
fill the coffers. When she meets teenage runaway
Ruby (Maisie Owens), the pair form an unlikely
bond. Angie teaches her to play the guitar and write
songs, but despite their closeness Angie just can’t
bring herself to tell Ruby the truth about her illness.
Marshall’s own songs, and resonant voice, alongside
the Newcastle setting, bring a tender authenticity tothis rebellious music-driven drama.

Living in a binary world is a challenge for South
Africans Sharon-Rose and Dimakatso, as they are
constantly faced with questions of definition fromwithin family and society. Dimakatso is now in acaring relationship and the ebullient Khumalo is
supported by a loving family, but it hasn’t been aneasy path. Working closely, over almost five years,
with debut director Romanian Tünde Skovrán, thepair reveal their parallel but divergent struggles,
some societal, others medical or personal. By
telling their stories with such honesty, intimacy andopenness, they hope to educate a wider audienceon what it means to be intersex.
Festival guest: Tünde Skovrán

15+

Legendary US folk musician and activist Joan
Baez (‘Diamonds & Rust’) reflects on her life,
on and off the stage, battling demons anddefending civil rights.

PIANOFORTE

15+

LITTLE RICHARD:I AM EVERYTHING

USA | 2023 | 113 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors: Karen O'Connor, Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle
Producers: Karen O'Connor, Miri Navasky | Production
Company: Mead Street Films

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Festival guests: Claire Pasvolsky and membersof the film team

29

With a career spanning over 60 years, Baez has
a lifetime of stories and secrets to share, but
she also has boxes of never-before-seen homemovies, diaries, paintings and audio recordings.
This treasure trove forms the basis of a compellingdoco-portrait, alongside archival footage andrevealing interviews with the now 82-year-old. Baez
unveils the gamut of her extraordinary life bothpublic and private: her childhood, ongoing anxieties,
relationship with a young Bob Dylan, friendshipwith Martin Luther King Jr. and, of course, her
enduring activism. Directors Miri Navasky, Maeve
O’Boyle and Karen O’Connor (a long-time friendof Baez) have delivered a surprisingly intimate film
(selected for Berlinale and SXSW) of this iconic artist
and campaigner.

TUE 13 JUN 6:30 PM EV5
FRI 16 JUN 8:10 PM DNT1
SAT 17 JUN 6:30 PM RITZ5

15+

USA | 2023 | 101 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Lisa Cortés | Producers: Caryn Capotosto,
Lisa Cortés, Robert Friedman, Liz Yale Marsh | AustralianDistributor: Madman Entertainment

The queer Black origins of rock ’n’ roll and its
ultimate architect – Richard Penniman – arehonoured in this illuminating doc that sets thewhite-washed history straight.
From Macon, Georgia, to the rock ’n’ roll hall offame, Lisa Cortés’s documentary traces Little
Richard’s resounding impact through music history
and uncovers a portrait of a man torn between theforces of music, sex and religion. His strict religious
upbringing left an indelible mark and set him on acomplicated road fuelled by contradictions. But it
also propelled him to a new life, to find his true self
and inspire others in ways that he was unable to dofor himself. Featuring interviews with Little Richard,
his family, Black and queer scholars, and legends ofthe industry – Billy Porter, John Waters, Mick Jagger– and complete with electrifying live performances,
I Am Everything is a celebration of the impact of anindefinable star.

EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN IN FILM

30

EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN IN FILM
Welcome to EUROPE! Voices of Women in Film's classof 2023: Milena Aboyan, Malene Choi, Claire Dix,
Anna Hints, Carmen Jaquier, Tia Kouvo, Nafiss Nia,
Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir, Asimina Proedrou andMarta Savina. In 2023, these 10 female filmmakers join
the 70-plus before them who've stood in the celebratory
spotlight that this essential Sydney Film Festival
program strand has highlighted annually since 2016.

EUROPE! VOICES OFWOMEN IN FILM

Their features and documentaries span everythingfrom personal stories about life as a refugee to being
an adopted teen torn between two worlds, andexplore battling the patriarchy while trying to remain
a dutiful daughter, tearing down sexist traditions, andfighting gender and age bias as well.
The bulk of this year’s talented women directors grace
the lineup with their debut films, too, sharing theirpivotal voices with cinema lovers for the first time. As
returning co-presenters, European Film Promotion andScreen International couldn't be more proud anddelighted to champion their work in Sydney.
Sarah Ward, Film Critic,
Screen International

Project
PartnerMedia
Partners

THE GIRL FROM TOMORROWPRIMADONNATHU 8 JUN 6:10 PM HOC5
FRI 9 JUN 6:30 PM PNORT3

18+

Italy, France | 2022 | 101 mins | In Italian withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Marta Savina | Producer:
Virginia Valsecchi | Cast: Claudia Gusmano,
Fabrizio Ferracane, Francesco Colella | Sales Agent:
Vision Distribution

Based on true events in Sicily, 1965. Spirited
daydreamer Lia finds her life derailed when her
flirtation with a handsome local, Lorenzo, takes ahorrific turn. Lia and her family take her case to thecourts, battling intimidation from Lorenzo’s powerfulfamily, along with the immense social and legalpressures demanding Lia to marry her assailant.
Marta Savina’s assured debut has a contemporary
feel as she tackles this revolutionary true story
with immense skill and sensitivity. The Girl fromTomorrow is an urgent tale of self-determinationand family love.

BEHIND THE HAYSTACKSELAHAPISO APO TIS THIMONIESFAMILY TIME

THAT AFTERNOONMUMMOLA

15+

Denmark | 2023 | 102 mins | In Danish with English
subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Malene Choi | Screenwriters: Malene Choi,
Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen | Producer:
Maria Møller Kjeldgaard | Cast:
Cornelius Won Riedel-Clausen, Bjarne Henriksen,
Bodil Jørgensen | Festival Contact: Danish Film InstituteAn unspoken yearning for homeland simmers in thislush social drama. Carl, a South Korean adoptee,
lives a dutiful existence in the picturesque Danish
countryside, tending to the family farm he’ll inherit
one day. A quiet wound festers at his centre:
Carl lives in a land where nobody looks like him,
where family members openly decry migration.
Director Malene Choi, also a South Korean adoptee,
heightens Carl’s emotional world through surreal
flourishes, as he glimpses phantom impressions of
his birth mother, and an ominous crack threatens to
split the seemingly idyllic farmhouse in two.

Marta Savina is a director andscreenwriter who graduated from
UCLA with an MFA in directing. Her
Emmy-winning short film Viola, Franca
premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
in 2017.

SFF welcomes the following film artists to the 2023
festival: Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir, Asimina Proedrou,
Marta Savina, Anna Hints and Nafiss Nia.

BAND

TUE 13 JUN 6:30 PM DNT2
SAT 17 JUN 4:05 PM PALC1

Winner, FIPRESCI Prize, Panorama, Berlin.

For additional information on the featured films andfilmmakers visit efp-online.com and sff.org.au
Thunder

THE QUIET MIGRATIONSTILLE LIV

Malene Choi was born in South Korea
and raised in Denmark. Her debut
feature, the hybrid docudrama
The Return, received a Special
Mention at Göteborg Film Festival
in 2018.

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOODSUNLIGHTSAT 10 JUN 9:30 AM STATESUN 11 JUN 5:00 PM PNORT3
MON 12 JUN 3:45 PM DNT1

SUN 11 JUN 6:15 PM HOC5
SAT 17 JUN 2:30 PM RITZ5

15+

Estonia, France, Iceland | 2023 | 89 mins | In Estonian,
Seto and Võro with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Anna Hints | Producer:
Marianne Ostrat | Australian Distributor:
Madman Entertainment

The practice of gathering in woodland smoke
saunas is age-old tradition in Southern Estonia. In
Anna Hints’s engrossing documentary, the setting
takes on a transcendent character, acting as a
spiritual refuge for feminine intimacy. Women can
comfortably exist in their nakedness, sharing theirinnermost thoughts on everything from family to
self-esteem, traumatic births, and sexual assault.
The intensity of their communion is balanced
within the restorative atmosphere, where steam
hisses over rocks and Edvard Egilsson’s scoreheightens this choral portrait of contemporary
womanhood. Sundance 2023 Directing Award:
World Cinema Documentary.

FOUDREHow can you part with the person who makes life
worth living? Former addict Leon sunnily bounces
through life, brushing off the dealers who once had
him in their thrall. He owes it all to his best friend,
Viking enthusiast Iver. But Leon is destabilised
when he discovers Iver has received a terminal
diagnosis and is planning to pursue euthanasia.
Determined to prolong his mentor’s last days,
Leon ropes Iver into one last romp across Dublin.
Bolstered by the crackling chemistry between Barry
Ward and Liam Carney, Sunlight is a poignant andhilarious ode to the power of friendship and change.

Anna Hints is an Estonian director.
Hints’s short documentary For
Tomorrow Paradise Arrives (2021)
initiated public awareness andgrassroot movements against foodwaste in Estonia.

Claire Dix is a Dublin-based director
and screenwriter. Her award-winningfeature documentary Broken Songpremiered at the Jameson Dublin
International Film Festival in 2013.

FFS x SFF

PLATFORM/
DEVELOPING PASSION
PROJECTS PROCESSTHU 8 JUN 8:25 PM EV3
SAT 10 JUN 5:30 PM DNT2

15+

Iceland | 2022 | 88 mins | In Icelandic withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir | Producers:
Heather Millard, Þórður Jónsson | Sales Agent: Alief

The three women of the Post Performance Blues
Band (PPBB) have never made it big. Their shows
are avant-garde and unclassifiable, playing todive bars with half-empty crowds. Their lyrics areabout everything from waffles and coffee to theirmothers. And they’re about to turn 40. Band,
directed by PPBB member Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir,
thrums with madcap creative passion, as theband gives themselves one last year to make it or
break it. Evoking Spinal Tap’s rollicking absurdity,
the film borders on mockumentary, grounded byprofound reflections on parenthood, failure anddauntless friendship.

SAT 10 JUN 6:30 PM PNORT3
SUN 11 JUN 12:30 PM DNT3

15+Greece, Germany, North Macedonia | 2022
120 mins | In Greek, Macedonian and Albanian withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Asimina Proedrou | Producers:
Ioanna Bolomyti, Markus Halberschmidt, Vladimir Anastasov,
Angela Nestorovska | Cast: Stathis Stamoulakatos,
Lena Ouzounidou, Evgenia Lavda | Sales Agent: TVCO

Amongst the reeds of Doiran Lake, a group ofchildren make a tragic discovery with wide-reachingconsequences. Debt-ridden fisherman Stergios has
been using the lake, which divides North Macedonia
and Greece, to smuggle refugees for profit – adecision that draws him and his family into an
intense moral quagmire. Told through an elliptical,
Rashomon-esque narrative, director Asimina
Proedrou gradually reveals the consequences ofself-motivated desires and prejudices. Intenseand visually lyrical, Behind the Haystacks is an
exploration of religious hypocrisy, xenophobia andconstrictive borders.

FRI 9 JUN 6:15 PM DNT2
MON 12 JUN 3:30 PM PNORT3

15+

Germany | 2023 | 110 mins | In Kurdish and Germanwith English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Milena Aboyan | Screenwriter: Milena Aboyan,Constantin Hatz | Producers: Matthias Greving, Igor Dovgal
Cast: Bayan Layla, Derya Durmaz, Nazmi Kirik | Sales Agent:
Pluto FilmElaha (Bayan Layla), a 22-year-old student, is on
the cusp of becoming a bride. As her community
buzzes with excitement, Elaha struggles with thehidden knowledge that she’s no longer a virgin.
Knowing this would cause shame to her family
and fiancé, she desperately searches for options
to ‘restore’ her virginity. There’s the costly surgery
of hymen reconstruction, or blood capsule kitsthat assist with deception. But will any of it work?
Director Milena Aboyan ratchets up the tension,
while depicting her young protagonist’s struggle forsexual self-determination with heart-rending grace.

SAT 10 JUN 6:00 PM RITZ3
THU 15 JUN 6:15 PM DNT3

15+

Finland, Sweden | 2023 | 116 mins | In Finnish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Tia Kouvo | Producers:
Jussi Rantamäki, Emilia Haukka | Cast: Tom Wentzel,
Leena Uotila, Elina Knihtilä | Sales Agent: The Match Factory

Beneath the sheen of holiday cheer, family
gatherings can be stews of private resentments,
regret and unspoken histories. Finnish director Tia
Kouvo turns her camera’s unsparing gaze on an
extended family, who converge at a rustic cottage
at the edge of a gorgeous, snow-capped wood for
the Christmas season. Droning everyday chatterand mundane family rituals give way to a hothouseof deeper tensions, in this surgical explorationof suffocating private spaces. Sidestepping theusual salacious reveals, Family Time instead mines
deadpan comedy and melancholy from things thatcannot be easily said.

SAT 10 JUN 2:00 PM PALC1
SUN 11 JUN 6:30 PM DNT2

18+

Netherlands | 2023 | 76 mins | In Dutch, Farsi andEnglish with English subtitles | International Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Nafiss Nia | Producer: Gijs Kerbosch
Cast: Hoda Niku, Alin Wishka | Production Company: HALAL

Iranian refugee Roya is at an asylum seekers’
facility, but her status has been rejected and she is
to be sent back to Iran. She flees to her last hope
– a nearby photographer known for offering a safe
haven. But when Roya arrives, all is not so straightforward. She is denied entry by a man claiming
to be the photographer’s brother. Separated by adoor, the two strike up a conversation, revealing
their perspectives on trauma, displacement andthe future. Though at first mistrustful of each other,
they may be each other’s last hope. Moving andcomplex, That Afternoon is a tale about boundaries
and finding human connection in our darkest hour.

FRI 9 JUN 8:30 PM DNT2
SAT 17 JUN 4:30 PM RITZ5

18+

Switzerland | 2022 | 93 mins | In French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Carmen Jaquier | Producer:
Flavia Zanon | Cast: Lilith Grasmug, Mermoz Melchior,
Benjamin Python | Sales Agent: WTFilms

In the summer of 1900, pious 17-year-old Elisabeth
learns of the death of her sister, Innocente. Rippedaway from the nunnery where she planned tospend her life, she returns home to the Valais
valley, where her sister’s name has become taboo.
Then, an encounter with three village boys andInnocente’s hidden diary awakens something
fresh and wild in the touch-starved Elisabeth.
Reminiscent of Jane Campion’s The Piano, Carmen
Jacquier’s debut draws on the staggering beauty ofthe mountains and rivers, in an elemental portrayalof youth caught between restriction and discovery,
desire and God.

Five years is a really long time. Five years ago Corona was a type ofbeer, TikTok was Musical.ly and neither Disney+ or Apple TV+ existed.
In the same amount of time the average filmmaker will develop just one
feature length film. But filmmakers need to keep pace with changes totheir industry and audience, making upgrades essential for their creative
projects as well as their creative processes.
Supported by the Screenrights Cultural Fund, For Film’s Sake and theSydney Film Festival are thrilled to launch Platform - a groundbreaking
development incubator for emerging or established Australian
filmmakers. Led by international experts and guests of the 70th editionof the Festival, ten outstanding talents will be challenged to form newcreative partnerships to generate brand new projects within just fourdays. What they come up with will be pitched live within the SFF Hub
to an expert industry jury and the general public. Maybe you’ll spot thenext dynamic duo, the next competition title or just a glimpse into film
development done fast, furious and fearlessly. Either way, Platform ishere for a good time, not a long time.
To read more, head to forfilmssake.org/platformÁlfrún Örnólfsdóttir is an Icelandic
actress and director, known for
Pity the Lovers (2019) and Cold Fever(1995). Her feature debut Bandpremiered at Hot Docs Festival
in 2022.

Asimina Proedrou is from Greece.
Her short Red Hulk (2013) won
a Golden Dionysus at Drama
International Short Film Festival andthe Best Short Film Award at Athens
International Film Festival.

Milena Aboyan, a Yazidi Kurd bornin Armenia, has worked on theGerman ARD TV channel and studied
screenwriting at the Filmakademie
Baden-Württemberg. Elaha is her
feature debut.

Tia Kouvo is a Finnish directorscreenwriter who studied social
psychology before attending the HDKValand Academy of Art and Designin Gothenburg. Family Time is her
feature debut.

Nafiss Nia is Dutch-Iranian
filmmaker. Since 2012, she’s been
the artistic director of the Granate
Foundation, an organisation that
promotes inclusivity in Dutch film
and poetry.

Carmen Jaquier, born in Geneva,
studied at the École cantonale
d’art de Lausanne. She directed
the shorts The Girls’ Grave(2011), The Waves (2012) andAt the Mermaid Parade (2013).

15+

Ireland | 2023 | 94 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director: Claire Dix | Screenwriter: Ailbhe Keogan
Producer: Roisín Geraghty | Cast: Barry Ward, Liam Carney,
Maureen Beattie | Production Company: Keeper Pictures

THUNDERDIE MIDDAG

31

32

FIRST NATIONS SUPPORTED BY SCREEN AUSTRALIA'S FIRST NATIONS DEPARTMENTFAMILYFIRST NATIONSFAMILY33

SCARYGIRL
Everyone remembers the trip to the cinema asa kid that made them fall in love with movies!
Share your love of cinema and all the film festival
fun with the whole family, at these two bighearted and entertaining animated films!

SAT 17 JUN 1:30 PM EV5
SUN 18 JUN 2:00 PM RITZ5

ALL AGES

Australia | 2023 | 90 mins | In English | World Premiere
Directors: Ricard Cussó, Tania Vincent | Screenwriters:
Polly Watkins, Matt Everitt, Les Turner, Craig Behenna
Producers: Sophie Byrne, Nadine Bates, Kristen Souvlis
Cast: Jillian Nguyen, Sam Neill, Deborah Mailman
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

Having a tentacle arm won’t stop 12-year-old
Arkie from rescuing her father from spacebandits and saving the planet. An adventurous
Australian animation featuring the voices of Sam
Neill, Deborah Mailman, Tim Minchin and more.

Sydney Film Festival is proud topresent 13 titles directed or written
by First Nations creatives. It’s animpressive line-up of films fromdebut filmmakers to multi-award
winners, from the Tiwi Islands to
Tasmania and Taiwan, with anequally diverse range of stories.

Keeping HopeFree spirited and cheerful Arkie (Jillian Nguyen)
lives with her adoptive octopus father, Blister (RobCollins), on a flourishing, colourful peninsula.
Together they help regenerate plant life using
their magical tentacles, with the help of friendly
mechanical bees powered by sunrays. That’s until
space bandits invade and kidnap Blister – so thatan evil scientist, Dr Maybee, can use his powers to
sap the planet’s lifeforce and discover the key toimmortality. Can Arkie rescue Blister in time to saveher home from devastation? Based on the graphic
novel, toy and game brand, and featuring a stellarcelebrity voice cast, Scarygirl is a visual treat.

In addition to the titles on these pages don’t
miss The New Boy, and the First Nations shorts
screening across the Festival: Babanil, Katele,
Mamirnikuwi, Marungka Tjalatju, Nyarrpararla
Malaju, Power to Country.

Elemental

Festival guests: Members of the film teamGAGA

TWICE COLONIZEDHA YONG JIA

MORE FIRST NATIONS FILMS AT SFF
THE DARK EMU STORYELEMENTALKEEPING HOPE

Breakfast for your brain
with James Valentine
SAT 10 JUN 3:00 PM EV3
MON 12 JUN 3:30 PM DNT3

15+

SUN 11 JUN 4:00 PM DNT2
WED 14 JUN 7:40 PM PALC1

15+

Taiwan | 2022 | 111 mins | In Atayal, Mandarin,
English, Taiwanese Hokkien with English andMandarin subtitles
Director: Laha Mebow | Screenwriters: Laha Mebow,
Hsieh Hui Ching | Producer: Eric Liang | Cast:
Lalin Wilang, Ali Batu, Noming Wilang | Sales Agent:
Swallow Wings Films Co.

Denmark, Canada, Greenland | 2023 | 92 mins |In Greenlandic, Inuktitut, English and Danish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Lin Alluna | Screenwriters: Aaju Peter, Lin Alluna
Producers: Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril,
Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Bob Moore | Sales Agent:
Autlook Films

A thought provoking, revelatory andinspiring documentary telling the story of
Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu – the publishingphenomenon that challenged Australia torethink its history and ignited a raging debate.

Mark Coles Smith, an Indigenous actor
from the Kimberley, returns to interrogate
the alarming suicide rates there and meet
remarkable people now making a realdifference in its prevention.

An Indigenous Taiwanese family is caught
between traditions and modern challenges
in this warm drama-comedy from Atayal
filmmaker Laha Mebow. Best Director,
Golden Horse Awards 2022.

Renowned Greenlandic Inuit lawyer and activist
Aaju Peter tells the story of her peoples’
struggles, as well as her own, in this noteworthy
documentary. Sundance and CPH:DOX selected.

See page 7

See page 11

KINDRED

THE LAST DAUGHTER

Grandpa Hayung has spent his life following gaga
– the spiritual traditions of the Indigenous Atayal
people. Few others in the village outside of his
family abide by gaga nowadays. That includes
Mayor Toli, who has started encroaching on
Hayung’s land. Frustrated by the act of disrespect,eldest son Pasang runs for mayor, hoping to reclaim
his family’s status. However, competitive politics,
an unexpected pregnancy and marital quarrels
threaten the campaign – and further divides thecommunity. Featuring a big-hearted ensemble ofnon-professional actors, Mebow beautifully depicts
the complexities of modern family life that retains aconnection to ancient culture.
Festival Guest: Laha Mebow

Throughout her life, Aaju has experienced theinsidious impact of colonisation on Indigenous
societies. As a child, she was forced to attend
school in Denmark, a long way from her family.
She lost connection with her culture, as well as her
native language. As an adult, she recognised thesame patterns of colonisation whilst living in Iqaluit,
Arctic Canada. Determined to fight for justice, she
campaigned to create a permanent European Union
forum to give a voice to all Indigenous peoples.
Filmed over seven years, a period that included
some dark times for Aaju, who is forced to face her
own demons as she strives to create a better futurefor her community.
Screens with To Be Silent
Festival Guest: Lin AllunaMON 12 JUN 2:00 PM STATEALL AGES

USA | 2023 | 102 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Peter Sohn | Screenwriters: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, Brenda Hsueh | Producer: Denise Ream | Cast: Leah Lewis,
Mamoudou Athie, Catherine O'Hara | Australian Distributor: The Walt Disney Company

Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman,
whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about
the world they live in.

