Sydney Film Festival

Every mention of Lily Tomlin is preceded by “the incomparable” because it’s a universal truth, but the famed American comedian has been a rare sight on the big screen in recent years, featuring primarily in supporting roles in TV series like Web Therapy and Malibu Country. Thankfully that drought is over, with not only her…

Station to Station isn’t so much a feature film as it is a travelling art experiment, the execution of a concept born years prior that is now travelling the globe. The film documents a train as it travelled from the Atlantic (we presume Union Station in NYC) to the Pacific (we presume Union Station in…

On the surface Last Cab To Darwin is not just a film about euthanasia, but a film about the people you meet on the greatest journey you take of all, living the one single life you have. A road movie that’s a drama with heart and emotion at its core and a cast of genuine…

Over 86 minutes, this chilling documentary details how a (very) small, quiet town in North Dakota slowly transformed into a breeding ground for hatred and paranoia over the course of a few months. It’s easy to watch Welcome to Leith as a highly effective thriller, forgetting that the events going down in the film actually…

The Golden Age Cinema & Bar in Sydney will play host to a program of Studio Ghibli favourites, including several screenings of the newest Ghibli film When Marnie Was There. The film is an adaptation of Joan G. Robinson‘s 1968 British novel of the same name. The film follows Anna Sasaki, an orphan in foster…

Madame Bovary is a pleasant film but it’s an unnecessary adaption. The iconic novel by Gustave Flaubert has been adapted multiple times for film and television over the past few years. But what distinguishes this latest offering is that it is the first one to be directed by a female (Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls)). Here,…

The Daughter is the second Australian film screening at the Sydney Film Festival this year to be adapted from a play (or, more accurately in this case, “inspired by”) that originally appeared at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney – that being Simon Stone’s 2011 adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck (the other, Cowell’s Ruben…

Isabella Patterson’s arrival into the lives of a group of people in New York City brings about a chain reaction akin to a relationship shit-storm in Peter Bogdanovich’s new film, She’s Funny That Way, now showing as part of this year’s Sydney Film Festival. Originally written 15 years ago, it is now seeing the light…

For singer songwriter and musician Amy Winehouse the last couple of years of her life were fodder for tabloids and the entertainment news machine monster. You may not have been a fan of her music but you were familiar with her and her drug-fuelled antics. But sometimes what gets overlooked when her name is brought…

Slow West is the story of a young, wide-eyed Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who undertakes a journey to find his ‘true love’, Rose (Caren Pistorius). Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) soon enters the picture, vowing to help him survive his journey for a small fee. Unbeknownst to Jay, a bounty has been placed on the heads…

Note: This review contains some spoilers of the film and the original play. “How brave of you to stop drinking alcohol in this alcoholic country” – Zoya (Abbey Lee) With a penchant for young girls, alcohol and most of life’s vices (as well as a “me before you” attitude), Ruben Guthrie isn’t a particularly likeable guy….

This is not the first time Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd has been adapted, but it’s certainly the finest interpretation out there. The Victorian-era story is based around heroine Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) and the fierce commitment she has to maintaining her own independence after inheriting a large farming estate from her uncle….

In exciting news for film fans, Sydney Film Festival (SFF) Director Nashen Moodley has announced that “two new documentaries, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine and Among the Believers; along with one new feature, The Assassin, direct from Cannes, will be added to the Sydney Film Festival program”. Renowned documentarian and SFF guest Alex…

Independent filmmakers hub Metro Screen have announced they are partnering with the Sydney Film Festival (SFF) to present two free events at the festival aimed at emerging filmmakers who both run and have a strong passion for film festivals and the role they have to play in the cultural dynamics of the city. Hosted by…

Directed by award-winning Australian writer and filmmaker Violeta Ayala and produced by Dan Fallshaw over the course of