A journey into the emotional landscape offamily, love and loss of two close friends,
both Aboriginal, who were adopted by whitefamilies and have connected back with theirbloodline families.

A poignant documentary co-directed by andfeaturing Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews
on a journey to find her white family – anduncover the truth about her abduction.

See page 11

See page 11

Welcome to Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air- residents live together. The story introduces
Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis), a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun,sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade (Mamoudou Athie) challenges her beliefs about the world they
live in. Directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur), Elemental was created by the production team behindsuch iconic films as Monsters Inc, The Incredibles, Up and Finding Nemo.
Screens with short film Carl’s Date: When Carl Fredricksen reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a lady
friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl’s pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends – ifyou’re a dog.

TUNE IN 702AM

34

FREAK ME OUTFREAK ME OUTFREAKME OUTLATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
Freak Me Out is SFF headquarters for weird andwondrous motion picture entertainment. You’re
invited to enter our gallery of other-worldly delights
where classy European fantasy, no-holds-barred
action-exploitation epics, stunning satanic Aussie
horror and a special double bill of supremely

strange South Korean creations are primed
to take you on a wild ride to the far reachesof imagination.

SOUTH KOREAN STRANGENESSDOUBLE FEATURE:

SUN 11 JUN 8:45 PM DNT1
FRI 16 JUN 8:20 PM DNT3

Richard Kuipers
Guest Programmer

UNIDENTIFIED &THE FIFTH THORACICVERTEBRA

A celebration of weird and wonderful
Korean cinema. Jude Chun’s absurdist
sci-fi Unidentified and Park Syeyoung’s
beautifully bizarre body horror The Fifth
Thoracic Vertebra.

FRI 9 JUN 8:45 PM DNT1
SUN 11 JUN 8:30 PM RITZ3
THU 15 JUN 6:30 PM EV918+

Alongside recent Korean commercial hits there’s
a wave of extraordinary indie fantasy features.
In the marvellously eccentric Unidentified, UFOs
have been hovering over major cities since 1993.
Have extraterrestrials silently infiltrated Seoul
since then? That might explain why everyone
from office workers to fortune tellers is behavingvery strangely. Alien nation or alienation?

In The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra (Best Director,
Audience Award, Bucheon 2022), a fungus
that feeds on human spines attaches itself to amattress. This outré horror takes us to provocative
and unexpectedly touching places as the mattressmoves from owner to owner and the creature inside
begins to grow. Strange bedfellows, indeed.

18+

Australia, UAE | 2023 | 92 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors, Screenwriters: Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
Producers: Derek Dauchy, Mat Govoni, Steven Schneider,
Roy Lee, Adam White, John Molloy | Cast:David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss
Australian Distributor: Ahi Films

UNIDENTIFIED

THE FIFTH THORACIC VERTEBRA

MI-HWAK-IN

DASEOS BEONJJAE HYUNGCHU

South Korea | 2022 | 80 mins | In Korean, Turkish, Polish, Khmer, Yoruba, German, Chinese and French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Jude Chun | Producers: Ahn Hyeong Jun, Yena Gim | Cast: Jang Sun, Kim Hyoin, Jeon Hohyeon
Festival Contact: Jude Chun

South Korea | 2022 | 65 mins | In Korean with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Park Syeyoung | Producers: Park Syeyoung, Park Jihyeon | Cast: Park Jihyeon, Moon Hyein,
Haam Seokyung | Sales Agent: Indiestory Inc.

All demonic hell erupts on a US TV talk show in
1977. This brilliantly executed, documentarystyle horror from Aussies Colin and Cameron
Cairnes knocked ’em dead at SXSW.
For six long years late-night TV host Jack Delroy (thesuperb David Dastmalchian) has been runner-up in
the ratings. Even belonging to shadowy power society,
The Grove hasn’t helped. But tonight is Halloween, andJack plans to claim top spot with his guests including
a sceptic, a famous psychic and a disturbed teenager
who survived a Satanic death cult and claims to behosting a demon called ‘Mr Wiggles’. That’s just thebasics of a richly detailed and brilliantly assembled tale
presented as the recently rediscovered master tapeand behind-the-scenes footage of that fateful night.
This spooky, gory and wickedly satirical snapshot of
the post-Exorcist ‘Satanic Panic’ 1970s is a triumphfor its Aussie creators.

Unidentified

Festival guests: Colin & Cameron Cairnes

NIGHTSIRENRAGING GRACE

SISU

THE WRATH OF BECKYLATE NIGHT
PARTY WITH
THE DEVILSVETLONOC

MON 12 JUN 7:15 PM EV3
SAT 17 JUN 6:30 PM DNT3

18+

Slovakia, Czech Republic | 2022 | 109 mins | In Slovak
with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director: Tereza Nvotová | Screenwriters: Barbora Námerová,
Tereza Nvotová | Producer: Miloš Lochman | Cast:
Natália Germáni, Eva Mores, Juliána Brutovská
Sales Agent: Intramovies

Ancient beliefs and modern fears collide in
Tereza Nvotová’s beguiling folk horror set in aremote Slovak mountain village. Best European
feature, Sitges Fantastic FF 2022.
A shimmering, other-worldly atmosphere surrounds
the tale of Šarlota, a 30-year-old nurse returning
to her isolated hometown to claim an inheritance.
Shunned by locals who remember her role in a
tragedy 20 years ago, Šarlota, arrives to find hermother’s house burned to the ground. The only
friend in town is Mira, a free-spirited herbalist who
forms an instant and powerful bond with Šarlota.
As the women become closer, disturbing events
start to occur and rumours take hold. In this maledominated place where superstition runs deep,Šarlota and Mira are accused of witchcraft, withdevastating consequences. Themes of misogyny,
trauma and patriarchy are potently examined in thisspellbinding modern horror film.

THU 8 JUN 8:30 PM EV9
TUE 13 JUN 8:30 PM EV918+

UK | 2023 | 99 mins | In English and Tagalog withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Paris Zarcilla | Producer: Chi Thai
Cast: Maxine Eigenmann, Jaeden Boadilla, David Hayman
Sales Agent: Blue Finch Films

A Filipino single mother becomes thehousekeeper at a creepy British mansion in Paris
Zarcilla’s suspenseful debut thriller. SXSW Grand
Jury Award, Narrative Feature.
A rich vein of social and political commentary runs
through this spooky haunted house tale. Joy isalmost invisible to the rich Londoners whose houses
she cleans. With cheeky young daughter Grace tosupport and huge visa fees to pay if she wants toavoid deportation, Joy has to take any work she canfind. Zarcilla’s intelligent screenplay hits high gear
when Joy lands a job as live-in caretaker at themusty manor of Mr Garrett, a terminally ill aristocrat
with a haughty and patronising adult niece. Stark
reality and scary fantasy are memorably combined
as revelations about Garrett’s family history andGrace’s curiosity about her strange new home bringall kinds of demons into the open.
Screens with AliEN0089

SAT 10 JUN 8:40 PM DNT1
MON 12 JUN 6:30 PM RITZ5
SUN 18 JUN 8:05 PM EV918+

WED 7 JUN 8:40 PM DNT1
WED 14 JUN 8:45 PM EV918+

Finland | 2022 | 91 mins | In English, Russian andGerman with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Jalmari Helander | Producer:
Petri Jokiranta | Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie,
Jack Doolan | Australian Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing

USA | 2022 | 83 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Directors, Screenwriters: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
Producers: Russ Posternak, Raphael Margules, JD Lifshitz,
Tracy Rosenblum, Chadd Harbold | Cast: Lulu Wilson,
Seann William Scott, Denise Burse | Australian Distributor:
Sony Pictures Releasing

Stand aside Rambo, here’s the one-manarmy to end them all! In Lapland, 1944, an old
prospector exacts bloody revenge on Nazis whostole his gold.

This SXSW hit follows Becky, a 16-year-old
waitress who takes spectacularly bloody revenge
on the right-wing misogynist scumbags who
murdered her friend and stole her dog.

Executed with dazzling modern flair while tipping its
hat to no-nonsense action movies that dominateddrive-ins in the ’70s and home video in the ’80s,
Sisu is another triumph for Finnish filmmaker
Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale).
Winner of Best Picture, Cinematography, Musicand Best Actor (Jorma Tommila) at Sitges genre
film festival, Helander’s thunderous revenge tale
has an irresistible simplicity and purity of purpose.
All we need for a rollicking non-stop thrill ride is towatch grizzled old geezer Aatami (Tommila) change
from mild-mannered miner into an unstoppable
fighting machine. These nasty Nazis picked on thewrong guy.

Hell hath no fury like the heroine of this fast andferocious revenge film. Lulu Wilson is dynamite
as Becky, who’s been laying low and honing her
fighting skills since surviving violent events two
years ago. But no peace is possible for her oncea bunch of neo-Nazi morons calling themselves‘Noble Men’ murder the only adult she trusts
and kidnap her loyal hound. Executed with flairby directors Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, this
top-notch exploitation film delivers delightfully
outlandish violence and snappy deadpan humour.
The blood-soaked excitement never stops once
Becky tracks down fascist leader Darryl (Seann
William Scott) and teaches his gormless goons athing or two about urban combat.

Screens with A.S.M.ortal

Proud toplay our part

THU 15 JUNE 6:30PM
SCREENING - EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
POST-PARTY - THE HUB, LOWER TOWN HALL
Tickets $45 inc film and party.

The City of Sydney
is proud to partner withSydney Film Festival.
We are committed to supporting
arts and culture in our city.

Late Night With the Devil

For all those freaks who love Freak Me Out! A latenight party to worship all things that go bump in
the cinema, following a screening of Late Night
With the Devil. This possessing line-up includes
magic, music and occult-inspired delights.
Dressing freaky encouraged. Holy water notavailable, but there will be a drink on arrival.

35

36

SCREENABILITYFLUX: ART+FILM

SCREENABILITY
Celebrate the talent of film creatives withdisability with this outstanding line-up featuring
the Australian premieres of SXSW Grand
Jury Prize-winning Angel Applicant; powerful
documentary Is There Anybody Out There?;

CONNECTION OF THE STICKSHELLO DANKNESSTUE 13 JUN 8:05 PM PALC1
SAT 17 JUN 2:15 PM PALC1

FRI 9 JUN 8:30 PM EV9
SUN 11 JUN 7:30 PM PALC1

All films on this page are accessible:

the fiction-non-fiction exploration of sound
The Tuba Thieves; and the world premieres ofthree homegrown short films.
Rebecca McCormack,
Screenability Programmer

Check sff.org.au for access details,
including audio description and captioning.

ALL AGES

Australia | 2021 | 82 mins | In an Invented language,
Polish and Russian with English subtitles
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Kuba Dorabialski | Cast:
Kuba Dorabialski, Bruno Dorabialski, Roland Dorabialski
Festival Contact: Kuba Dorabialski

Theatrical premiere of one of the most visuallyarresting works of local artists’ cinema in recent
years, evoking life in the former Soviet Union.

Connection of the Sticks

FLUX:
ART+
FILM

Chum

FLUX: ART+FILM explores the fertile groundbetween art and cinema, with radical andinnovative films by artists who transform ourexperience of what cinema can be.
Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd, Guest Programmer
For details about the FLUX shorts, seepages 44-45

Shot as a series of stunning vignettes acrossthree countries, Polish-Australian artist Kuba
Dorabialski’s extraordinary film conjures themystique and mysticism of the former Soviet
Union. A champion ski jumper collides with balllightning. Witches conduct wartime sabotage.
Ecstatic dance resurrects a revolutionary leader.
While party apparatchiks promoted socialism asa technologically advanced, ‘scientific’ project,
Dorabialski uncovers a world in thrall to everyday
magic and miracles. Narrated in a fictional panSlavic language with absurdist flair, Connectionsof the Sticks transports us to the Eastern Bloc
as it lives on in retro-futurist fantasies, diasporicnostalgia and half-remembered family legends.
Festival Guest: Kuba Dorabialski

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? THE TUBA THIEVESSCREEN NSW SHORTS

in water

LAST THINGS

mul-an-e-seo

Straight from sell-out screenings in Berlinand New York, Australia’s preeminent piratearchivists Soda Jerk (Terror Nullius, SFF 2018)
return for a hometown premiere of their latest
political parable.
Comprising hundreds of bootlegged samples,
Hello Dankness is a bent suburban musical thatbears witness to the right-wing populist spectacleof Trumpian politics. The film follows a local
neighbourhood in the bizarro years of 2016 to
2021 as consensus reality discombobulates into
online conspiracies and other social contagions.
What unfolds is a rogue retelling of recent history inwhich hotdogs debate the culture wars, trashcans
preach QAnon, political debate is meme-ified,and real events are refashioned as Broadway
bangers from Cats, Les Misérables, Annie, and
The Phantom of the Opera. Begun in 2019 andlaboured on throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
Hello Dankness never loses sight of the way thatapparent unreality is tethered to real material
inequalities and deep cultural fissures.

SCREENABILITY

14 IN FEBRUARYPROVOCATIVE WORLD CINEMASCREENABILIT Y

Australia | 2023 | 9 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Victoria Singh-Thompson
Producers: Lily Warland, Pip Smart, Anna Mannix
Cast: Amelia Kroehnert, Julian GarnerFestival Contact: Lily Warland

THU 8 JUN 6:15 PM DNT2
SAT 10 JUN 2:00 PM DNT2

15+

MON 12 JUN 4:30 PM DNT2
THU 15 JUN 6:30 PM DNT2

15+

USA | 2023 | 75 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Ken August Meyer | Producers: Ken August Meyer,
Jason Roark | Sales Agent: Obscured Pictures

UK | 2023 | 87 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Ella Glendining | Producer: Janine Marmot
Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment

Winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Award,
Ken August Meyer brings a unique perspective
to the works of artist Paul Klee, drawing
parallels between their experiences of a lifethreatening illness.

Born with a disability so rare that no reliable
statistics about it exist, Ella Glendining goes on a
global search for answers and others who share
her experience.

As art director Meyer finds his symptoms fromthe autoimmune disease systemic scleroderma
intensifying, he finds a deep connection in thework of esteemed Swiss-German painter Paul
Klee. Forced to flee Nazi Germany, Klee begansuffering from a range of mysterious symptoms,
which had a powerful impact on his art. Filmedover ten years and titled after one of Klee’s lastworks, Angel Applicant is a visually stunning,
inventive and often humorous documentary. An
immensely personal exploration of the paintings ofKlee – and how to find solace in art – told from anenlightening perspective.
Screens with Chum

While UK filmmaker and writer Ella, who was born
without hip joints and with short thigh bones, loves
her body fiercely, she has to navigate ableism anddiscrimination daily. “There is this missing piece ofthe puzzle in my life... finding someone exactly likeme,” she says, commencing a search. A revealing
and powerful documentary, Is There Anybody Out
There? chronicles Ella’s quest across the globe,
combining her personal diaries with conversations
with family members, friends, specialists and otherindividuals with shared experiences. Along the way,
Ella continues to challenge societal expectations
and finds lasting connections.
Screens with Fighting

WED 14 JUN 6:15 PM DNT2
SAT 17 JUN 1:45 PM DNT2

15+

USA | 2023 | 91 mins | In English andAmerican Sign Language with English subtitles
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Alison O'Daniel | Producers:
Alison O'Daniel, Rachel Nederveld, Su Kim, Maya E. Rudolph
Sales Agent: Cinephil

A wave of tuba thefts in southern Californianschools prompts filmmaker and d/Deaf
artist Alison O’Daniel’s Sundance-selected
fiction-non-fiction exploration into sound –and its absence.
Debut director O’Daniel reframes the impactof the 2011-2013 tuba burglaries into astunning exploration of sound in this audacious
docudrama that premiered in Sundance’s
NEXT strand. O’Daniel’s groundbreaking
work, drawing on her own experiences,features debut actor Warren ‘Wawa’ Snipeand newcomer Nyeisha ‘Nyke’ Prince alongside
Russell Harvard and renowned d/Deaf soundartist Christine Sun Kim. The result challenges
the audience to re-evaluate the meaning of sound,using some highly inventive methods, including
creative captioning.
Screens with 14 in February

When Arabella, a hard-of-hearing student,
spends time discussing schoolwork with Mr
Chapman, she starts to find herself isolated.
As her teacher’s grooming unfolds, she must
hold onto the good energy that surrounds her.

CHUM
Australia | 2023 | 12 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director: Jason King | Screenwriter: Eliza South
Producers: John Larkin, Marisa Zamora, Aaron Bush
Cast: Eliza South, Matt Doran | Festival Contact:
Marisa Zamora

When Mary, a fiercely independent woman
with vision impairment, has a mishap, astranger steps in to help. The two bond – but
Mary notices all isn’t quite as it seems.

FIGHTING
Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Xavier Coy | Producer,
Festival Contact: Geraldine Coy | Cast: Toby Blome,
Matthew Whittet, Emma O'Sullivan

Xavier, a man living with Bipolar, wakes witha goading presence in his room, soon joinedby a more supportive character. As thesetwo presences battle, he must rise above thebickering and ready himself for the day.

P R O V O C AT I V E W O R L D C I N E M A

Screen NSW is the major government partner of the Sydney Film Festival.

MON 12 JUN 4:30 PM PALC1
SUN 18 JUN 7:45 PM PALC1

ALL AGES

South Korea | 2023 | 61 mins | In Korean with English
subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Hong Sang-soo | Cast:
Shin Seok-ho, Ha Seong-guk, Kim Seung-yun | Sales Agent:
Finecut Co. Ltd.

THU 8 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1
WED 14 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1

ALL AGES

USA, Portugal, France | 2023 | 50 mins | In English andFrench with English subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Deborah Stratman | Producer:
Deborah Stratman, Anže Peršin, Gaëlle Boucand | Cast:
Valérie Massadian, Marcia Bjørnerud | Production Company:
Pythagoras Film

A double bill of optical experiments courtesyof prolific South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo
and an eye-popping 3D short set in a
Barcelona maze.

A virtuosic and experimental ode to the mineral
kingdom – via early French sci-fi, microscopic
footage and polyphonic song.

“Why is your film blurry, director Hong?” “Whenit came to the first day of shooting and I was
focusing the camera, I just decided to shoot out
of focus. I really don’t know. It wasn’t intentional.”
Hong Sang-soo’s most experimental work to datedisassembles cinema’s elemental structures witha wink to the spontaneous whims of the artistic
process. The story is simple: a young director
and two friends spend the weekend on Jeju Island.
They wander, search for creative inspiration,
drink soju, rinse and repeat. Hong conveys thissparse narrative in shafts of light, daubs of colour
and smudged forms along a rocky coastline.
Such impressionistic images demand active
spectatorship and a recalibrated attentivenessto cinema’s sensual pleasures.

Acclaimed filmmaker Deborah Stratman’s latest
work explores the past and future of the earth
through some of its most elemental materials. Set
to a propulsive soundtrack of alien blips by Brian
Eno and Okkyung Lee, Last Things tells a 13-billionyear-old story of mineral evolution. Iridescentcrystals spin and exquisite fractal patterns bloom.
The camera zooms out to lunar landscapes and inon chondrules (droplets of solar nebula) glimmeringlike stained glass under a microscope. Stratman’s
camera ekes wonder from seemingly inert matter,celebrating – in her words – the ‘delicious candy
snack' appeal of the geo-biosphere. Embracing
otherworldly visual thrills, Last Things downplays
the apocalyptic drama of a world without humans totake pleasure in the unknown. Winner of the shortfilm prize at 2023 Cinéma du Réel.

Screens with Laberint sequences

Screens with How to Build a Forest

We are pleased to support the Screenability Filmmakers Fund, now in its
seventh year. The Screenability Filmmakers Fund celebrates and supports
the careers of filmmakers with disability.
This year’s films are bold, honest, courageous and provocative.
Check out the full Screenability program for more information andsession times.

screen.nsw.gov.au

Image still from Screenability film Chum.
Photo Adam Edwards

15+

Australia | 2022 | 69 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Soda Jerk
Festival Contact: Soda Jerk

Festival Guests: Soda Jerk

ANGEL APPLICANT

37

38

JANE CAMPION – HER WAY

JANE CAMPION – HER WAY

AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE

JANE CAMPION,
THE CINEMA WOMANSAT 10 JUN 2:00 PM STATE
THU 15 JUN 6:00 PM HOC5

ALL AGESFrance | 2022 | 98 mins | In English | Australian Premiere
Director: Julie Bertuccelli | Producer: Estelle Fialon
Sales Agent: Westend Films

Filmmaker Julie Bertuccelli (The Tree, SFF 2010)
draws the portrait that Jane Campion deserves
in a Cannes-selected documentary that is
unapologetically subjective, mirroring Campion's
own indelible body of work.
Brimming with candid anecdotes and a treasure
trove of never-before-seen archival footage, this is
an insightful and wildly entertaining documentary.
César Award-winning director Bertuccelli charts
Campion’s extraordinary life journey from herchildhood under theatre-world parents in New
Zealand, to her young adulthood as a film schoolpariah in Sydney (“I didn’t want to compete with the[male students]... I just wanted to tell stories thatwere so private they couldn’t even imagine them”),
to Cannes darling and internationally renowned
auteur. Campion proves a generous raconteur ofher own story – with one of the most infectious
laughs in the game – in this treat for Campion
devotees and fans of mould-breaking artists alike.

Jane Campion on set for The Power of the Dog.
Credit: Kirsty Cameron

JANE CAMPION HER WAY
A cursory glance at most biographies of Jane Campion will reveal afocus on the same landmark awards - she was the first woman to win
the Palme d’Or at Cannes for The Piano, and the only two-time female
Oscar nominee (including one win) for Best Director. Certainly, these
prizes are monumental, but offer only a glimpse of the full depthof the idiosyncrasy, originality, and stylistic and tonal diversity thatcharacterises her extensive body of work.
From the abrasive comedy of Sweetie and Holy Smoke to the lyrical melodrama of An Angel at My Table
and Bright Star, to the genre-defying In the Cut and The Power of the Dog, Campion’s chief trademark
as an auteur is her range – despite her unabashed feminism and the recurrence of strong-willed female
characters, she proved to be an equally keen observer of masculinity in all its guises.
Born in New Zealand to parents enmeshed in the country’s tightly knit theatre community, Campion grewup with an affinity for actors that would anticipate the surprising casting coups of her later work (Meg
Ryan’s darkly carnal role in In the Cut, Benedict Cumberbatch as an aggressively macho ranch-ownerin The Power of the Dog). She entered the Australian film industry while studying at AFTRS, where she
made a series of exceptional short films including Peel, which won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at
Cannes in 1986.
From there, Campion began an extraordinary run culminating in the phenomenon of The Piano, and eventhen, used her platform to make films that confounded critics – at least many male ones, who Campion
once cheekily described as a “mountain of corduroy you have to get through.”
Always a few steps ahead of the zeitgeist, with a profoundly interconnected body of work, it’s a thrill
to offer audiences the chance to experience this diverse range of films that nonetheless tell one
extraordinary girl’s own story.
Introduction and film notes by Melba Proestos

Presented by Sydney Film Festival in assocation with ACMI and NFSA

Festival Guest: Jane Campion

TWO FRIENDSMON 12 JUN 10:15 AM AGNSWTHE PIANOPG

New Zealand, Australia | 1990 | 158 mins | In English
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriter: Laura Jones
Producer: Bridget Ikin | Cast: Kerry Fox, Alexia Keogh,
Karen Fergusson | Rights Holder: Felix Media. Film courtesy of
Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission

Falsely diagnosed with schizophrenia as anadult, Janet Frame was one of New Zealand’s
most acclaimed authors. Her extraordinary life
was chronicled in three autobiographical novels
that were adapted into this enthralling andheartbreaking epic.
Based on three autobiographical novels by Janet
Frame about her coming of age from the 1930s
onward, Campion’s film (SFF 1990) is a lyrical andheart-wrenching coming-of-age tale. It charts
Frame’s life from her childhood through to her timein a psychiatric hospital (following a misdiagnosis of
schizophrenia) to international fame. Featuring an
outstanding performance from Kerry Fox as theadult Frame, An Angel at My Table is a fascinating
study of a rare subject: the stigma of female genius.
Revered director Claire Denis (Beau Travail) said,“this film changed my life as a woman, not simply
as a filmmaker.” Grand Special Jury Prize,
Venice 1990.
Festival Guest: Bridget Ikin

SWEETIE

IN THE CUT

MON 12 JUN 2:00 PM AGNSWTUE 13 JUN 6:30 PM HOC5

THE PORTRAIT OF A LADYM

New Zealand, Australia, France | 1993 | 120 mins |In English and Māori with subtitles
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriter: Jane Campion
Producer: Jan Chapman | Cast: Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin,
Harvey Keitel | Australian Distributor: Icon Distribution

A haunting love triangle between a non-verbal
pianist, her arranged husband and a reclusive
sailor only scratches the surface of the film thatmade Campion a household name – and won her
a Palme d’Or and an Oscar.
Campion’s previous films put her on the map;
The Piano launched her into the stratosphere. In her
Oscar-winning role, Holly Hunter is unforgettable as
Ada, a non-verbal pianist who arrives on the shoresof 1850s New Zealand with her young daughter(Oscar winner Anna Paquin) and the beloved piano intow, for an arranged marriage to a man (Sam Neill)
she’s never met. When Ada’s new husband trades
her piano to their neighbour (Harvey Keitel), sheagrees to a deal to buy it back, key by key. A blendof sweeping period melodrama and overt feminist
allegory that made Campion the first ever woman
Palme d’Or recipient, also winning three Oscars andbecoming a box office juggernaut, this masterwork
recently ranked in the top 50 of Sight and Sound’s
critics’ poll of the greatest films of all time.

BRIGHT STARWED 14 JUN 7:00 PM AGNSW39

HOLY SMOKE

PG

UK, USA | 1996 | 144 mins | In English
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriter: Laura Jones
Producers: Monty Montgomery, Steve Golin | Cast:
Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich
Rights Holder, Print Source: Park Circus

SAT 17 JUN 10:15 AM AGNSW

MA15+Australia, USA | 1999 | 115 mins | In English
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriters: Jane Campion,
Anna Campion | Producer: Jan Chapman
Cast: Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Pam Grier
Rights Holder: Park Circus. 35mm Print Source:
National Film and Sound Archive

Henry James’s classic tale becomes as much
Campion’s own, with a star-studded cast
led by Nicole Kidman. A lavish period dramaof innocence lost, told through a searing
contemporary lens.
From its opening montage featuring images ofcontemporary womanhood, Campion’s followup to The Piano similarly defies expectations ofthe ‘period drama’, turning the heroine of Henry
James’s 1881 novel into a classic Campion
subject. Kidman plays Isabel Archer, a naive
heiress who falls for the dashing Gilbert Osmond(John Malkovich) only to find herself trapped in aloveless marriage and subject to the manipulationsof Madame Serena Merle (an Oscar-nominated
Barbara Hershey). With sumptuous cinematography
and an extraordinary cast (Richard E. Grant, MaryLouise Parker, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortensen,
Shelley Winters and Shelley Duvall), this epic boldly
defies genre conventions.

THE POWER OF THE DOG

The Australian outback sets the scene fora hallucinatory battle of wills between Kate
Winslet and Harvey Keitel, in Campion’s
stimulating, offbeat blend of spirituality
and sexuality.
Returning to the darkly comic territory of Sweetie
but moving the sibling dynamic offscreen (Campion
co-wrote the script with her sister Anna Campion),
Holy Smoke stars Keitel as a deprogrammer sent toAustralia by the parents of Ruth (Winslet, sportinga pitch-perfect Aussie accent), alarmed that theirdaughter has embraced a guru’s teachings a little
too devoutly on her recent trip to India. A battle ofthe sexes ensues in this wild and surreal film, which
Campion says was inspired by her interest in “thequestion of how you have a spiritual life in the ’90s
and in the connections of spirituality, eroticism,and love.”
Screens with Passionless Moments

JANE CAMPION SHORTS
PEEL
Australia | 1982 | 9 mins | In English
Winner of the 1986 Cannes Palme d'Or for Best
Short Film, Campion’s first film school project is
portrayed by a real family of rambunctious redheads.
Screens with Two Friends

A GIRL'S OWN STORY
SUN 11 JUN 10:15 AM AGNSW

PG

Australia | 1986 | 76 mins | In English
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriter: Helen Garner
Producer: Jan Chapman | Cast: Kris Bidenko, Emma Coles,
Kris McQuade | Rights Holder: ABC Licensing.
16mm Print Source: National Film and Sound Archive

Premiering at Cannes, Campion’s captivating
first feature depicts the budding – andunravelling – friendship between two Sydney
teenage girls, told in reverse order.
Made for the ABC in 1986 and with a berth in Un
Certain Regard at Cannes – three years before
Sweetie – Campion’s little-seen debut was the firstof several feature collaborations with producer Jan
Chapman (Bright Star, Holy Smoke, The Piano).
Written by renowned Australian novelist Helen
Garner, it’s an absorbing tale of adolescence andfriendship revealed in reverse. In five episodes,
Campion deftly charts the complicated bond
between two 15-year-olds, studious Louise(Emma Coles) and defiant Kelly (Kris Bidenko),from their relationship’s painful dissolution to its
hopeful beginning.
Screens with Peel

SUN 11 JUN 2:00 PM AGNSWM

Australia | 1989 | 97 mins | In English
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriters: Jane Campion,
Gerard Lee | Producer: John Maynard
Cast: Genevieve Lemon, Karen Colston, Tom Lycos
Rights Holder: Felix Media. 35mm Print Source:
National Film and Sound Archive

Campion’s wild side was out in full force inher 1989 breakthrough, about the love-hate
relationship between two odd sisters, which
over time has lost none of its radical edge.
Greeted with a chorus of impassioned cheers
and jeers when it premiered at Cannes in 1989,
this bold, bawdy and often harrowing tale oftwo sisters announced Campion’s arrival as an
uncompromising new cinematic voice. Exploring thefractious relationship between the volatile Sweetie(Genevieve Lemon in a star making turn) and theintroverted Kay (Karen Colston), Campion refuseseasy psychology and diagnoses. She challenges
audiences to reckon with Sweetie’s increasingly
erratic behaviour without the benefit of simple
answers, just as the characters in her orbit do.
As Lemon herself cheerfully admitted, “Campion
wanted [audiences] to be bugged by Sweetie.”
Screens with A Girl's Own Story
Festival guests: John Maynard and members of
the film team

SAT 17 JUN 1:30 PM AGNSW

R18+Australia, UK, USA | 2003 | 119 mins | In English
Director: Jane Campion | Screenwriters: Jane Campion,
Susanna Moore | Producers: Nicole Kidman, Laurie Parker
Cast: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Rights Holder, 35mm Print Source: Sony Pictures Releasing

Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo toe the line ofpredator and prey in Campion’s intoxicating andcontroversial adaptation of Susanna Moore’s
erotic novel that defies convention.
Meg Ryan slashes her sweetheart screen persona
as a New York City English teacher who becomes
dangerously involved with a detective (Ruffalo)
investigating the brutal murder of a young woman,in what remains Campion’s most provocative andpolarising film. Adapted from Susanna Moore’s
novel of the same name and impressionisticallyshot by Oscar-winning Australian cinematographer
Dion Beebe (Holy Smoke  ), Campion uses theerotic thriller as a Trojan horse for her ongoing
exploration of female autonomy and desire. The film
notoriously divided critics – but not David Strattonand Margaret Pomeranz, who both gave it fivestars on The Movie Show, with Pomeranz deeming
it “absolutely the best film that Jane Campion has
ever made.”
Screens with After Hours

SUN 18 JUN 10:15 AM AGNSW

PG

SUN 18 JUN 2:00 PM AGNSWM

Australia, UK | 2009 | 119 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Jane Campion | Producers:
Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt | Cast: Abbie Cornish,
Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider | Rights Holder:
Roadshow Entertainment. 35mm Print Source:
National Film and Sound Archive

New Zealand, Australia | 2021 | 128 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: Jane Campion | Producers:
Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman,
Iain Canning, Roger Frappier | Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch,
Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons | Rights Holder,
35mm Print Source: Netflix

Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish shine in thisachingly beautiful love story between poet John
Keats and Fanny Brawne, shot with lyricism by
Oscar-winning DP Greig Fraser (Dune).

Campion won her second Oscar for this gripping
Western exploring masculinity, starring Benedict
Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons andKodi Smit-McPhee.

After a six-year gap between features, Campion
returned with an intimate but emotionally walloping
romantic tragedy about the love affair between
legendary poet John Keats (Whishaw) and Fanny
Brawne (Cornish). Shot in gorgeous naturalistichues by cinematographer Greig Fraser and featuring
delicate, empathetic performances from Cornish
and Whishaw, it makes an apt companion piece to
An Angel at My Table, focusing on the inner tormentof artists and reuniting Campion with Kerry Fox in
the role as Fanny’s mother. Bright Star is a visualand poetic wonder.

Montana, 1925. The Burbank brothers, Phil
(Cumberbatch) and George (Plemons) own asprawling and successful cattle ranch, and stillshare a bedroom. Where George is taciturn, Philis charismatic, hyper-masculine and a bully –constantly taunting his brother. When George
secretly marries the gentle, restaurant-owningwidow Rose (Dunst), her very presence enrages
Phil. He’s even more antagonistic towards her
sensitive son Peter (Smit-McPhee). Campion
brilliantly ramps up the tension as these characters,
at undeclared war with each other, head towards
a shocking climax. With a tremendous score byRadiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, both beautiful
and unnerving, and uniformly fine performances,
The Power of the Dog (SFF 2021) is a triumph.

Screens with The Water Diary

Australia | 1983 | 27 mins | In English
This ’60s coming-of-age tale packed with iconic
imagery and memorable musical moments won the1984 Rouben Mamoulian Award at SFF and Best
Achievement in Direction at AFI.
Screens with Sweetie

PASSIONLESS MOMENTS
Australia | 1983 | 13 mins | In English
Winner of the 1984 AFI Award for Best Experimental
Film, Campion’s collection of awkwardly familiarand embarrassing vignettes went on to wow
Cannes audiences.
Screens with Holy Smoke

AFTER HOURS
Australia | 1984 | 29 mins | In English
After Hours provocatively depicts the gamut of
responses when a young office worker reports her
boss for sexual harassment. An ahead-of-its time
examination of truth and power.
Screens with In the Cut

THE WATER DIARY
Australia, France | 2006 | 18 mins | In English
An extreme drought is seen through the eyesof a young girl in country NSW, narrated by
Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa), starring alongside
Genevieve Lemon (Sweetie).
Screens with Bright Star40

AMITABH BACHCHAN: BACK TO THE BEGINNING

CLASSICS RESTORED

THE DEVIL QUEEN

CLASSICSRESTOREDAMITABH
BACHCHAN:
BACK TO THE
BEGINNINGHAIRSPRAYA RAINHA DIABAWED 14 JUN 8:30 PM DNT3

18+

Brazil | 1973 | 99 mins | In Portuguese withEnglish subtitles
Director, Screenwriter: Antonio Carlos da Fontoura
Producer: Roberto Farias | Cast: Milton Gonçalves,
Stepan Nercessian, Odete Lara | Print/Rights: CinemaScópio

Picture a cross between City of God and John
Waters: this 1973 Brazilian classic’s mix ofgangster grit, colourful camp and LGBTQIA+
pride is still ahead of its time.

Last year marked the 80thbirthday of Indian screen icon
Amitabh Bachchan, whose
signature combination of toughguy charisma and emotional
depth has made him one of themost beloved public figuresin the country. The occasion
prompted a remarkableretrospective of his classic
films, curated and restored by
the Film Heritage Foundation.

DEEWAAR

Antonio Carlos da Fontoura’s wild romp through theunderbelly of Rio de Janeiro has been beautifully
restored for its 50th anniversary. Milton Gonçalves
gives an astonishing performance as the titular
Devil Queen, an imperious crime boss who is asfabulous as she is feared by her minions. When the
Queen allows a treacherous partner (Nelson Xavier)to set up a cocky young rube (Stepan Nercessian)
to protect her rackets (and her favorite handsome
young dealer) from the cops, all hell breaks loose ina bloodbath of double-crosses and revenge. Pulsing
with the tropical soul of Rio, funny and delightful
but also lurid and violent, this unrestrained andunforgettable film (screened in Berlinale 2023) isstill the wildest of rides.

The Bachchan Back to the Beginning Festival
screened in 19 Indian cities and was a huge success– a testament to Bachchan’s enduring appeal.
These four titles selected from that program offer
a captivating look at the star’s dominance in the
1970s. Bachchan became the ‘Angry Young Man’during a decade of social upheaval, and indeed allthese films confront issues like class, poverty andbigotry. They are also Hindi cinema at its finest:
filled with action, melodrama, life-affirming musicalnumbers – and Bachchan’s enthralling screenpresence.
Introduction and film notes by Jim Poe

Amar Akbar Anthony

AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY

The Drover's Wife

DON

KAALA PATTHAR

Event Cinemas George St, andThe Hub in Lower Town Hall.
15+

India | 1975 | 165 mins | In Hindi with English subtitles
Director: Yash Chopra | Screenwriters: Salim Khan,
Javed Akhtar | Producer: Gulshan Rai | Cast:
Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy
Restored digital print provided by Film Heritage Foundation

This classic drama features iconic performancesby Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor as
brothers who grow up in poverty only to end up
on opposing sides of the law.
Bachchan’s fame as India’s ‘Angry Young Man’
was certified with this charismatic 1975 star turn.
Bachchan is Vijay, whose militant unionist father(Satyendra Kapoor) was betrayed and driven
into exile when Vijay was a boy, leaving him, hisbrother Ravi (Shashi Kapoor) and their devoutly
religious mother Sumitra (Nirupa Roy) to starve on
the streets of Mumbai. Years later, Vijay survives
as a humble dock worker, but his combative spirit
impresses a local crime boss (Iftekhar). Soon he isin charge of gang operations and flush with cash.
Meanwhile, Ravi has graduated from the police
academy with top honors; his first assignment is
to investigate Vijay’s gang. The resulting fraternal
conflict leads to wrenching drama and tragedy.

SAT 10 JUN 10:15 AM AGNSWSUN 11 JUN 1:00 PM CASULAM

SAT 10 JUN 1:45 PM AGNSWSAT 17 JUN 7:00 PM CASULA

M

India | 1977 | 175 mins | In Hindi with English subtitles
Director: Manmohan Desai | Screenwriters: Prayag Raj,
K.K. Shukla, Kader Khan | Producer: Manmohan Desai
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor
Restored digital print provided by Film Heritage Foundation

India | 1978 | 166 mins | In Hindi with English subtitles
Director: Chandra Barot | Screenwriters: Salim Khan,
Javed Akhtar | Producer: Nariman A. Irani | Cast:
Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran | Restored digitalprint provided by Film Heritage Foundation

Hindi cinema extravaganza at its finest, thisgenre-busting epic follows the fates of threebrothers, separated in childhood and raised asa Hindu, a Muslim, and a Christian – a ‘masalafilm’ classic.

In this action packed classic, Amitabh Bachchan
is magnetic in a dual role as a suave crime lordand his lookalike, a poor street performer roped
into impersonating him by the police.

This one has it all: a triple serving of melodrama,
romance, comedy, fistfights, car chases, miracles– and truly splendid and euphoric musical numbers.
Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchanstar as the titular brothers who were lost after their
impoverished parents (Pran Sikand, Nirupa Roy)
were vindictively attacked by a ruthless gangster(Jeevan Dhar), then raised separately as orphans.
Twenty-two years later they are reunited for a seriesof adventures – unaware that they’re related andtheir parents are still alive. Bachchan is wonderfulplaying against type in a comic role as a lapsed
Christian bar owner and tough guy. The film’s
themes of religious and cultural unity are more
relevant and moving than ever.

The influence of Blaxploitation flicks is apparent
in this stylish thriller, with its funky soundtrack,delightful ’70s fashions and tangled undercovercapers. When notoriously cold-blooded crime
boss Don is killed in a police chase, DSP D’Silva(Iftekhar) schemes to cover it up, drafting thehapless Vijay, a humble migrant from the country
who happens to look exactly like Don, as anundercover agent. Vijay’s dangerous mission is topass as Don and bust his international cartel. In
a feminist twist, Zeenat Aman defies stereotypes
as a deadly interloper out to avenge her brother’smurder. Tensions between rich and poor incontemporary Mumbai provide rich subtext to theaction, intrigue and fantastic musical numbers.

MON 12 JUN 1:15 PM EV9

Crack out the teasing comb and a fresh can ofhairspray for this recently restored cult classic
that pops with ’60s kitsch, signature John
Waters wit and the grooviest moves!
It’s the heyday of hairdos, Baltimore 1962, andTracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) is desperate for a spot
on the local teen dance show. Her successful
audition ousts fan favourite and spoiled brat Amber,whose pushy stage parents (Debbie Harry, Sonny
Bono) plot revenge. Meanwhile, with her friends
and parents (Divine, Jerry Stiller), Tracy uses her
newfound fame to rail against racial segregationon the show, causing chaos in the community,
bordering on hysteria. Hairspray may appear a moremainstream offering from Waters, but this parody ofteen and social-issues is underpinned by wickedly
funny, subversive messages. Soak up the kitsch
costumes, hoppin’ soundtrack and performancesthat drip with camp delight!
A digital restoration of Hairspray marking the100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios.

All tickets $45 includes screening, party
and drink on arrival

PG
Build your hair to the sky for our Hairspray party with our vinyl DJ spinning ’60s tracks
from the film, go-go dancers, a photobooth and more! Includes one drink on arrival.

India | 1979 | 171 mins | In Hindi with English subtitles
Director, Producer: Yash Chopra | Screenwriters:
Salim Khan, Javed Akhtar | Cast: Amitabh Bachchan,
Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha | Screening courtesy of
Yash Raj Films Pvt. Ltd. | Restored digital print provided byFilm Heritage Foundation

Amitabh Bachchan simmers as a coal miner witha dark past in this rousing drama about working
class solidarity and overcoming suffering.
Bachchan is Vijay, a disgraced sea captain who
once abandoned a sinking ship, leaving hundreds todie. Shattered by guilt and shame, he now works ina notoriously deadly coal mine. Though indifferent
to the danger to himself, he looks out for his fellow
workers and the residents of the mining town – andkindles a flame with the town’s doctor (Rakhee
Gulzar). Shashi Kapoor co-stars as a rabble-rousing
engineer who organises the miners against theirpredatory boss (Prem Chopra). When the boss’s
rapacious greed leads to disaster, Vijay’s heroics
give him a shot at redemption. The screenplay’s
unabashed anticapitalism and focus on the powerof collective action delivers an underdog story thataudiences can root for.

Welcome to the ’60s! After our Hairspray screening, come on down to this special edition of the
Corny Collins show.

The Third Note
TUE 13 JUN 6:00 PM EV915+

In 1973 when the Australian Film Television and Radio School was founded, their inaugural Chair,
Barry Jones, implored that the school must be “a revolutionary force” in Australian culture. To marktheir 50th anniversary, AFTRS are celebrating their revolutionary spirit and legacy, on palpable
display in this incredible program of short films from their esteemed alumni.
This selection includes restored films from the class of ’73 – Gillian Armstrong, Phillip Noyce
and Chris Noonan – alongside Ivan Sen, Jane Campion, Cate Shortland, Robert Connolly,
Sue Brooks and Catriona McKenzie’s remarkable first forays into filmmaking.
SHORT FILMS SCREENING:
Bulls | Chris Noonan | 1973
Caravan Park | Phillip Noyce | 1973
One Hundred a Day | Gillian Armstrong | 1973
Peel | Jane Campion | 1982
The Drover’s Wife | Sue Brooks | 1985
Mr Ikegami's Flight | Robert Connolly | 1995
Warm Strangers | Ivan Sen | 1997
The Third Note | Catriona McKenzie | 1999
Joy | Cate Shortland | 2000

50

PG

USA | 1988 | 89 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter: John Waters | Producer:
Rachel Talalay | Cast: Ricki Lake, Divine, Ruth Brown
Print/Rights: Roadshow Films

FILM TRACKS:HAIRSPRAY
THU 8 JUNE 7PM–11PM

WED 7 JUN 7:00 PM AGNSWTHU 8 JUN 7:00 PM EV5

All tickets $45 includes screening, The Hubparty and drink on arrival.

AFTRS 50TH – ALUMNI SHORT FILMS

41

Whether you’re a heartthrob, a hep talker or a head hopper, follow along with Bridie Doll –Sydney’s red-lipped, champagne-soaked gogo dancing queen – and her favourite Hairsprayinspired dance moves. Wear your best threads and make John Waters proud for your chance to
win Best Dressed, take a snap in our polaroid photobooth, and dust off those dancin’ shoes tocompete in our dance-off competition.
Ticket includes film screening, exclusive access to the SFF The Hub Party and a drink on arrival.
FILM TRACKS is a new event series screening films with great music and a party to dance to the
awesome ’tracks.

42

SHORTSSFFTV AND YOUR PLANET
An amazing array of short films screen before features and documentaries.
Plus check out more Australian short films in the Dendy Awards on page 12,
Screenability short films on page 36, Jane Campion shorts on page 39 and
AFTRS 50TH – Alumni short films on page 41.

SHORT FILMSSFFTVSFFTV at Martin Place (between Pitt andCastlereagh Streets) is taking cinema
to the streets! Swing by SFF’s giant
outdoor screen between 7-18 June tosee curated animations from the festival
circuit, trailers of SFF 2023 films, andhistorical footage from the SFF archive.

The Short Film Program is proudly supported by the Director's Lab(SFF's Young Patron Program).

A.S.M.ORTALFEATURE SCREENING: THE BACK OF BEYOND –CELEBRATING 70 EDITIONS OF SFF
And make sure to drop by Tue-Fri from
12pm during the Festival for free techworkshops, local bites and beverage
sampling, and free lunchtime screeningsof curated shorts or a special throwback
screening of The Back of Beyond.

Australia | 1954 | 63 min | John Heyer | G

To honour SFF’s 70th edition, SFFTV will
host two screenings of the Australianclassic The Back of Beyond. Screening
as a tribute to the film’s premiere at thevery first Sydney Film Festival in 1954,
this documentary traverses the outback,following the steps of mailman Tom
Kruse on his journey from Marree toBirdsville, charting the characters andobstacles he meets along the way.
Courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.
Screens with Four Minute Festival
THU 8 JUN 12:00PM SFFTVTHU 15 JUNE 12:00PM SFFTV
Find the full program at
sff.org.au/sfftv

ALIEN0089

YOUR PLANET CLIMATE &ENVIRONMENT SHORTS

Canada | 2022 | 12 mins | In French withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Maxime S. Girard
Producers: Maxime S. Girard, Charles Parisé
Cast: Vanessa Larose, Gabriel Antoine-Roy,
Olivier Beauchemin | Sales Agent:
Welcome Abroad

Chile | 2023 | 22 mins | In Spanish withEnglish subtitles | Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Valeria Hofmann
Producers: Augusto Matte, Daniela Camino,
Pascual Mena, Valeria Hofmann | Cast:Mariana di Girolamo | Production Company:
Mimbre Films

All that inner peace is driving
Nelly crazy.

A video gamer’s stalker hacks into her
virtual world. Special Jury Award (Short
Film Directing), Sundance 2023.

From wildlife defenders to waste warriors, from valleys to reefs, to powerful stories from First Nations filmmakers – these short
documentaries will transport you across Australia and showcase people and communities creating solutions to some of thegreatest challenges facing our environment. SFF is proud to present two screenings – at Events Cinemas and The AustralianMuseum.

Screens with Raging Grace, page 48

For information on the post-screening talk at Australian Museum see page 47.

Screens with Sisu, page 48

43

THU 8 JUN 6:00 PM EV9				
SUN 11 JUN 2:00 PM AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

ALL AGES

All films courtesy of ABC Factual.

Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director: Josie Hess | Screenwriters, Producers:
Josie Hess, Stephanie Sabrinskas | Cast:
Wendy Farmer

Wendy Farmer, housewife turned activist
and founder of Voices of the Valley,
recounts how the devastating Hazelwood
mine fire led her to find her voice asan activist.

An ABC Factual and Doc Society Initiative supported by Screen Territory, VicScreen, Screen Tasmania, Screen
Queensland and Screenwest.

Handmade Happiness

AFTER THE SMOKETHE BEGINNING

CATHY'S DOLL

HANDMADE HAPPINESSHOW CAN I HELP YOU

HOW TO BUILD A FORESTBABANILFOR FROGS' SAKE!

MAD ABOUT MAGGOTSMAMIRNIKUWITHE NUMBER 2 SOLUTION

Australia | 2023 | 16 mins | In English
Sydney Premiere
Director, Festival Contact: Jonathan Adams
Screenwriters: Jonathan Adams,
Andrew Boland | Producers: Daniel Green,
Jonathan Adams, Andrew Boland | Cast:
Kirstyn Niccolle, Michael Budd, Prema Smith

Australia | 2023 | 9 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer,
Festival Contact: Taylor Venter | Cast:
Evie Rose Bennett, Paul McKenzie,
Helen O'Connor

Australia | 2022 | 9 mins | In English
Director, Producer, Festival Contact:
Vivien Mason | Screenwriter: Letitia Lamb
Cast: Paul Rubie, Shichao "Saisai" Luo,
Sybilla Scott-Smith

Australia | 2022 | 10 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Eliza Scanlen
Producers: Georgia Noe, Kristina Ceyton,
Samantha Jennings, Alex White | Cast:
Thomasin McKenzie, Hunter Page-Lochard
Production Company: Causeway Films

Australia | 2022 | 7 mins | In English
Director, Producer, Festival Contact: Jenn Tran
Screenwriter: Kelly Bartholomeusz, Jenn Tran
Cast: Jessica Douglas-Henry

Australia | 2023 | 7 mins | In English
and Nyikina with English subtitles
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer:
Marlikka Perdrisat

Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director: Derek Ho | Screenwriters:
Derek Ho, Albert Ong | Producers: Derek Ho,
Lynette Plenderleith

Australia | 2023 | 7 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director: Elsie Shaw | Screenwriter:
Patrick Hogan | Producers: Elsie Shaw,
Lori Canalini

Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Rebecca Parker
Producers: Antonia Burke, Caro Macdonald

Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Producer: Morgan Pelt | Screenwriter:
Armin Dzafic

The beautiful lower Martuwarra Fitzroy
River, in the Kimberley region, is a placerich in culture that the Nyikina people
have cared for many generations.

The story of two female conservationists
fighting against time to save theendangered and elusive Giant Burrowing
Frogs in regional Victoria.

One third of the food produced every year
is thrown away. Because of this, foodwaste makes up 30 percent of global
emissions. Luke Wheat has decided to dosomething about it.

After discovering that her home on the
Tiwi Islands is at risk from a huge gas
project, Antonia Burke mobilises her
community creating the first ever Tiwi
Women’s Ranger group.

Brisbane-based scientists build
Australia’s first facility to transformhuman waste into renewable energy anda sustainable product called Biochar.

NYARRPARARLA MALAJU?

THE OYSTER GARDENER

POWER TO COUNTRY

ROAD KILL WARRIORSWING THREADS

Australia | 2023 | 11 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Kim Ingles | Producers:
Kim Ingles, Julia Lörsch | Cast: Jolie May

Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director: Josef Jakamarra Egger | Producers:
Andrea Elisa Distefano, Libby Collins,
Maya Ghattas | Cast: Shirley Simon

Australia | 2023 | 13 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Lara van Raay
Cast: Ruth Waterhouse

Australia | 2023 | 11 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Producer:
Christopher M. McCormack

400,000 animals are killed on Tasmanianroads every year. Meet the women who
are tackling this issue in unique andsometimes controversial ways.

Zoologist turned microlight pilot, Amellia
Formby, is on a mission to share her love
for migratory shorebirds, whilst searchingfor solutions to the many threats
they face.

An alien in human form has foreseen the
coming apocalypse. One of his followers
agrees to sacrifice herself to avert
disaster. But Lachlan sees through it –and sets out to save her.

A watchful little girl observes shades ofgrief at her father’s funeral, ultimately
coming to terms with death in her own
unique way.

A passion for craft helps four people
overcome adversity, from knitting to yarn
making, ceramics to recycling textiles.
Screens with On the Adamant, page 26

Screens with Midwives, page 20

In an attempt to overcome her
incessant guilt complex, a young
woman goes a step too far. From
actor-director Eliza Scanlen.

A sci-fi short by Narrm-based animator
Jenn Tran, whereby a narrator returns to
Earth to discover the ruins of an Agnes
Denes’ land artwork.
Screens with Last Things, page 37

Screens with A Thousand and One,
page 23

Screens with Piaffe, page 21

LABERINT SEQUENCES

LOVE FOREVER

LUMBERRATBAGTO BE SILENT

Canada | 2023 | 21 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter, Festival Contact:
Blake Williams | Producers: Marco Gualtieri,
Blake Williams | Cast: Deragh Campbell

Australia | 2022 | 13 mins | In English
Australian Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Clare Young | Producers:
Belinda Mravicic, Rose Ricketson | Cast:
Hannah McKenzie, Beau Cram | Production
Company: Mravicic Films

Australia | 2022 | 12 mins | In English
Director, Screenwriter, Festival Contact:
Harry Sabulis | Producers: Jaden Bowen,
Harry Sabulis | Cast: Jeremy Johnstone,
Christopher O'Leary, Trent Owers

Australia | 2023 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Andrew Kavanagh
Producer: Dianna La Grassa | Cast:
Timothy Lino, Petula Clark, Ruby Clarke-Davies,
Greg Fleet | Production Company:
Bus Stop Films

Australia | 2022 | 10 mins | In English
World Premiere
Director, Screenwriter: Tace Stevens | Producer:
Skye Leon | Cast: Tace Stevens, Lakesha Grant,
Nell Nakkan | Australian Distributor:
Australian Film, Television and Radio School

Australia | 2023 | 11 mins | In English
and Warlpiri with English subtitles
World Premiere
Director, Producer: Anna-Marie Harding
Screenwriters: Simon ‘Japanangka’ Fisher Jnr.,
Anna-Marie Harding

Kyle spends yet another day on school
detention waiting for a dressing down.
Acts of rebellion get him through it.
Created by Bus Stop Films.

Noongar and Spinifex Aboriginal woman
Tace Stevens explores the impact ofcode-switching on her identity, andrevealing what led her to embracing who
she is.

Mala (the Rufous Hare-Wallaby) are very
important ancestors in Warlpiri people’s
Jukurrpa (Dreaming). So what happens
when there are no more Mala?

Screens with I Like Movies, page 19

Screens with Twice Colonized, page 32

The latest 3D short by Blake Williams.
A structuralist experiment in depth
perception and cinematic recursion
set in Barcelona’s Laberint d’Horta.
Contains strobing effects which
may be disturbing for some viewers.
3D glasses provided.
Screens with in water, page 37

A girl from Canberra navigates thetreacherous waters of first love with a boy
from Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Screens with Blue Jean, page 18

A lonely lumberjack in rural Queensland
goes to a gay bar for the first time tofind love.
Screens with Pretty Red Dress, page 21

WHERE HAVE ALL THE MALA GONE?

Jolie, a grade-12 student and aspiring
marine biologist, joins forces with her
community to bring back the lost oyster
reefs of the Noosa River.

A portrait of life thrown into crisis byenergy insecurity, Power to Country tells
the story of Garrwa woman Shirley’s
displacement from traditional homelands
and her yearning to return.

44

FLEXIPASS

45

FLEX YOUR FESTBuy a Flexipass to Sydney Film Festival and save! The more you see,the more you save, and you can book up to four tickets per session so
you can share with friends!
Fill your own Flexipass with any films, or if you don’t know where to
start when choosing from over 200+ films, buy one of our Fast Flexis– containing two tickets to five curated film sessions spread acrossthe Festival. You can also swap out any films or sessions at any time!**some fees apply

Learn more atnida.edu.au
FLEXIPASS 10		

$170 		SAVE $70

FLEXIPASS 20		$320 		SAVE $160

FLEXIPASS 30		$450 		SAVE $270

YOUTH FLEXI 6$75 		

15-24 YR OLDS

Psssst. Did you know that Flexipass holders get treated to special free
screenings all year round to keep that film festival feeling rolling?

FAST FLEXIS – TWO TICKETS TO FIVE FILMS FOR $170 (SAVE $70!)
THE CONTENDERSAwards circuit bound films that you’ll see first.
Past Lives | 9 June, 8.15pm, State | Page 9
The New Boy | 10 June, 6.40pm, State | Page 8
Radical | 13 June, 8.35pm, State | Page 16
Beyond Utopia | 17 June, 3.50pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 24
Reality | 17 June, 7.00pm, State | Page 16
Past LivesNIDA Open Day 2023
Saturday 17 June
On campus and online

FESTIVAL FAVOURITES

Trophy winners at leading international festivals.
Scrapper (Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize) | 8 June, 6pm, State | Page 9
Riceboy Sleeps (Toronto Platform Prize) | 10 June, 5.30pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 21
Afire (Berlinale Silver Bear) | 14 June, 6pm, State | Page 6
A Thousand and One (Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize) | 15 June, 6pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 23
On the Adamant (Berlinale Golden Bear) | 17 June, 1pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 26

A SPACETOIMAGINE
Register Now

Scrapper

CONVERSATION STARTERS
Big issues. Big post-film chats.

The Corridors of Power | 11 June 6pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 25
Art College 1994 | 12 June 6.45pm, State Theatre | Page 6
How to Blow Up a Pipeline | 14 June, 8.10pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 16
Joram | 15 June, 8.00pm, State Theatre | Page 8
The Dark Emu Story | 17 June, 4.40pm, State Theatre | Page 7

Art College 1994

POPCORN COMPANIONS

Sit back and let us entertain you.
Asteroid City | 8 June, 8pm, State Theatre | Page 14
Red, White & Brass | 9 June, 6pm, State Theatre | Page 16
Biosphere | 11 June, 8.45pm, State Theatre | Page 14
Shortcomings | 16 June, 9pm, State Theatre | Page 16
Cobweb | 17 June, 8.50pm, State Theatre | Page 7

Asteroid CityMASTER FILMMAKERS

Celebrate and see leading international filmmakers.
Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman | 10 June, 2pm, State Theatre | Page 38
Fallen Leaves | 11 June, 4.20pm, State Theatre | Page 7
Perfect Days | 12 June, 4.15pm, State Theatre | Page 15
Monster | 16 June, 6pm, State Theatre | Page 8
Dalton’s Dream | 17 June, 5.30pm, Event Cinemas George St | Page 25

LOVE YOUR MOTHER, LOVE YOUR BAGS
Monster

500 GEORGE ST (THE GALERIES)WATCH LIFE ZONE: CRUMPLER.COM/AU46

THE HUBTHE HUBTHE HUBEVENTS AT THE HUB
Keep that post-film buzz going with special events paired withscreenings to celebrate cinema.

FILM TRACKS: HAIRSPRAY PARTYLATE NIGHT PARTY WITH THE DEVIL

THU 8 JUN 8.45PM | $45 INC. FILM
Build your hair to the sky for our Hairspray party with
our vinyl DJ spinning ’60s tracks from the film, go-go
dancers, a photobooth and more! Dressing divine
encouraged. Includes drink on arrival. See page 41.

THU 15 JUN 8.15PM | $45 INC. FILM
For all those freaks who love Freak Me Out!
A late night party to worship all things that gobump in the cinema, following a screening of
Late Night With the Devil. This possessing lineup includes magic, music and occult-inspireddelights. Dressing freaky encouraged. Holy water
not available, but there will be a drink on arrival.

RED, WHITE & BRASS: SCRUM AT THE HUB
FRI 9 JUNE 8:00PM | FREE
Knock-on from the Australian Premiere screeningof Red, White & Brass and keep the cheers
going. Feel like you’ve won the Rugby World Cup
and get brassy at the bar and on the dance floor.
SFF FILM TRIVIA NIGHT
WED 14 JUN 7:00PM | FREE
Are you film fit? Are you a Campion Champion?
Gather your team and join us for a Film Trivia Nightfilled with prizes – prepare your acceptance speech!

KOREAN CINEMA CELEBRATION:GEONBAE!
FRI 16 JUN 8.30PM | FREE
Join us for an unforgettable night celebrating
Korean cinema and culture! Open to all, but
a perfect companion following a screening of
A Wild Roomer at Event Cinemas George St,
immerse yourself in the vibrant Korean culture
with K-Pop cover dance performances, Korean
music DJ party, hands-on activities, andcomplimentary soju and makgeolli.

More to be announced — visit sff.org.au for more info and updates!
The Hub at Town Hall is the heart of Sydney
Film Festival. Drop by between films to
enjoy a bite to eat and a drink from one of
SFF's beverage partners – Brix Rum Distillery,
Château Tanunda, Lyres and Mountain Goat.
Celebrate your love of cinema and extend
your movie moment with filmmaker talks,
panels and themed parties. You can also
discover a treasure trove of recently
uncovered SFF ephemera and digitised
historic footage to mark the Festival's
70th birthday.

WORKED UP A THIRST?
Head down to the SFF Bar for:•••HAPPY HOUR: 4.30PM-6:00PM weekdays
PRODUCT SAMPLING
BRIX RUM COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS

Check The Hub page on our website for more info.
Or try the Brix limited edition Mai Tai cocktail made exclusively for SFF's
70th birthday

MON JUN 12 1:00PM THE HUB
The UNESCO City of Film Award winner for 2023, Chris Godfrey,
co-founder of one of the world’s leading independent creative
digital studios, Animal Logic, and VFX Supervisor extraordinaire inconversation with producer E Bennett Walsh.

The Hub is supported by:

FESTIVAL ARCHIVEOPENING HOURS
Public Holiday Monday: 11:30AM until late
Tuesday−Friday: 4:30PM until late
Saturday: 11:30AM until late
Sunday: 11:30AM until lateAll events are free except those noted as ticketed.

UNESCOCITY OFFILM AWARD
WINNER
2023

See and celebrate 70 years of Sydney Film Festival at a special archive
exhibition on display at The Hub. Explore the remarkable way in whichworld and cinema history has gone hand in hand, through SFF treasures
and witness the evolution of an iconic and internationally renowned film
festival – from its foundation at The University of Sydney, to censorshiprows that went all the way to parliament, and the premieres of films thathave become cinema legend.

The annual Ian McPherson Memorial Lecture is presented eachyear to celebrate the contribution of the man who helped establish
the Sydney Film Festival and acknowledge those who have madesignificant contribution to our industry.

TALKS AT SFF
SUSTAINABLE SCREENS AUSTRALIA –OFFICIAL LAUNCHIN CONVERSATION: JANE CAMPION WITHDAVID STRATTONPLATFORM PITCH – FOR FILM’S SAKE
INCUBATORTHU 8 JUNE 5:30PM THE HUB
Creating screen content shouldn’t come at theexpense of the planet. That’s why Sustainable
Screens Australia (SSA) is on a mission totransform the Australian screen industry into
one which integrates sustainability into everyday
production practices. In partnership with BAFTA’s‘albert’ initiative and an extensive list of Australiancompanies, come celebrate SSA’s launch and feelinspired to take action.

SAT 10 JUN 4:15PM THE HUB | $15
Join Jane Campion in conversation with David
Stratton about her career following the screening ofJane Campion, The Cinema Woman. A remarkablechance to hear from an unparalleled artist who haschanged cinema history in conversation with one ofcinema history’s greatest observers.

SAT 17 JUN 12:30PM THE HUB
Mentored by international guests of the 70thedition of SFF, ten emerging and establishedfilmmakers will be challenged to create
partnerships and projects in just four days as
part of Platform – For Film’s Sake Incubator.
The result of their efforts will be pitched live toan expert industry jury who will give Platform
teams immediate feedback and insight into theirdeveloping works.

GROWING UP OUTSIDE KOREA

SUN 11 JUNE 2:00PM AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM
THEATRE
Join us for a special screening of the Your Planet:
Climate and Environment Shorts and meet some of thefilmmakers behind these unique films at a post-screening
panel presentation with the Museum’s Dr Jenny Newell,
Curator, Climate Change | Climate Solutions Centre
alongside Christopher McCormack (Wing Threads),
Marlikka Perdrisat (Babanil) and Elsie Shaw (Mad About
Maggots) and ABC’s Teri Calder. A special presentation in
partnership with the Australian Museum and the ABC.

THU 8 JUNE 6:00PM KOREAN CULTURALCENTRE, 255 ELIZABETH ST, SYDNEY
Following the State Theatre screening of Riceboy
Sleeps, join director Anthony Shim, actress Choi
Seung-yoon and a panel of Korean Australians as
they explore the significance of Korean culture in
the lives of those growing up outside Korea. Koreansnacks and beverages will be provided by the Centre.

The Archives Project has been supported by:

TALKING CLIMATE: SPECIAL SCREENING
AND PANELVOICES FROM EUROPE
SAT 10 JUN 11:30AM THE HUB
Five filmmakers from Europe! Voices of Women in
Film program strand in conversation with Screen
International’s Sandy George as they discuss theirdifferent approaches to filmmaking and how thelandscape for women working in film varies acrossthe continent.

MEET THE FILMMAKERS: RACHEL WARD
SUN 11 JUN 4:15PM THE HUB
Following the Australian premiere of Rachel’s Farm
join Sandy George in conversation with director Rachel
Ward and the filmmaking team discussing the issues
raised in the film as well as the process of making
such a personal film at the same time as dealing withthe day-to-day operations of a working farm.

Nude Tuesday star Jemaine Clement inconversation at The Hub, 2022

THE DARK EMU STORY
SUN 18 JUN HUB 2:30PM THE HUB
Following the State Theatre screening of The
Dark Emu Story join us in conversation with theauthor Bruce Pascoe. No other Australian bookhas sparked such passion in both praise anddebate over its narrative shaking claims about
Aboriginal farming practices.

47

48

LOCATIONSTICKETING AND ACCESSLOCATIONS62

SECTIONSYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2023 | SFF.ORG.AU

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2023 | SFF.ORG.AU

SECTION

TICKETPRICINGSINGLE TICKETSACCESS AND
INCLUSION

F

ADULT

3

$24

CONCESSION (see below for concession info)
YOUTH (17 and under)

CREMORNE$18.50$17

9

GROUP OF 10+$17• Purchase in bundles of 10, 20 or 30 tickets• Redeem online against any SFF sessions (some exclusions apply, see sff.org.au/flexipass)8

E• Share with friends – redeem up to four tickets per session
FLEXIPASS 10 (SAVE $70)

CHIPPENDALE
LEICHHARDT

5

NEWTOWN

6RANDWICK

7$170

FLEXIPASS 20 (SAVE $160)$320

FLEXIPASS 30 (SAVE $270)$450

YOUTH PASS 6 (15–24 YEARS OLD)

$75

OPENING NIGHTOPENING NIGHT (FILM & PARTY)OPENING NIGHT (FILM ONLY)

$150

11

$35/ $30 CONC

CLOSING NIGHT

CLOSING NIGHT (FILM ONLY)CASULA$30/ $28 CON

SPECIAL SESSIONS
10 FILM PACKAGE: CAMPION RETROSPECTIVE

$150

10

See sff.org.au/terms for conditions

Films rated 18+ may contain elements such assex scenes, drug use, suicide, aggressive themes,
abuse and violent acts including sexual assault
that are strong in impact. If you need help, 24/7
assistance is available from:

PARKINGSFF box offices at all venues open one hour before the first screening and close 15 minutes after the lastscreening begins, unless otherwise stated. Cashless payments only.
1

2

3

4

5

STATE THEATRE
49 Market St, Sydney
Box office opens one hour prior to the screening on
7 June, and daily 9 am–9 pm during the Festival
EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE STREET
505-525 George St, Sydney

67CASULA POWERHOUSE
1 Powerhouse Rd, Casula

8

9

PALACE CENTRAL CINEMAS
Level 3, Central Park Mall, 28 Broadway,
Chippendale

10

11

PALACE NORTON STREET99 Norton St, Leichhardt
THE HUB @ TOWN HALL
283 George St, Sydney. Entry via Druitt St.
No box office onsite

MENSLINE AUSTRALIA:

1300 789 978
BOOK AND SAVE WITH SECURE
Mensline.org.au
PARKING$20 NIGHT AND WEEKENDPARKING*USE SFF.ORG.AU
PROMO CODE: SFF2023

Didn’t See You There screens with InspireMe
THU 9 JUN 6:00 PM PALC1
SUN 12 JUN 2:00 PM DNEW2COMPANION CARDS

Shadow screens with Voice ActivatedSydney Film Festival proudly accepts Companion
Cards to all sessions. For guests who requireassistance of a companion or carer, a second ticket
is issued at no cost to the Companion Card holder.
Contact 1300 733 733 or email tickets@sff.org.au
to book.To access your Companion Card tickets
online use promo code COMPANION23.

WED 15 JUN 3:15 PM STATE
FRI 17 JUN 6:00 PM PALC1
SAT 18 JUN 4:30 PM DNEW2
SUN 19 JUN 2:00 PM
CASULA POWERHOUSE (Open Captioning)
Straighten Up and Fly Right screens with All
Silent Dogs

ACCESS AND
INCLUSIONSINGLE TICKETS

Sydney Film Festival endeavours to make its events a welcoming
and inclusive experience for all. For expanded details on accessibility
and inclusion practices and additional venue information, including
bathroom access and parking, visit sff.org.au/access. Sessions arealso browsable by access requirements via our website.

$24

ADULT CONCESSION*/SENIORS $18.50YOUTH (17 and under) $17

GROUP OF 10+ $17

SFF gratefully acknowledges Director’s Patron Vivienne Selwyn’s generous support
to make the Festival a more inclusive workplace and event.

FLEXIPASSES SAVE YOU UP TO $270!
• Purchase in bundles of 10, 20 or 30 tickets

COMPANIONCARDS• Redeem online against any SFF sessions (some exclusions apply, see sff.org.au/flexipass)• Share with friends – redeem up to four tickets per session
FLEXIPASS 10 (SAVE $70) $170

TUE 14 JUN 6:15 PM PALC1
SAT 18 JUNE 2:00 PM PALC1
SUN 19 JUN 6:00 PM DNEW2FLEXIPASS 20 (SAVE $160) $320

For information on accessibility features
for individual sessions, please see page 39.

FLEXIPASS 30 (SAVE $270) $450

YOUTH PASS 6 (15–24 YEARS OLD) $75

All venues have an inductionTO
hearingCHOOSE
loop system or
SIX LOCATIONSFORMostFROMof the venues for
the Restaurant. Partner deals
hearing aid transmitters. See the auditorium specificare fully accessible. For information on each venue
on our website forEVENT
details.
STATEinformation
THEATRE,CINEMASAND
visit sff.org.au/access.
THE HUB:ASSISTANCE ANIMALSPOLICIES

A

Assistance animals are welcome at all Festival
events and venues. Bookings are essential as weneed to advise the vnue in advance, call 1300 733
733 or email tickets@sff.org.au.

For full terms and conditions, and all our ticket
purchase policies, visit sff.org.au.

OPENING & CLOSING NIGHTOPENING NIGHT (FILM ONLY) $50/$42 CONC*SUBTITLED SCREENINGS

CLOSING NIGHT (FILM ONLY) $35/$30 CONC*B

All foreign language screenings are subtitled in
PICCADILLY,
137 CASTLEREAGH ST
English. This does not include full open captions.
CAR PARKC

NO 1 MARTIN PLACE CAR PARK

10 FILM PACKAGE: CAMPION RETROSPECTIVE 

D

HILTON, 259 PITT ST CAR PARK*Concessions available to full-time students, pensioners, healthcare card holders, unemployed people andseniors. Concession cards must be shown upon admission.

E

255 ELIZABETH ST CAR PARKSPECIAL PRESENTATIONSFOR IPHONE AND ANDROID

F

2 MARKET ST CAR PARKSCREENABILITY

Sydney Film Festival proudly accepts
Companion Cards to all sessions. For guests
who require assistance of a companion orcarer, a second ticket is issued at no cost to
the Companion Card holder. Contact
1300 733 733 or email tickets@sff.org.au tobook.To access your Companion Card tickets
online use promo code COMPANION23.

Screenability is designed to boost theparticipation of under-represented groups inthe screen industry. Sydney Film Festival isproud to present the following films with Auslaninterpreted filmmaker introductions and Q&As,
Open Captioning and Audio Description.

WHEELCHAIR
ACCESSANGEL APPLICANT SCREENS WITH
CHUM

Most SFF auditoriums are wheelchair
accessible and offer designated wheelchair
spaces. Please call 1300 733 733 oremail tickets@sff.org.au when booking toconfirm, as spaces are limited.

THU 8 JUN 6:15 PM DNT2
SAT 10 JUN 2:00 PM DNT2$150

OPENING NIGHT (FILM & PARTY) 

109 PITT ST CAR PARKTHE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM
1 William St, Darlinghurst

YOUR ONE-STOP POCKET GUIDE TO THE FESTIVAL

TICKETPRICINGRESTAURANT PARTNERS

Visit secureparking.com.au/SFF
to book.
UNTIL 19 JUNE: CALL 9AM-6PM MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10AM-3PM
ON WEEKENDS*Booking
feeTHE
of $1.50
applies to each
DURINGFESTIVAL
8-19 JUNE: CALL 9AM-9PM DAILY | SEE VNUES FOR CASHLESS BOX OFFICE HOURS
transaction.
Available to book from 10 May
for 7-18
2023.
SFFJune2022 APP

Most access and inclusion bookings can be madeonline. You can also make a booking or an enquiry bycalling 1300 733 733 or emailing tickets@sff.org.
au. If you are booking on the day of the session, pleasecontact SFF directly to advise us of your requirements.

ASSISTIVE LISTENING

BOOK TICKETSART GALLERY OF NSW THEATRETTE(SOUTH BUILDING)Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, Sydney

SFF APP• Browse the full program and create a wish list
• Go paperless! Show your tickets via the app• Vote in the GIO Audience Awards (see page 7)

BEYOND BLUE:
1300 224 636
Beyondblue.org.au
SUICIDE CALL BACK SERVICE:
1300 659 467
Suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Screenability is designed to boost theparticipation of under-represented groups inthe screen industry. Sydney Film Festival isproud to present the following films with Auslaninterpreted filmmaker introductions and Q&As,
Open Captioning and Audio Description.

CONTACT US

Most SFF auditoriums are wheelchair accessible andoffer designated wheelchair spaces. Please call 1300
733 733 or email tickets@sff.org.au when booking toconfirm, as spaces are limited.

1300 733 733

HAYDEN ORPHEUM PICTURE PALACECREMORNE
380 Military Rd, Cremorne

DENDY CINEMAS NEWTOWN
261–263 King St, Newtown

THE RITZ CINEMAS
45 St Pauls St, Randwick

LIFELINE:
13 11 14
Lifeline.org.au

SCREENABILITYWHEELCHAIR ACCESSCONTENT WARNINGVENUES & BOX OFFICE HOURS

Sydney Film Festival endeavours to make its events a welcoming
and inclusive experience for all audiences. For expanded details on
the Festival’s accessibility and inclusion practices and additional
venue information including bathroom access and parking options,visit
SFF gratefully acknowledges
Director’s Patron Vivienne
Selwyn’s generous support tomake the Festival a more
inclusive workplace and event.

FLEXIPASSES SAVE YOU UP TO $270!

4 CBD

63

49

$150

BOOK TICKETS
SFF.ORG.AU | SFF 2023 APP

1300 733 733

PRE-FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE HOURS
Until 6 June: Call 9am-6pm Monday to Friday
10am-3pm on Saturdays

DURING THE FESTIVAL
From 7-18 June: Call 9am-6.30pm daily
See venues for in-person box office hours.

ASSISTIVE
LISTENING
All venues have an induction hearing loop
system or hearing aid transmitters.
See the auditorium specific informationon our website for details. Excludes
Australian Museum.

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?
SCREENS WITH FIGHTING
MON 12 JUN 4:30 PM DNT2
THU 15 JUN 6:30 PM DNT2
THE TUBA THIEVES SCREENS WITH
14 IN FEBRUARY
WED 14 JUN 6:15 PM DNT2
SAT 17 JUN 1:45 PM DNT2ASSISTANCEANIMALS

PLAN YOUR TRIPAGE RESTRICTIONSTake advantage of the public transport services located near all Festival venues.
Visit transportnsw.info or phone 131 500 for information. Or use the SFF App for directions.
For bike parking refer to cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cycling

No one under 18 is admitted to 18+ films. Children under 15, including babies, will only be admitted
to 15+ films with a parent or guardian. Most films in the Family section are classified for all ages, butplease check age recommendations for each film.

See you at the cinema!

CONTENT WARNING
Films rated 18+ may contain elements such as sex scenes, drug use, suicide, aggressive themes,
abuse and violent acts including sexual assault that are strong in impact. If you need help, 24/7
assistance is available from:
LIFELINE 							 13 11 14Lifeline.org.au
BEYOND BLUE				SUICIDE CALL BACK SERVICEMENSLINE AUSTRALIA

1300 224 636
Beyondblue.org.au
1300 659 467
Suicidecallbackservice.org.au
1300 789 978
Mensline.org.au

Assistance animals are welcome at all
Festival events and venues. Bookings are
essential as we need to advise the venue
in advance, call 1300 733 733 or email
tickets@sff.org.au.

SUBTITLEDSCREENINGSAll foreign language screenings are
subtitled in English. This does notinclude full open captions.

CONTACT US
Most access and inclusion bookings can bemade online. You can also make a booking or an
enquiry by calling 1300 733 733 or emailingtickets@sff.org.au. If you are booking on the
day of the session, please contact SFF directly toadvise us of your requirements.

For information on accessibility updates,
please see page 36.

RESTAURANT PARTNERS
Most of the venues for the Restaurant Partner deals
are fully accessible. For information on each venue
visit sff.org.au/access.

POLICIES
For full terms and conditions, and all our ticket
purchase policies, visit sff.org.au.

50

CALENDARCALENDARSATURDAY 10 JUNE

CALENDAR

VENUE

9AM

10AM

11AM

1PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

OPENING NIGHT – THE NEW BOY
7:00 PMDNT 1

BIOSPHERE
6:30 PMDNT 2WHEN THE WAVES ARE GONE
6:00 PM

P.4,8

HOC 5

CHEVALIER
6:30 PMPALC

EASTERN FRONT
6:15 PMFANTASTIC MACHI...
P.26
6:15 PM

P.17

4PM

ANGEL APPLICANT
2:00 PM

DNT 2

1PM

WHILE WE WATCHED
12:00 PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

RICEBOY SLEEPS
2:30 PM

P.28

5PM

6PM
SCRAPPER
6:00 PM

P.21

8PM

P.23

DNT 2

9PM

THE LAST DAUGHTER
6:15 PM
P.11

EVENT 3
EVENT 9HOC 5LAST THINGS
6:15 PM
P.37

PALC

CANNES UNCUT
6:30 PMRITZ 1CARMEN
6:30 PM

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES
2:15 PM
THAT AFTERNOON
2:00 PM

P.17

P.34

BLUE JEAN
8:35 PM

PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS
2:15 PM
P.27
AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY
10:15 AM

P.09

1PM

THE WINTER WITHIN
12:00 PM

2PM
P.23

3PM

4PM

A STORM FORETOLD
2:30 PM

5PM
P.27

6PM

P.16

BEYOND UTOPIA
6:25 PM

DNT 1
DNT 3
EVENT 3SILVER HAZE
6:00 PMQUEENDOM
8:00 PMEVENT 5

THE CAPE
6:15 PMEVENT 9

9AM

10AM

11AM

THE CARNIVAL
9:30 AM

12PM

1PM

THE NEW BOY
11:45 AM

P.10

2PM

3PM

4PM

P.27

EASTERN FRONT
1:45 PMBEHIND THE HAYSTACKS
12:30 PMTHE GIRL FROM TOMORROW
6:30 PM
P.31

RITZ 3

LOVE ROAD
6:30 PM

P.20

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPE...
6:15 PM
P.19

SIRA
3:15 PM• OFFICIAL COMPETITION• DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA• SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS• INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES• FEATURES• OTHER

PNORT
Palace Norton Street
HOC
Hayden Orpheum Cremorne

8PM

SLOW
5:45 PM

P.22

ORLANDO, MY POLITICA...
2:30 PM
P.27

P.22

WHEN THE WAVES ARE GONE
2:00 PMSMOKE SAUNA SISTE...
5:00 PM
P.31

P.18

BIRDEATER
8:00 PM

P.31
HELLO DANKNESS
7:30 PMTHE BURDENED
7:15 PMCHEVALIER
6:15 PMTWO FRIENDS
10:15 PMSWEETIE
2:00 PM

P.38

P.37

P.18
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
8:30 PM
P.34

P.18

RED, WHITE & BRASS
6:00 PM
P.16

RITZ 5

P.18

P.17

SUNLIGHT
6:15 PMTHE ARC OF OBLIVION
5:30 PM
P.24

P.23

A COUPLE
3:30 PM

P.28

P.20

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
6:30 PMJOAN BAEZ I AM NOISE
4:00 PM
P.29

P.23

P.25

P.14

FREEDOM IS BEAUTIFUL
4:30 PM
P.26

P.35

WORLD WAR III
8:30 PMWHO I AM NOT
8:00 PM

11PM

P.14

UNIDENTIFIED
8:45 PM

P.31

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
6:00 PM

P.28

10PM

BIOSPHERE
8:45 PM

P.23

THAT AFTERNOON
6:30 PM

P.32

9PM

P.07

A THOUSAND AND ONE
6:00 PMTWICE COLONISED
4:00 PM

P.25

P.30

7PM
BAD BEHAVIOUR
6:15 PMAJOOMMA
5:45 PMREALITY
8:00 PM

P.16

P.38

AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY
1:00 PM

P.40

YOUR PLANET - CLIMATE AND ENVIRONM...
2:00 PM
P.47

VENUE
STATE

P.20
P.21

9AM

10AM
FALLEN LEAVES
9:30 AM

11AM
P.07

12PM

1PM

BAD BEHAVIOUR
11:20 AM

2PM

P.07

3PM

ELEMENTAL
2:00 PM
FREE MONEY
2:00 PM

DNT 1

4PM
P.33

BIOSPHERE
8:30 PM

P.22
P.14

RITZ
The Ritz Cinema Randwick
CASULA
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre

AGNSW
Art Gallery of NSW
AUSMUS
Australian Museum

No one under 18, including babies, is admitted to 18+ films. Children under 15 will only be admitted to 15+ films with a parent or guardian.

P.26

GAGA
3:30 PM

DNT 3

7PM

P.15

KAALA PATTHAR
1:15 PMP.40

BEYOND THE WALL
2:00 PMPALC

IN WATER
4:30 PM

P.17
ELAHA
3:30 PM

PNORT

P.26

P.30

RITZ 5
P.39

THE PIANO
2:00 PM

P.34

P.19

P.39

P.11, P.15

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES
6:20 PM

P.37

WORLD WAR III
5:50 PMSTEPHEN CURRY: UNDER...
4:15 PM
P.27
AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE
10:15 AMA GAZA WEEEKEND
6:45 PMRACHEL'S FARM
6:00 PM

P.10

P.16

P.21

A COOLER CLIMATE
4:35 PM
P.25

THE CARNIVAL
3:45 PM

HOC 5

P.06

NIGHTSIREN
7:15 PMSISU
6:30 PM

P.17

P.23
P.34,

10PM
LOST IN THE NIGHT
9:15 PMREALITY
8:00 PM

PRETTY RED DRESS
6:15 PMKEEPING HOPE + MARUNGKA...
4:15 PM
P.11

P.25

9PM

FANTASTIC MACHINE
6:45 PMP.26

JOONAM
5:00 PMCANNES UNCUT
2:15 PM

8PM

ART COLLEGE 1994
6:45 PMHOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE
5:45 PM
P.19

P.32

EVENT 3

AGNSW

6PM

SMOKE SAUNA SISTER...
3:45 PMP.31

DNT 2
SUBTRACTION
8:45 PM

5PM
PERFECT DAYS
4:15 PMIS THERE ANYBODY OUT...
4:30 PM
P.36

EVENT 9DNT
Dendy Newtown
PALC
Palace Central

P.19

NO BEARS
6:15 PMEVENT 5

VENUES

P.14

MONDAY 12 JUNE - PUBLIC HOLIDAY

THE SHADOWLESS TOWER
8:25 PM

PNORT

STATE
State Theatre
EVENT
Event Cinemas George St

6PM

FALLEN LEAVES
4:20 PM
P.07

WHILE WE WATCHED
3:45 PMAUSMUS

P.17

P.14

NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON I...
6:15 PMP.26

SECTIONS

5PM

RACHEL'S FARM
2:15 PM
P.11, P.15

P.4, P.8

CASULA

MIDWIVES
8:30 PMRITZ 5P.20

NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON IS...
3:45 PM
P.26

AGNSW

P.31

HELLO DANKENESS
8:30 PM
P.37

P.10

HOC 5
PALC

P.30

P.17

ASTEROID CITY
6:00 PM

HOC 4

P.20

P.30

I LIKE MOVIES
6:15 PMRITZ 3

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
8:15 PM

P.22

THE BIG DOG
6:30 PM

11PM

P.09

THUNDER
8:30 PMP.30

ORLANDO, MY POLITICA...
6:00 PM
P.27

10PM

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
8:45 PM
P.34

P.24

ELAHA
6:15 PMDNT 2

9PM
PAST LIVES
8:15 PM

MUSIC
8:35 PM

P.23

RED, WHITE & BRASS
8:00 PM
P.16

EVENT 98PM

P.18

BEHIND THE HAYSTACKS
6:30 PM

P.29

EVENT 5

P.18

7PM

P.23

TORA'S HUSBAND
6:00 PMEVENT 4

P.22

RED, WHITE & BRASS
6:00 PM

P.22

P.40

EVENT 3

P.21, P.42

VENUE

12PM

P.21

THE WINTER WITHIN
6:30 PM

P.25

MIDWIVES
4:00 PMDON
1:45 PM

P.40

DNT 3

P.18, P.42

PNORT

11AM

P.21

SUBTRACTION
8:30 PMFAMILY TIME
6:00 PM

DNT 2

PALC

SCRAPPER
10:00 AMRUN RABBIT RUN
8:15 PMCASULAFRIDAY 9 JUNE
10AM

P.10

ASTEROID CITY
8:15 PM

HOC 5

9AM

P.26

A COOLER CLIM...
4:50 PM
P.25

BLUE BAG LIFE
4:00 PM

P.31

P.18

STEPHEN CURRY: UNDERRA...
7:50 PM
P.27

P.27

P.25

PIANOFORTE
4:30 PM

STATE

P.30

P.25

SLOW
6:15 PMRITZ 5P.21

RAGING GRACE
8:30 PMPIAFFE
7:50 PMPNORT

THE ECHO
4:15 PM

P.11

DNT 1

THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW
6:10 PM
P.31

P.27

P.15
P.34

KIM'S VIDEO
8:20 PMCARMEN
6:30 PM

AGNSW

VENUE

P.41

YOUR PLANET - CLIMATE AND...
P.47
6:00 PM

P.30

11PM

SUNDAY 11 JUNE

BAND
8:25 PMHAIRSPRAY
7:00 PMEVENT 5P.16

RICEBOY SLEEPS
5:30 PMTHE LAST DAUGHTER
2:00 PMSISU
8:40 PM

BLUE JEAN
7:45 PMQUEENDOM
5:45 PM10PM
PASSAGES
9:15 PMP.4, P.8

SHORTCOMINGS
6:40 PM

BAND
5:30 PM

P.32

9PM

P.20

P.19

SHIN ULTRAMAN
8:30 PM

P.28

11PM

P.14

HEROIC
8:15 PM

8PM

RITZ 1

10PM

LOVE ROAD
8:45 PM

P.19

WHO I AM NOT
6:00 PM

DNT 3

P.14

RITZ 3

ASTEROID CITY
8:00 PM

P.09

ANGEL APPLICANT
6:15 PM
P.36

P.36

PNORT

P.40

I LIKE MOVIES
6:30 PM

7PM
THE NEW BOY
6:40 PMTHE CARNIVAL
6:00 PMPALCA THOUSAND AND ONE
8:15 PM

7PM

A COUPLE
4:00 PM
P.18

GAGA
3:00 PMRITZ 512PM

6PM

A STORM FORETOLD
6:00 PM

HOC 5

P.15

DNT 1

STATE

5PM
AJOOMMA
4:20 PM

BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE...
4:15 PM
P.25

EVENT 11

THURSDAY 8 JUNE
P.18

P.09

3PM

JANE CAMPION, THE CIN...
2:00 PM
P.38

HOC 4

DEEWAR
7:00 PMAGNSW

THE BURDENED
10:00 AM

2PM

EVENT 9BEYOND THE WALL
8:30 PM

P.25

RITZ 5STATE

1PM

PAST LIVES
11:45 AMEVENT 5

P.18

L’IMMENSITÀ
6:30 PM

11AM

12PM

EVENT 3

P.21

PNORT

10AM

11AM

DNT 3

P.22

PRETTY RED DRESS
6:00 PMEVENT 11

11PM

P.23

JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE
6:30 PM
P.29

EVENT 910PM

THE WRATH OF BECKY
8:40 PM
P.34

P.14

SORCERY
6:15 PM

DNT 3

9AM

10AM

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHO...
9:30 AM
P.31

DNT 1
12PM

STATE

VENUE

9AM

STATE

WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE
VENUE

51

11PM
P.15

52

CALENDARCALENDARTUESDAY 13 JUNE
VENUE

9AM

10AM

11AM

FRIDAY 16 JUNE
12PM

1PM

THE DELINQUENTS
10:00 PM

STATE

53

P.18

2PM

3PM

ON THE ADAMANT
1:25 PM

P.26

4PM

5PM

ART
3 COLLEGE 1994
3:45 PM

6PM
P.06

7PM

8PM

9PM

THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES
6:15 PM
P.08

RADICAL
8:35 PMTOTAL TRUST
6:15 PM

DNT 1

10PM

TENNESSINE
6:15 PMEVENT 3

P.20

PIAFFE
8:30 PM

PALC
PNORT

CARMEN
6:30 PMRITZ 5PERFECT DAYS
6:15 PM

2PM

P.18

3PM

4PM

P.08

SUBJECT
3:40 PM

5PM

6PM
P.28

7PM

P.27

HOC 5

P.18

PALC

10PM

P.08

TENNESSINE
6:00 PMLITTLE RICHARD: I AM ...
8:10 PM
P.29

P.22

KIM'S VIDEO
6:15 PMSHORTCOMINGS
9:00 PM

UNIDENTIFIED
8:20 PM

P.26

OMEN
6:25 PM

11PM
P.16

P.35

BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING...
8:30 PM
P.18

P.20

KINDRED
6:00 PM

THREE CHORDS AND TH...
8:15 PM
P.29

P.11

A WILD ROOMER
6:15 PM

P.23

L’IMMENSITÀ
6:00 PMTHE LESSON
8:10 PM

P.15

P.19

RED, WHITE & BRASS
6:30 PM
P.16
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
6:00 PM

P.06

P.09

SILVER HAZE
6:15 PMRITZ 3

AFIRE
8:30 PM

P.20

PAST LIVES
6:30 PMRITZ 1PICTURES OF GHOSTS
8:45 PM
P.15

P.25

MIDWIVES
6:15 PM

PNORT

P.15

9PM

THE ARC OF OBLIVION
6:30 PM
P.24

HOC 4

CONNECTION OF THE...
8:05 PM
P.37

8PM

MONSTER
6:00 PMEVENT 9

P.34

P.39

PARADISE
6:15 PM

1PM
JORAM
12:30 PMEVENT 5RAGING GRACE
8:30 PMTHE PIANO
6:30 PM

HOC 5

12PM

EVENT 3

P.22

AFTRS 50TH ALUMNI SHORT...
6:00 PM
P.41

EVENT 9

11AM

BLUE JEAN
10:00 AM

DNT 3

P.21

LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EV...
6:30 PM
P.29

EVENT 5

10AM

DNT 2

KEEPING HOPE + MARUNGKA...
6:00 PM
P.11

DNT 3

9AM

DNT 1

THE QUIET MIGRATION
6:30 PM
P.31

DNT 2

VENUE
STATE

P.16

OMEN
8:15 PM

P.28

11PM

P.22

PASSAGES
8:30 PM

8PM

9PM

P.15

WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE
VENUE

9AM

10AM

11AM

12PM

THE ETERNAL MEMORY
10:00 AM
P.26

STATE

1PM

NO BEARS
12:00 PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

5PM

THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES
2:15 PM
P.08

P.20

6PM

7PM

8PM

AFIRE
6:00 PM

P.06

DNT 1

BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING...
6:00 PM
P.18

DNT 2

THE TUBA THIEVES
6:15 PM

P.36

DNT 3

BLUE BAG LIFE
6:30 PM

P.25

EVENT 3

AGAINST THE TIDE
6:00 PM
P.24

EVENT 5SHORTCOMINGS
6:30 PM

SATURDAY 17 JUNE
VENUE

9AM

A GAZA WEKEND
8:30 PM

P.16

TWICE COLONISED
7:40 PMPNORT

TORA'S HUSBAND
6:15 PM

P.23

RITZ 5

BIRDEATER
6:15 PM

P.18

12PM

1PM

MONSTER
11:45 AM

P.11

2PM

3PM

EVENT 5

P.39

9AM

STATE

10AM
SAND
10:00 AM

11AM

12PM
P.21

1PM

2PM

AFIRE
12:30 PM

P.06

3PM

4PM

SNOW AND THE BEAR
2:45 PM

5PM
P.22

6PM

7PM

PICTURES OF GHOSTS
6:00 PM
P.15
ART COLLEGE 1994
6:00 PM

DNT 1

8PM

9PM

10PM

JORAM
8:00 PM

P.08

THE BIG DOG
8:20 PM

P.06

11PM

P.34

SAND
6:20 PM

P.21

P.22

HOC 5
PALC

CONNECTION OF THE...
2:15 PM
P.37

P.24

RADICAL
5:00 PM

P.29

HOLY SMOKE
10:15 AMAGNSWTHUNDER
4:30 PM

P.31

P.18

JOONAM
6:15 PM

P.08

P.26

RACHEL'S FARM
5:30 PM
P.11, P.15

P.22

IN THE CUT
1:30 PM

P.39

P.19

P.15

JORAM
7:30 PMTHE LESSON
6:00 PMRITZ 5

P.22

P.23

THE BURDENED
7:00 PM
P.16

THE QUIET MIGRATION
4:05 PM
P.31

SIRA
3:00 PMSUNLIGHT
2:30 PM

P.23

I LIKE MOVIES
8:45 PMLOST IN THE NIGHT
7:30 PMTHE HAPPIEST MAN IN...
5:00 PM
P.19
PIANOFORTE
3:00 PM

11PM

P.07

SUNFLOWER
8:30 PMP.20

BAY OF FIRES
6:15 PMRITZ 1THURSDAY 15 JUNE

P.28

DALTON'S DREAM
5:30 PM
P.25

BEYOND UTOPIA
3:50 PMEVENT 11

THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
7:00 PM

P.16

A WILD ROOMER
8:00 PMNIGHTSIREN
6:30 PM

P.22

10PM

COBWEB
8:50 PMP.12

CLIMATE CHANG...
3:30 PM
P.10

P.33

SORCERY
1:45 PMEVENT 9P.07
TRANSITION
6:05 PM

P.14

DENDY AWARDS
2:45 PM

PNORT

VENUE

SNOW AND THE BEAR
4:15 PMKENNEDY
3:25 PM

P.26

SCARYGIRL
1:30 PMREALITY
7:00 PM

MUSIC
6:15 PM
P.21

EVENT 47PM

P.36

RHINEGOLD
1:30 PMON THE ADAMANT
1:00 PM

6PM

THREE CHORDS AND THE T...
4:00 PM
P.29

P.24

THE TUBA THIEVES
1:45 PM

5PM

THE DARK EMU STORY
4:40 PM

P.15

AGAINST THE TIDE
2:00 PMEVENT 3

P.32

4PM

L’IMMENSITÀ
2:30 PM

P.08

DNT 3

P.19

P.26

LAST THINGS
6:15 PM
P.37

11AM

DNT 2

THE WRATH OF BECKY
8:45 PM
P.34

P.11

10AM
KINDRED
9:30 AM

DNT 1
P.41

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE
8:10 PM
P.19

PALC

AGNSW

11PM
P.14

THE DEVIL QUEEN
8:30 PMON THE ADAMANT
6:30 PM

HOC 5

10PM

STATE

MAN ON EARTH
6:05 PMEVENT 99PM
KENNEDY
8:15 PM

P.19

LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EV...
6:30 PM
P.29

P.31

P.39
DON
7:00 PMCASULA

P.40

P.17

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT...
6:30 PM
P.36

DNT 2

FAMILY TIME
6:15 PMDNT 3EVENT 3

A THOUSAND AND ONE
6:00 PMEVENT 5

THE DEFENDERS
6:15 PMSUNDAY 18 JUNE

P.30
P.23

RHINEGOLD
8:30 PM

P.10

SHIN ULTRAMAN
8:20 PM

P.21
P.21

BETWEEN REVOL...
P.24
6:10 PMEVENT 11

THE DELINQUENTS
7:45 PMJANE CAMPION, THE CINE ...
6:00 PM
P.38

HOC 5
PALC
PNORT

THE ETERNAL MEMORY
6:15 PM
P.26
SUNFLOWER
6:30 PMRITZ 3BAD BEHAVIOUR
6:15 PMRITZ 510AM

11AM

COBWEBS
9:30 AM

12PM
P.07

1PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

P.22

NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON IS...
8:30 PM
P.26

P.07

MAN ON EARTH
3:30 PMDNT 3
PRAY FOR OUR SIN...
2:15 PM
P.27

EVENT 3SUBJECT
2:00 PM

P.21

P.28

• OFFICIAL COMPETITION• DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA• SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS• INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES• FEATURES• OTHER

STATE
State Theatre
EVENT
Event Cinemas George St

DNT
Dendy Newtown
PALC
Palace Central

PNORT
Palace Norton Street
HOC
Hayden Orpheum Cremorne

RITZ
The Ritz Cinema Randwick
CASULA
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre

AGNSW
Art Gallery of NSW
AUSMUS
Australian Museum

No one under 18, including babies, is admitted to 18+ films. Children under 15 will only be admitted to 15+ films with a parent or guardian.

THE HAPPIEST MAN...
3:00 PM
P.19
SCARYGIRL
2:00 PMRITZ 5AGNSW

BRIGHT STAR
10:15 AM

P.39

P.33

THE POWER OF THE DOG
2:00 PMPARADISE
6:30 PMDALTON'S DREAM
5:50 PM

P.11

TRANSITION
6:00 PM

P.12
P.28

P.17

P.25
P.26

P.28

HEROIC
6:15 PMSCRAPPER
5:45 PM

P.19

SISU
8:00 PM

P.34

P.09

FREE MONEY
6:00 PM

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES
5:00 PM

CLIMATE CHANGERS
4:00 PM
P.10
P.39

10PM

P.27

KIM'S VIDEO
6:50 PM

P.21

BETWEEN REVOLU...
4:30 PM
P.24

PNORT

9PM

P.08

THE BIG DOG
3:45 PMPALC

VENUES8PM

CLOSING NIGHT
07:00 PM

P.25

TOTAL TRUST
4:15 PMMONSTER
3:15 PM

HOC 4

7PM

P.18

THE SHADOWLESS TOWER
4:00 PMDENDY AWARDS
3:30 PMHOC 5

SECTIONS

BIRDEATER
4:30 PMTHE ECHO
4:15 PMEVENT 9RUN RABBIT RUN
8:35 PM

6PM

TO BE ANNOUNCED
5:00 PM

FREEDOM IS BEAUT...
2:30 PM
P.26

EVENT 5P.22

5PM

TO BE ANNOUNCED
2:30 PMTHE DARK EMU STORY
12:15 PM
P.07

DNT 2

P.18
P.01

SUBTRACTION
8:15 PM

BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE'S...
6:15 PM
P.25

9AM

DNT 1

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
6:30 PM
P.34

EVENT 9

VENUE
STATE

P.26

CHEVALIER
7:35 PMP.17

RICEBOY SLEEPS
5:45 PMIN WATER
7:45 PM

P.21

P.37
P.18

11PM

54

INDEX

INDEX

INDEX BY TITLE

INDEX BY COUNTRY
AFGHANISTANTransition
ARGENTINAThe Delinquents
AUSTRALIA
14 In February
The 2IC
After Hours
After the Smoke
An Angel At My Table
Babanil
Bay Of Fires
The Beginning
The Big Dog
Birdeater
Bright Star
Bulls
Caravan Park
CarmenCathy's Doll
The Cape
The Carnival
Chum
Climate Changers
Connection Of the Sticks
The Dancing Girl And the Balloon Man
The Dark Emu Story
The Defenders
The Drover's Wife
Fighting
For Frogs' Sake!
Freedom Is Beautiful
A Girl's Own Story
Handmade Happiness
Hello Dankness
Holy Smoke
How Can I Help You
How To Build a Forest
In the Cut
Joy
KariwaKateleKeeping HopeKindredThe Last Daughter
Late Night With the Devil
Linda 4 Eva
Love Forever
Love Road
LumberMad About Maggots
Mamirnikuwi
Man On Earth
Marionettes (And the Virtue Of a Lotus Flower)
Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped In Black)
Mr Ikegami's Flight
The New Boy
The Number 2 Solution
Nyarrparala Malaju? (Where Have All the Mala Gone?)One Hundred a Day
The Oyster Gardener
Passionless Moments
Peel
The Piano
The Power Of the Dog
Power To Country
Rachel's Farm
RatbagRoad Kill Warriors
Run Rabbit Run
Scarygirl
Sunflower
Sweetie
TeacupsTennessine
The Third Note
Three Chords And the Truth
To Be Silent
To Fly a Kite
Transition
Two Friends
Warm Strangers
The Water Diary
We Circle Silently
What's In a Name?
Wing Threads

28
18
36
12
39
43
39
43
23
42
17
18
39
41
41
18
42
10
10
36
10
37
12
7
10
41
36
43
26
39
42
37
39
42
42
39
41
12
12
11
11
11
34
12
42
20
42
43
43
11
12
11
41
4,8
43
43
41
43
39
39
39
39
43
11,16
42
43
21
33
22
38
12
22
41
29
42
12
28
38
41
39
12
12
43

Riceboy Sleeps
Twice Colonized
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Who I Am Not

21
32
18
28

CHILE
AliEN0089
The DelinquentsThe Eternal Memory
Sorcery

INDONESIA
Autobiography

17

42
18
26
22

IRAN
Between Revolutions
Beyond the Wall
No Bears
Subtraction
Transition
World War III

24
17
20
22
28
23

CHINA
Art College 1994
The Shadowless Tower

6
21

IRELAND
Pray For Our Sinners
Sunlight

27
31

CROATIA
Between Revolutions
The Happiest Man In the World

24
19

ISRAELThe Corridors of Power

25

CZECH REPUBLIC
Eastern Front
Nightsiren

25
34

ITALY
The Girl From Tomorrow
L’Immensità

31
15

JAPAN
MonsterOn the Adamant
Perfect Days
Shin Ultraman

8
26
15
21

KENYA
Free Money

26

LATVIA
Eastern Front

25

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Omen

20

DENMARK
Fantastic Machine
The Happiest Man In the WorldThe Quiet Migration
A Storm Foretold
Twice Colonized
When the Waves Are Gone

26
19
31
28
32
23

EGYPT
The Mother Of All Lies

8

LITHUANIA
Slow

22

ESTONIA
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

31

FINLAND
Fallen Leaves
Family TimeSisu

LUXEMBOURG
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
The Delinquents

18
18

7
30
34

FRANCE
Against the Tide
Autobiography
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
CarmenThe Corridors Of PowerA Couple
The Girl From Tomorrow
Jane Campion, the Cinema Woman
Last Things
L’Immensità
MidwivesMusic
Omen
On the Adamant
Orlando, My Political Biography
Paradise
Passages
Queendom
Sira
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Subtraction
The Water Diary
When the Waves Are Gone
The Winter Within

55

24
17
18
18
25
18
31
38
37
15
20
20
20
26
27
27
15
27
22
31
22
39
23
23

GERMANY
Afire
Autobiography
Behind the Haystacks
The Corridors Of PowerThe EchoElaha
The Lesson
Lost In the Night
Music
Omen
Perfect Days
PiaffeRhinegold
Sira
Snow And the Bear
Sorcery
Total Trust

6
17
30
25
25
30
19
15
20
20
15
21
21
22
22
22
28

GREECE
Behind the Haystacks

30
32

BELGIUM
Omen
The Happiest Man In the World

20
19

GREENLAND
Twice Colonized

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINAThe Happiest Man In the World

19

BRAZILThe DelinquentsThe Devil Queen
Pictures of Ghosts

ICELAND
Band
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

30
31

18
41
15

BURKINA FASO
Sira

22

CANADA
A.S.M.Ortal
I Like Movies
Laberint Sequences

42
19
42

INDIA
Against the Tide
Amar Akbar Anthony
DeewaarDon
Joram
Kaala Patthar
Kennedy
Tora's Husband
The Winter Within

24
40
40
40
8
40
14
23
23

MEXICOThe Echo
HeroicLost In the Night
Rhinegold
Sorcery

25
19
15
21
22

MOROCCO
Rhinegold
The Mother Of All Lies

21
8

NETHERLANDS
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Lost In the Night
Omen
Rhinegold
Silver Haze
That Afternoon
Total Trust

18
15
20
21
22
31
28

NEW ZEALAND
An Angel At My Table
Bad Behaviour
The Piano
The Power Of the Dog
Red, White & Brass

39
7
39
39
16

NORTH MACEDONIA
Behind the Haystacks
The Happiest Man In the World

30
19

PALESTINE
A Gaza Weekend

19

PHILIPPINES
Autobiography
When the Waves Are Gone

17
23

POLAND
Autobiography
Pianoforte

17
29

PORTUGAL
Last Things
When the Waves Are Gone

37
23

QATAR
Autobiography
Between Revolutions
The Mother Of All Lies
The Winter Within

17
24
8
23

ROMANIA
Between Revolutions
Who I Am Not

24
28

SAUDI ARABIAThe Burdened
The Mother Of All Lies

18
8

SENEGALSira

22

SERBIAMusic
Snow And the Bear

20
22

SINGAPORE
Ajoomma
Autobiography

14
17

SLOVAKIANightsiren

34

SLOVENIAThe Happiest Man In the World

19

SOUTH AFRICA
Omen

20

SOUTH KOREA
Ajoomma
A Wild Roomer
CobwebThe Fifth Thoracic Vertebra
in waterNam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Unidentified

14
23
7
35
37
26
35

SPAIN
20,000 Species of Bees
Slow

17
22

SRI LANKA
Sand

21

SUDAN
The Burdened

18

SWEDEN
Fallen Leaves
Family Time
Fantastic Machine
Heroic
Slow

7
30
26
19
22

SWITZERLAND
ParadiseThunder

27
31

TAIWAN
Gaga

32

TURKEY
Snow And the Bear

22

UGANDA
Bobi Wine: the People's President

25

UK
A Cooler Climate
A Gaza Weekend
Blue Bag Life
Blue Jean
Bobi Wine: the People's President
Bright Star
Cannes Uncut
Dalton's Dream
Holy Smoke
In the Cut
Is There Anybody Out There?
The Lesson
The Portrait Of a Lady
Pretty Red Dress
Raging Grace
ScrapperSilver Haze
While We Watched

25
19
25
18
25
39
25
25
39
39
36
19
39
21
34
9
22
28

UKRAINE
Eastern Front

25

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESLate Night With the Devil

34

USAAngel Applicant
The Arc Of Oblivion
Asteroid City
Beyond Utopia
Biosphere
Bobi Wine: the People's President
Chevalier
The Corridors Of PowerA Couple
Eastern Front
Elemental
Free Money
Hairspray
Holy Smoke
How To Blow Up a Pipeline
In the Cut
Joan Baez I Am a Noise
Joonam
Kim's Video
Last Things
Little Richard: I Am Everything
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Past Lives
The Portrait Of a Lady
Queendom
RadicalReality
Shortcomings
Stephen Curry: Underrated
Subject
A Thousand And One
The Tuba Thieves
The Wrath Of Becky

36
24
14
24
14
25
18
25
18
25
33
26
41
39
19
39
29
26
26
37
29
26
9
39
27
16
16
16
27
28
23
36
34

YEMEN
The Burdened

18

NUMERALS
14 In February
20,000 Species of Bees
The 2IC

36
17
12

A
A.S.M.Ortal
Afire
After Hours
After the Smoke
Against the Tide
Ajoomma
AliEN0089
Amar Akbar Anthony
An Angel At My Table
Angel Applicant
The Arc Of Oblivion
Art College 1994
Asteroid City
Autobiography

42
6
39
43
24
14
42
40
39
36
24
6
14
17

B
Babanil
Bad Behaviour
Band
Bay Of Fires
The Beginning
Behind the Haystacks
Between Revolutions
Beyond Utopia
Beyond the Wall
The Big Dog
Biosphere
Birdeater
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Blue Bag Life
Blue Jean
Bobi Wine: the People's President
Bright Star
Bulls
The Burdened

43
7
30
23
42
30
24
24
17
17
14
18
18
25
18
25
39
41
18

C
Cannes Uncut
The Cape
Caravan Park
Carl's Date
CarmenThe Carnival
Cathy's Doll
Chevalier
Chum
Climate Changers
CobwebConnection Of the Sticks
A Cooler Climate
The Corridors Of PowerA Couple

25
10
41
33
18
10
42
18
36
10
7
37
25
25
18

D
Dalton's DreamThe Dancing Girl and the Balloon Man
The Dark Emu Story
Deewaar
The Defenders
The Delinquents

25
12
7
40
10
18

The Devil QueenDon
The Drover's Wife

41
40
41

E
Eastern Front
The EchoElaha
Elemental
The Eternal Memory

25
25
30
33
26

F
Fallen Leaves
Family Time
Fantastic Machine
The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra
Fighting
For Frogs' Sake!
Free Money
Freedom Is Beautiful

7
30
26
35
36
43
26
26

G
Gaga
A Gaza Weekend
The Girl From Tomorrow
A Girl's Own Story

32
19
31
39

H
Hairspray
Handmade Happiness
The Happiest Man In the World
Hello Dankness
HeroicHoly Smoke
How Can I Help You
How To Blow Up a Pipeline
How To Build a Forest

41
42
19
37
19
39
42
19
42

I
I Like Movies
In the Cut
in water
Is There Anybody Out There?

19
39
37
36

J
Jane Campion, the Cinema Woman
Joan Baez I Am a Noise
Joonam
Joram
Joy

38
29
26
8
41

K
Kaala Patthar
KariwaKateleKeeping Hope
Kennedy
Kim’S Video
Kindred

40
12
12
11
14
26
11

L
L’Immensità
Laberint Sequences
The Last Daughter
Last Things
Late Night With the Devil
The Lesson

15
42
11
37
34
19

THERE’S
MORE TO

Stay tuned to SFF channels
for late announce films to join the 70th
Sydney Film Festival program.
Sign up to our eNews at sff.org.au

SYDFILMFESTIVAL@SYDFILMFEST@SYDFILMFEST

Linda 4 Eva
Little Richard: I Am Everything
Lost In the Night
Love Forever
Love Road
Lumber

12
29
15
42
20
42

M
Mad About Maggots
Mamirnikuwi
Man On Earth
Marionettes (And the Virtue Of a Lotus Flower)
Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped In Black)
Midwives
Monster
The Mother Of All Lies
Mr Ikegami's Flight
Music

43
43
11
12
11
20
8
8
41
20

N
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
The New Boy
Nightsiren
No Bears
The Number 2 Solution
Nyarrparala Malaju? (Where Have All the Mala Gone?)

26
4,8
34
20
43
43

O
Omen
On the Adamant
One Hundred a Day
Orlando, My Political Biography
The Oyster Gardener

20
26
41
27
43

P
Paradise
Passages
Passionless Moments
Past Lives
Peel
Perfect Days
PiaffeThe Piano
Pianoforte
Pictures of Ghosts
The Portrait Of a Lady
The Power Of the Dog
Power To Country
Pray For Our Sinners
Pretty Red Dress

27
15
39
9
39
15
21
39
29
15
39
39
43
27
21

Q
Queendom
The Quiet Migration

27
31

R
Rachel's Farm
RadicalRaging Grace
RatbagReality
Red, White & Brass
Rhinegold
Riceboy Sleeps
Road Kill Warriors
Run Rabbit Run

11,16
16
34
42
16
16
21
21
43
21

S
Sand
ScarygirlScrapperThe Shadowless Tower
Shin Ultraman
Shortcomings
Silver Haze
Sira
Sisu
Slow
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Snow And the Bear
Sorcery
Stephen Curry: Underrated
A Storm Foretold
Subject
Subtraction
Sunflower
Sunlight
Sweetie

21
33
9
21
21
16
22
22
34
22
31
22
22
27
28
28
22
22
31
38

T
TeacupsTennessine
That Afternoon
The Third Note
A Thousand And One
Three Chords And the Truth
Thunder
To Be Silent
To Fly a Kite
Tora's Husband
Total Trust
Transition
The Tuba Thieves
Twice Colonized
Two Friends

12
22
31
41
23
29
31
42
12
23
28
28
36
32
38

U
Unidentified

35

W
Warm Strangers
The Water Diary
We Circle Silently
What's In a Name?
When the Waves Are Gone
While We Watched
Who I Am Not
A Wild Roomer
Wing Threads
The Winter Within
World War III
The Wrath Of Becky

41
39
12
12
23
28
28
23
43
23
23
34

56

RESTAURANTSRESTAURANTS AND DRINKSRESTAURANT
PARTNERS

57

AALIA

ABODE BISTRO.BAR

LOTUS THE GALERIESMONOPOLEODD CULTURE, NEWTOWNRITZ BALCONY BAR$70PP
PRE-THEATRE MENU WITH TWO COURSES ANDA DRINK, DESIGNED TO SHARE. ADDITIONALSIDES AND DESSERTS AVAILABLE$150PPCHEFS’ FAVOURITE DISHES FOR TWO PEOPLE,SHARED$65PP
A DELICIOUS FESTIVAL BANQUET (MINIMUM 2
PEOPLE)$55PP
TWO-COURSE MENU (ENTRÉE AND MAIN)$76PP
THREE-COURSE MEAL PLUS COMPLIMENTARYTEPACHE SPRITZ ON ARRIVAL

HAPPY HOUR 5-7PM
MONDAY-FRIDAY: $12 COCKTAILS AND $7 BEER,
HOUSE WINE AND SELECT SPIRITSPARKROYAL Darling Harbour, 150 Day Street, Sydney(02) 9260 2945 | abodebistro.com

The Galeries, Level 1, 500 George Street(02) 9247 6868
lotusdininggroup.com/the-galeries

POST-SCREENING DEAL
SHOW YOUR SFF TICKET AFTER YOUR SCREENING
AND RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY CHICKEN LIVERPATÉ WHEN YOU PURCHASE TWO COCKTAILS OR
WINES. VALID ON THE DAY OF YOUR TICKET

Level 1, Ritz Cinemas, 45 St Pauls Street,
Randwick(02) 8324 2500 | ritzcinemas.com.au

Make a night of it! Every year
the Festival teams up withsome of Sydney’s favourite
restaurants to offer greatsavings exclusively for Festivalgoers.
Cafe Sydney is a proud partnerof SFF and welcomes Festival
audiences.

Shop 7/25 Martin Place, Sydney(02) 9182 5880 | aaliarestaurant.com
Dive into a time-travelling odyssey of dishes from theMiddle Eastern and North African coastlines. Led by
Executive Chef Paul Farag, AALIA’s culinary teamshowcases the diversity of the region, combining
ingredients and recipes spanning centuries.
HOW IT WORKS:
Book ahead and mention Sydney Film
Festival Restaurant Partners or show
your SFF ticket on arrival to get the deal.

THE CHARLES GRANDBRASSERIE & BAR

Deals are valid 7–18 June and are not available
in conjunction with any other offers.

Wheelchair access via lift in the Dexus building.
Restrooms located in building next door.

ABODE Bistro.Bar offers diners an award-winningand stylish restaurant and bar. The menu revolves
around modern Australian cuisine that features
locally sourced products and dishes designed to
be shared. The drinks menu is sure to quench
your thirst with boutique wines, beer and signature
cocktails.
Wheelchair accessible.

A contemporary Asian restaurant, located in theheart of the Sydney CBD and overseeing theheritage-listed Queen Victoria Building. Boasting a
selection of private dining rooms, Lotus The Galeries
is the ideal destination for any occasion. Don’t misstheir famed Peking duck.
Wheelchair accessible and restrooms inside the venue.

$65PP
THREE-COURSE MENUAVAILABLE TUESDAY-FRIDAY 5PM-6PM.
MUST VACATE TABLE BY 6.30PM FRIDAY.
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL
20 Curtin Place(02) 8080 9144
bentleyrestaurantgroup.com.au/monopole
A fun, innovative bar and restaurant from the teambehind Bentley Restaurant + Bar. The menu boasts
classics with a Monopole twist alongside winefriendly snacks and larger dishes. Plus an exceptional
wine list from local and international winemakers.
Wheelchair accessible. Accessible restrooms
available.

FIX WINE BAR + RESTAURANT

glass brasserie

KURO BAR & DININGFANCY ADRINK?

266 King St, Newtown (02) 8317 3057 |
oddculture.group/venue/odd-culture-newtown/
Odd Culture is Newtown's watering hole for theweird and wonderful – and an exploration of
fermentation. Experience all-day dining that’s
European at its core with an Asian flare, as well asa natural wine and wild ale bar, accompanied by aseasonal cocktail program.

The Balcony Bar, upstairs at the Ritz, serves awide range of cool drinks and hot snacks that
go together like Bogart and Bacall. The outdoor
balcony is the perfect spot to unwind with acocktail and a bowl of hot chips or olives while
chatting all things movies.
Wheelchair access via lift. Accessible restrooms
and all-gender bathrooms available.

Ground-floor restaurant and restroom are wheelchair
accessible.

BRIX DISTILLERYCHÂTEAU TANUNDA SYDNEY CELLAR DOORMOUNTAIN GOAT NEWTOWN

10% OFFYOUR TOTAL BILL WHEN YOU SHOW YOUR SFF
TICKET

2 FOR 1 OFFER
ON ‘BAROSSA WINE TASTINGS’ WHEN YOU
SHOW YOUR SFF TICKET. VALID UNTIL 31 JULY
2023

$20
PIZZA AND SCHOONER WHEN YOU SHOW YOURSFF TICKET

If you’re looking for apre-film drink or need aforum for a post-film debate,
Sydney Film Festival’s
beverage partners haveyou covered.

$45PP
THE CHARLES BAR: MAIN COURSE AND A
GLASS OF WINE/BEER$95PP
THE CHARLES BRASSERIE: TWO COURSES ANDA GLASS OF WINE/BEER
66 King Street, Sydney(02) 9265 6068 | thecharles.sydney
Step inside The Charles’s art deco reception andchoose your adventure. To the left, a cafe and barthat begins with breakfast and coffee and ends
on late-night snacks, cocktails and wine. To theright, an indulgent dining experience in the grandbrasserie and mezzanine.
Wheelchair access from the Bar (corner York St
and King St) or through Sammy Junior (York St).

$45PP
SMALL SNACK AND CHOICE OF MAIN WITH
A GLASS OF WINE OR BRIX PRE-MIXED CAN.
AVAILABLE LUNCH AND DINNER TUESDAYFRIDAY
111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney(02) 9232 2767 | fixwine.com.au
A small 60-seat spot with a great little front bar where
you can eat, drink and chat to the team. The focus ison quality seasonal produce in the kitchen, and the250+ wine list showcases handcrafted – often
natural – wines from around the globe.
Wheelchair accessible. No accessible restrooms.

$57PP
ENJOY A MAIN AND A GLASS OF WINE

$45PP MIN SPENDFRIDAY AND SATURDAY LUNCH SET MENU

$68PP
FOR TWO-COURSES (ENTRÉE AND MAIN, OR
MAIN AND DESSERT)$100PP MIN SPENDDINNER TUESDAY TO THURSDAY A LA CARTEAND SET MENU AVAILABLEFRIDAY AND SATURDAY SET MENU AVAILABLE

Level 2, 488 George Street(02) 9265 6068 | glassbrasserie.com.au
Combining unique culinary excellence by chef andrestaurateur Luke Mangan with exquisite décorand superior service, glass brasserie provides atruly definitive dining experience in the heart of
Sydney. The perfect place for delectable modern
Australian cuisine.
Wheelchair access via lifts at George St entrance or
hotel lifts. Accessible restrooms on level 2 of the hotel.

350 Bourke Street, Surry Hills(02) 9360 5441 | brixdistillers.com
Brix offers a unique inner-city distillery experience.
Treat yourself to a Brix rum tasting or a rum cocktail –from the Daiquiri to the Dark & Stormy – and soak in
the atmosphere with an expansive view of the distillery.
Peckish? Grab a bite from the kitchen and kick back.

368 Kent Street, Sydney(02) 9262 1580 | kurosydney.com
Inspired by Japanese design and executed by artisans,
Kuro is a bar and dining experience based on root-tostem philosophy. Showcasing Japanese flavours andAustralian produce, Kuro was recently awarded one hatin the SMH Good Food Guide Awards 2023.
Wheelchair accessible.

SFF BAR:
Drop by the SFF Bar, in The Hub at
Lower Town Hall, for a drink between
screenings from our partners
Brix Distillery, Lyres, Mountain Goat
and Château Tanunda! More info
on page 46.

Wheelchair accessible with accessible restrooms.

Shop 2, Nurses Walk, The Rocks
0452 584 367 | chateautanunda.com
Crowned Best Australian Wine Producer 10 years ina row, Château Tanunda is an icon of the Barossa. At
Château Tanunda's Sydney Cellar Door–in the heartof the Rocks–you’ll enjoy outstanding wine tastingsor wines by the glass, from an exclusive range of rare
and collectable wines.
No wheelchair access.

435 King St, Newtown
0413 787 161
goatbeer.com.au/locations/newtown
Make a day – or night – of it in Newtown. Choose
from the 12-tap bar pouring Mountain Goat favourites,or select from the carefully curated cocktail menu
and wine list. The kitchen menu caters to all tastes,
whether you’re in the mood for a meal or a small bite.
Access ramp and an accessible restroom.

58

CREDITS & THANKSCREDITS & THANKSCREDITS & THANKS
BOARD OF DIRECTORSTEAM

Chair Deanne Weir, Chair of Finance Committee Sally Herman OAM,
Nick Abrahams, Jan Chapman AO (to March 2023), Debbie Lee,
Zareh Nalbandian, Observer Penny Smallacombe

EXECUTIVE
Chief Executive Officer: Frances Wallace
Festival Director: Nashen Moodley

FESTIVAL PATRONSCORPORATE
Head of Finance and Administration: Tracey Hurt
Festival Administrator: Kate Dunn
Assistant Accountant: Julie Gifford

Gillian Armstrong AM, Cate Blanchett AC, Bryan Brown AM,
Jane Campion DNZM, Jan Chapman AO, Nicole Kidman AC,
Baz Luhrmann, Dr George Miller AO, Sam Neill DCNZM OBE,
Phillip Noyce AO, Rachel Ward AM, Hugo Weaving AO

ADVISORY COUNCIL
Chair Peter Ivany AO, Phillip Adams AO, Sarah Cooke,
Mark Gooder, Peter Hall, Cathy Harris AO PSM, Phillip Noyce AO,
Richard Roxburgh

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
Neil Angwin, Rob Antulov, Lynden Barber, Phillipa Brennan,
Anthony Buckley AM, Beverly Burke, John Burke, Paul
Byrnes, Leo Christie OAM, Anton Crouch, David Donaldson,
Jacqui Feeney, Virginia Gordon, Warren Krass, Gayle Lake,
Joan McDonald OAM, Mark Nichols, Cathy Robinson, John
Rochester, Katherine Sainty, Tony Sernack, Clare Stewart,
David Stratton AM, Anne Strong, Kevin Troy, Ross Tzannes AM

DIRECTOR’S LAB AMBASSADORSNash Edgerton, Mirrah Foulkes, Damon Herriman,
Mia Wasikowska

PHILANTHROPY COMMITTEECharlene Bradley, Brendan Donoghue, Alison Fowler,
Sally Herman OAM, Kathryn Lovric, Amanda Maple-Brown,
Stephanie Pringle, Deanne Weir

ARCHIVES PROJECT CONTRIBUTORSAUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT RISE FUND, CITY OF SYDNEY
Anna Adey, Margaret Andrews, Neil Angwin, Bec Ashmore,
Paul Bentley, Charlene Bradley, Robert Bruce, David Bruce-Steer,
Leo Christie OAM, Elliott Cole, Julie Colley, John Curtis,
Madeleine Davis, Chad Davis, Gary Denison, Rosalyn Diprose,
David Donaldson, Patricia Donnelly, Laurie Ferguson,
Valmae Freilich, Jess Furlong, Susan Gabriel, Daniel Gilliland,
John Gleeson, Sophie Goddard SC, Elena Guest, Hugh Hamilton,
Scott Hamilton, Angela Henricksen, Adam Herron,
Claude Holland, Richard Keys, Kathy Martin, Joan McDonald OAM,
Geoff McIntyre, Steven Miller, Anthony Mitchell, Nyree Morrison,
Michele Mossop, Vipasha Mukherjee, Michael Mullins,
June Murphy, Deirdre O'Connell, Jan O'Reilly, Gary O'Reilly,
Annie Parnell, Melanie Petranovic, Caroline Pryor,
Alex-Oonagh Redmond, Alicia Rogers, Robert Rosen,
Annette Sebestyen, Judith Seef, Evan Shapiro, Nizza and Max Siano,
Leone Sperling, Joshua Taylor, Ross Tzannes AM,
Ronald van de Vate, Sylvia Wilczynski, Julie Young

FILM ADVISORY PANEL
Simon Anlezark, Martha Ansara, Harry Avramidis, Jodi Brooks,
Pat Fiske OAM, Alissar Gazal, Helen Grace, Travis Green, Elena
Guest, Enno Hermann, Karina Libbey, Jane Mills, Sevana
Ohandjanian, Alyssa Orvis, Julia Overton, Paul Robson, Toni
Stowers, Ashley Walker, Julian Wood, Tom Zubrycki

PRODUCTION
The Event Department: Natalie Butler
Event Technology Consulting: Peter Puchner TechnicalTechnical Direction Company: Michael Hassett, Alex Rendell
Constant Security: Andrew Constantinou
Live Production: Ben Elliott, Michael Dal Molin
Constant Logistics: Eliza Ocana
Edge Digital: Scott Hayton, Glenn Butler
Thomson Street: Alistair Thomson
Tree Trunk Digital Group: Matt Rebello

PROGRAMS
Head of Programs and Documentary Programmer:
Jenny Neighbour
Program Coordinator & Programmer: Justin Martyniuk
Freak Me Out Programmer: Richard Kuipers
Screenability Programmer: Rebecca McCormack
FLUX: Art+Film Curator: Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd
Shorts Programmer: Paul Matereke
Program Consultants: Paul Struthers, Shelly Kraicer
Program Advisors: Felix Hubble, Melba Proestos
Assistant Program Advisors: Lies Bruines, Claire Cao, Kyle
Goldfinch, Merryana Salem
Program guide contributors: Claire Cao, Felix Hubble, Richard
Kuipers, Karina Libbey, Jim Poe, Melba Proestos and Ian Barr,and the Festival Programming team.
The Shorts Programmer position has been supported by an
Animal Logic Entertainment Fellowship with a view to developing
the career of an emerging programmer.
MARKETING
Head of Marketing: Joshua Forward
Digital Marketing Manager: Janette Chen
Digital Marketing Coordinator: Liam Seymour
Publications Manager: Winsome Walker
Publications Coordinator: Ilhan Abdi
Materials & Content Manager: Madeleine Du Plessis
Materials Coordinator: Aaron Hamiltongold
Campaign Manager: Laura Carlson
Marketing Coordinator: Elise Dupuis
Graphic Designer: Hannah Dockrill
Marketing and Promotions Intern: Nicole Cadelina
Digital Marketing Intern: Graceanne Clancy
TICKETING
CRM & Ticketing Manager: Windsor
Ticketing Systems Administrator: Caitlin Goldfinch
Ticketing Coordinator: Sophie Constable
VIP & Guest Ticketing Coordinator: Beatrix Brady
Box Office Coordinator: Jackie Terrett
Box Office Casuals: Arun Clarke, Aleksandra Chorazka, Kyle
Dolan, William Fisher, Amelia McPhie, Georgia Mulligan, Declan
O’Byrne-Inglis, Monica Quill, Kelly Scott, Harley Wilson, Billy WhitePHILANTHROPY & PARTNERSHIPSHead of Philanthropy and Partnerships: Georgia Shepherd
Partnerships Manager: Judy Gilfeather-Zhu
Philanthropy Executive: Erin Westhoff
Philanthropy and Partnerships Coordinator: Shea Hogarth
INDUSTRY
Industry and Guest Manager: Lisa Kitching
Industry Coordinator: Jvonne Consoli
Jury Coordinator: Mel Piu
Guest Coordinator: Ben Amy
Guest Coordinator: Quena Puentes Blanco
Guest Coordinator: Coco DasentIndustry Events Coordinator: Tom Bache
Transport Supervisor: Jamie Corson
PRODUCTION
Head of Operations: Adrian Samson
Major Events Coordinator: Brock Taffe
Volunteer Coordinator: Brady Tasker
Production Coordinator: Nikki Jones
The Hub Manager: Onur Karaozbek
Operations Consultant: Amanda Baysari
TRAVELLING FILM FESTIVAL
TFF Manager: Annie Parnell
ARCHIVES
Archivist: Jess Furlong
Creative Producer: Deirdre O’Connell

PUBLIC RELATIONSORIGINAL SPIN

Company Director: Amber Forrest-Bisley
Director of Communications: Matt Fraser
Communications Advisor: Isabelle Brown
Communications Advisor: Sanika Karnik

TICKETING & APP

FERVE TICKETING

Rob Raulings, Liam Russell, Hanh Nguyen, Simon Mawdesley,
Maynard Paye, Raymond Andrews, Trevor Schoenmaekers

SFF WEBSITE AND LIVING ARCHIVEED.

Creative Director: Elliot Schultz
Senior Designer: Jeremy Ward
Digital Director: Daniel Lever
Project Manager: Sarina Mafrici

IT SUPPORTQBTManaging Director: Ivan Nisbet
Head Client Services: Simon Gillett
Head Project Services: Matthew Herbert, Luke Swinkels
Data Centre Manager: William Goodwin
Development Manager: Mark Bennett
Team Leaders/Senior Consultants: Oliver Wangsa,
Philip Owen-Burke
Senior Technician: Nick Ramsay
Technician: Patrick Ramsay

CAMPAIGN CREATIVEFROST* COLLECTIVE

Executive Creative Director: Vince Frost
Group Creative Director: Anthony Donovan
Strategy: Natalie Smith
Creative Director: Richard Davies
Leading Designer: Jesse Divola
Designers: Danielle de Rome, David Ho
Writers: Sarah Clark
Client Management: Georgie Winton, Alfons Deinhard

DIGITAL AGENCY

BOLSTERManaging Director: James Clarke
Senior Client Lead: Rory Stanway
Senior Digital Campaign Manager: Jasper Childs
Digital Campaign Manager: Olivia Williams

SFF 2023 SIZZLE REEL & TVC
Produced by: The Post Lounge
Voiceover: Alyson Standen
Partnerships Consultant: Paul Kennedy, Kennedy & Partners

TRAVEL AGENT
Showgroup (Film): Carolyn Dean, Carolyn Knox, Shannon Meredith

FREIGHT HANDLER
Trek Couriers: Neil Angwin

AHL
Managing Director: David Seargeant

STATE THEATRE
General Manager: Mark Harris
Theatre Manager: Jillian Belfield
Client Services & Finance Manager: Maddison Honeyman
Front of House & Marketing Manager: Beaver Garland
Food and Beverage Manager: Stuart Greene
Maintenance Manager: Mody Assfour
Production Manager: Catherine DeVries
Production Coordinator: Narelle Smith

EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE STREETGeneral Manager, Film & Content Australia: Claire Gandy
Film & Content Executive: Carlos Cardenas
General Manager: Prakash PrabhakharanConference & Event Sales Manager: Michael Sabater
Digital Technical Services Manager: Paul Greer

HAYDEN ORPHEUM PICTURE PALACECREMORNE
General Manager & Head of Programming: Alex Temesvari
Events Manager: Rachell Baker
Operations Manager: Sam Hanson
Assistant Operations Manager: Oliver Halicki

DENDY CINEMAS
CEO: Sharon Strickland
Chief Financial Officer: Leanne BrettHead of Sales and Acquisitions – Theatrical: Nick Hayes
National Programming Manager: Andrew PerkinMarketing Manager: Christopher MarchandHead Of National Operations: Kathryn Craig
Circuit Operations Manager: Kiliane Beunard
Technical Manager – Dendy Circuit: Doug Munro

CASULA POWERHOUSE
Director: Craig Donarski
Major Events Producer: Nikki Akbar
Technical Producer: David Langosch

RITZ CINEMA
Cinema Owners: Tamir Family
Programming Manager: Benji Tamir
General Manager: Alex Fletcher

PALACE CINEMAS
CEO: Benjamin Zeccola
Central General Manager: Steven Nicholls
Norton Street General Manager: Elliott Collins
Central Assistant Manager: Lily Eastcott
Norton Street Assistant Manager: Oliver Durbidge
Director of Programming: Paul Timos
Head of Marketing: Alex Moir
Events Manager: Magenta McHalick

AND THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES AND
FILM PROVIDERS:
ABC Television; AGC Studios; Ahi Films; Alief; Alpha Violet;
Amazon Studios; Antidote Films; Apple; Archipelago
Productions; Arthood Entertainment; Australian Film
Television Radio and Television School; Autlook Film Sales;
Prajdnik Awasthi; Barunson E&A; Blackfella Films; Kate
Blackmore; Blue Finch Films; Bonsai Films; Breathless Films;
The Bureau; Carnivalesque Films; CAT&Docs; Visakesa
Chandrasekaram; Jude Chun; Cinecittá; CinemaScópio;Danish Film Institute; Deckert Distribution; Diversion; DocSociety; Documentary Australia; Dogwoof; Kuba Dorabialski;
Estonian Film Institute; European Film Promotion; The
Festival Agency; FestivalScope; The Film Collaborative;
Film Heritage Foundation; FilmFreeway; Film Sales Corp;
Films Boutique; Filmtank; Finecut Co. Ltd.; The Finnish Film
Foundation; Flood Projects; Fremantle ; German Films; Good
Bad Films; Goodfellas; Greek Film Centre; HALAL; John
Harvey; HiGloss Entertainment; Howling Eagle Productions;
Icelandic Film Centre; Icon Distribution; Indiestory Inc.;
Intramovies; Iranian Independents; Bernice Jiang; Jotz
Productions; Keeper Pictures; KFF Sales and Promotion;
Kismet; Karina Libbey; Luxbox Films; M-Line Distribution;
Madman Entertainment; Magnolia Pictures; Maslow
Entertainment; The Match Factory; Mead Street Films;
Memento International; National Film and Sound Archive;
Netflix; New Europe Film Sales; NITV; Georgia Noe; Kalu
Oji; Pancake Originals; Park Circus Group; The Party Sales;
Pascale Ramonda; Pivot Pictures; Palace Films; Pluto Film;
Potential Films; Protagonist Pictures; Pyramide International;
Pythagoras Film; Kiara Rodriguez-Hextall; Rediance Films;
The Reset Collective; Roadshow Entertainment; Sandbox
Films; SBS; SBS Productions; Screen Ireland; SEE NL;
Sharmill Films; Shellac Films; Soda Jerk; Sophie Somerville;Sony Pictures Releasing; STAN; Henry Stone; StudioCanal;
Swallow Wings Films Co.; Swedish Film Institute; Swiss
Films; Matthew Thorne; Tiger Lily Productions; Jenn Tran;
Totem Films; Transmission Films; Trust Nordisk; Tulipanna;
TVCO; Umbrella Entertainment; Unifrance; Universal Pictures
International; Universal Pictures Content Group; The Walt
Disney Company; Blake Williams; Varicoloured; Vendetta
Films; Vision Distribution; Welcome Abroad; Wide; Wingman
Media; Wooden Horse; WTFilms; Yash Raj Films Pvt. Ltd;Zee Studios; Zipporah Films, and all the filmmakers who
have supported SFF this year.
SFF WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK ALL
OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, THE FILMMAKERS AND FESTIVAL
GUESTS, DIRECTOR’S PATRONS, SUPPORTING CASTDONORS, FESTIVAL PARTNERS AND ALL OF THEIRTEAMS FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND GENEROSITY IN
HELPING US PRESENT THE 2023 FESTIVAL.

TRAVELLING FILM FESTIVALDARWINKATHERINECAIRNSDARW IN

BRINGING THE WORLD’S BEST CINEMATO REGIONAL AUSTRALIATOWNSVILLE

KATHERINECAIRN S MACKAY

ALICE SPRINGS

Launched in 1974, the Travelling Film Festival is Australia’s longest running
touring film event. The TFF visits 20 different locations around the country,
treating regional audiences to outstanding Australian and international
cinema on the big screen.

TOWN SVILLE
MA CK AYBUNDABERG

ALICESPRINGSNAMBOURTOOWOOMBABU ND ABERGNAMBTAMWORTH
TOOW OO MBA
MID NORTH COAST
TAMW OR TH

ORANGENE WCYOUNG
ASTLE
SYDN EYWO LLON GO NG
WAGGAHU SULL
WAGGAWA GG A

MURWILLUMBAH
LISMORENEWCASTLEWOLLONGONGWARRAWONG
HUSKISSONULLADULLANEXT STOPSNEWCASTLE 23-25 June | WARRAWONG 21-23 July
HUSKISSON 25-27 August

travellingfilmfestival

www.sff.org.au/tff@travellingfilmfestival

59

60

PHILANTHROPY

THE LIVING ARCHIVESEE YOURFESTIVALTHRIVEFor 70 editions Sydney Film Festival has inspired generations of filmlovers and filmmakers, curating ground-breaking programs that platform
underrepresented voices. It strives to push back against mono-cultural
on-screen representation, with conscious programming that reflects thediversity of our community and celebrates its differences. Each year, SFF
brings the best film talent from around the world together, building acreative community of opportunity and expansion.
However, SFF cannot achieve all of this with the income from ticket
sales alone – they cover less than 30 percent of the actual cost of
producing the Festival. Government and corporate support makeup some of the difference, but donations from individuals are a vital
contributor to SFF’s ability to remain vibrant and viable. The Festival
relies on people like you to enable it to continue to program boldly, seekout and showcase new voices and create an engaging and inclusive
Festival for all Sydneysiders to share.
It’s your Festival – and we invite you to contribute to its success. You cando so by adding a donation when purchasing your ticket to reflect thetrue cost of your seat, or by becoming even more involved through ourpatron initiatives.

DIRECTOR'S LAB
Led by Ambassadors Nash Edgerton,
Mirrah Foulkes, Damon Herriman and Mia
Wasikowska, the Director's Lab is a dynamic
collective of young philanthropists, filmmakers
and film lovers who meet at events throughout
the year and during the Festival. Their support
enables opportunities for emerging Australian
filmmakers and creatives.

WOMEN'S GIVINGCOLLECTIVE
The Women’s Giving Collective brings
together a group of dynamic change-makers
who provide financial support for the Festival
to celebrate, promote and encourage the workof female and non-binary filmmakers throughprograms, panels, talks, exhibitions andspecial events.

DONATIONS EMPOWER SFF: Look for this icon across the program guide to see what
your support helps make possible.

DIRECTOR'S PATRONSTake a leading role in securing the Festival’s
future by becoming a Director’s Patron. Your
donation will ensure SFF remains an iconic
cultural event on Sydney’s calendar to connect
us with the most interesting and exciting
storytellers from around the world. You’ll meet
filmmaker guests, attend special events andjoin a passionate cohort of SFF advocates.
Director’s Patrons enjoy an insider experienceof Sydney Film Festival year-round!

THE LIVINGARCHIVE:
BRINGINGSFF’SHISTORY
FORWARD
In its 70th edition, SFF celebrates with the launchof the new Living Archive, an evolving, interactive,
accessible record of the Festival’s progress fromday one – available to explore online now.
On 11 June 1954, the inaugural Sydney Film Festival opened to a sold-out
crowd of 1200 film enthusiasts at the University of Sydney. First organised
by a passionate group representing Sydney’s film societies, the Festival
has since become one of Sydney’s most significant cultural events.
Although film festivals are now held world-over, SFF was one of the first.
It aimed to bring the cinephiles together through a shared love of cinema
and connected the city to the globe through the exchange of stories andideas. In 2023, this really hasn’t changed, and SFF is looking towards its
future by honouring this history and the Festival’s evolution, with therelaunched Living Archive.
Commissioned for the Festival’s 60th birthday, the original website was afabulous resource to build from, but it needed a complete technical update– one that would keep the original purpose and vision, but go further, toinvite discovery and community contribution. “We’ve created a modernised
framework that’s a lot more contemporary and interactive. The Archivefunctions as a tool for research, as well as a tool for conversation,” says
Archivist Jess Furlong. “In a way, our Archive is moving to the future with us.”
Furlong has worked closely with web designers ED and the SFF Team tocreate the new easy-to-navigate digital repository, which will eventually
capture more than 10,000 films, countless visiting filmmakers andindustry and community events from the Festival’s history. It now also
has the capacity to enable audio and video content from throughout
the seven decades of the Festival. Written critical reflections fromjournalists, academics and the SFF community will continue to befeatured through a new partnership with the University of Sydney.

“The Living Archive has already attracted attention from theinternational community. Over the past 20 years I’ve been working
in the international film festival circuit, I have never seen a resource
like this,” says SFF’s new CEO Frances Wallace. “Witnessing the depthof care and commitment that has carried the Festival through somany years to the venerable position it occupies today, really speaks
volumes for all those who have come before us - it’s an inspiring storyof community and passion”
Drawing from the archive, SFF audiences will be treated to a speciallycommissioned suite of Festival Flashbacks screening across Festival
cinemas in June. They will recall pivotal moments where controversial
films ignited outrage, censorship wars went all the way to parliament,
Soviet films sparked ASIO’s surveillance of David Stratton and SFF
staff during the Cold War, and seminal moments in Australian film
history, like the premiere of Australian classic Strictly Ballroom.
All of this work has been made possible through an SFF philanthropic
initiative, along with federal and local government grants. Furlong
also recruited an engaged group of volunteers who have collected
and catalogued materials from the Festival’s own storage, the State
Library, National Film and Sound Archive, University of Sydney and new
donations brought in from SFF Alumni.
Film remains an important medium for sharing cultures and ideas.
The Living Archive preserves a history of international film andprogramming – particularly underrepresented films – ensuring these
moments in time remain in the collective memory. When viewed in its
totality, the Archive reveals that world history, community sentimentand cinema have always been in lockstep.
Explore the Living Archive at archive.sff.org.au

Sydney Film Festival thanks the generosity of the Archive lead donors:
Charlene and Graham Bradley AM; and Margaret Andrews, David BruceSteer, Leo Christie OAM, Davis Property Consulting, Rosalyn Diprose,
David Donaldson, Laurie Ferguson, John Gleeson, Sophie Goddard SC,
Adam Herron, Richard Keys, Annette Mauer, Joan McDonald OAM, Anthony
Mitchell, June Murphy, Jan O'Reilly, Jennifer Hill and Gary O'Reilly, Annie
Parnell, In memory of Joe Petranovic, Caroline Pryor, Alex-Oonagh Redmond,Nizza and Max Siano, Ross Tzannes AM, Julie Young, Anonymous (2)MAKE A BEQUEST
Leaving a charitable gift to Sydney Film Festival
in your Will is a meaningful way to celebrate
your SFF experience and appreciation offilm. Such a gift can make a substantial
difference to SFF and help ensure the Festival
will be around for the next generation of film
lovers and filmmakers. Get in touch with
the Philanthropy Team to learn more about
including SFF in your legacy plans.

SUPPORTSYDNEYFILMFESTIVAL

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The Archives Project has been supported by:

Celebrate SFF’s milestone birthday with atax-deductible gift towards its future.
Visit sff.org.au/donate to make a donation.

Jacki Weaver, Ross Tzannes and Neville Wran

If you would like to contribute to the evolution of the
Living Archive project or learn more, please contact Erin Westhoff
at erin.westhoff@sff.org.au

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DONORSCORPORATE PARTNERSSYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL
THANKS ITS DIRECTOR’SPATRONS AND SUPPORTING
CAST DONORS
LIFE PATRONThe Ivany Foundation

FESTIVAL VISIONARY
Andrew Cameron AM and Cathy Cameron
WeirAnderson Foundation

Marilyn Di Bella
Francesca Duncan
Mandy Foley
Cheryl Hayman
Sally Herman
Anita Jacoby AM
Terry Kaljo
Blainey North
Ruth Ritchie Family Fund

DIRECTOR’S CHAMPION
Constellation Creatives
Ian Darling AO and Min Darling
Nick and Sandra Fairfax
Anne and Mark Lazberger
Dr Kathryn Lovric and Dr Roger Allan
Adrian and Charlotte MacKenzie
Amanda Maple-Brown
Zareh and Ping Nalbandian
Shark Island Foundation
Will and Jane Vicars

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Brian Abel and Mark Manton
Animal Logic Entertainment
Charlene and Graham Bradley AM
The Ivany Foundation
Nicole Kidman AC
Suzanne and Anthony Maple-Brown
Nicole McKenna and Chris Freeland AM
Sam Meers AO
Kate Mills
Michael and Vivienne Selwyn
Anonymous (1)DIRECTOR’S CUT
Nick and Simone Abrahams
Rob and Sandra Antulov
Alice Bell and Leon Ford
Chris and Annerie Bell
Rosemary Blight and Ben Grant
Blue Cat Pictures
Carole Campbell
Jan Chapman AO and Stephen O’Rourke
Rob and Maddie Coe
Anne and David Craig
Gregory Foley
Goalpost Pictures
Rick Gove
Sally Herman
Leonie and David Jackson
Tim and Akiko Jackson
Lonergan Family
Dr Stephen McNamara
Keith Rodger | 98 | Fear Of God Films
Gene Sherman | Sherman Foundation
Doug and Chris Snedden
Ezekiel Solomon AM
Ashley and Aveen Stephenson
Will Wilson

DIRECTOR’S ASSOCIATES
Deb and John Balderstone
David and Leith Bruce-Steer
Sally Cousens and John Stuckey
Olivia Humphrey
Lambert Bridge Foundation
Emile Sherman and Iain Canning | See-Saw Films
The Sky Foundation
Dr Greg Wilkins and Dr Wendy Orlay
Annie Williams

WOMEN’S GIVING COLLECTIVE
Cate Aarons
Kirsty Albert
Hayley Baillie
Wendy Beckett
Deborah Bell
Michele Brooks
Iolanda Capodanno and Juergen Krufczyk

Your generosity has helped make 70
editions of Sydney Film Festival possible.

Alisa Keele
Tom Keenan
Brian LeeAlister Maple-Brown
Amanda Maple-Brown
Catherine Maple-Brown
McGregor Casting
David Michôd
Stephanie Pringle
Alyson Standen
Taste Creative
The Story Mill
Kelly Vincent

Lori Flekser

Alice Yang

Annie Kinnane

SUPPORTING CAST
$1,000–$2,499
David Barnes
Adam Herron
Jane and Ian Morrison
Rodney Mu
Ross Tzannes AM
Anonymous (2)

THANKS TO OUR 2023 PARTNERS
Principal State Government Partner

Principal Local Government Partner

Programming Partner

Local Government Partners

Valmae Freilich
John Gleeson
Pamela Grant
Noelene HallAngelo Hatsatouris

Major Partner

Margaret R Hawkins
David Hendler
Melissa Heris
William Hoekstra
Kim Jackson

Supporting Partners

Christine Jessep
Sue Josephsen
Maria Kelly
Jane Kirton
Christopher and Carey Little

Screen Audience Research Australia

MinMin Liu
Catherine Mairs
Andrew Maloney

Australian DocumentaryAward Partner

Hospitality Partner

Australian Short Film
Award Partners

Felix Marsh-Wakefield

50

Annette Mauer
Robyn Maxwell
Joan McDonald$500–$999

Alison McIntyre

Alex Bowen and Catherine Sullivan
Roger Dean
Jacqui Feeney
Sarah Goodman
Jackie Katz
Kirsty McKewin
Kristof Mikes-Liu
Vicki Moss
Andrew Vincent
Jane Wynter

Judi Mitchell

DIRECTOR’S LAB

Anonymous (1)Kenny Ang
Con Apostolopoulos and Katie Vajda
Drew Bailey
Annmaree Bell and John Frank
Diana Burnett
Jessica Carrera
Jean-Marc CarriolCharlotte Chimes and Ryan Morgan
Anna Cleary
Constellation Creatives
Sophie Cox
Brendan Donoghue
Alison Fowler
Antaine Furlong
Rupert and Caitlin Forwood
Donna Frost
GBA Capital
Amanda Jermyn and Elly Clapin$100–$499

Major Federal Government Partner

Anthony Mitchell

Hub Partner

Education
PartnerFestival Supporters

Lindy Monson
DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS

Gisela and David Moser
Michele Mossop
June Murphy
Joseph Nguyen
Gabrielle O’Grady
Jan O’Reilly

Media Partners

Charles Ovadia

FBi RADIO

Jonathan Page
Janette Parkinson
Annie Parnell
Caroline Pryor

Donald Adams
Elizabeth Anderson
Wendy and Sophie Ashton
Nadia Banihali
Stephen Basil-Jones
Terence Bell
Trish BoothMark Bowman
Karen Broad
Suellen Chapman
Christina Chiam
Jeanine Chialvo
Leo Christie OAM
Megan Coughran
Paige Diamond

Gregory Reading

Susanne de Ferranti

Anonymous (6)Alex-Oonagh RedmondShefali Rovik

Venue Partners

Georgia Shepherd
Kit Shepherd
Lucy Sorentino
Liz Stevens
Claire Tilley

Production Partners

Juliette van Heyst
Steven Vo
Xiomara Williams
Judith Withers
Larry Woldenberg
Julie Young
Sue Zeckendorf

Industry and Cultural Partners

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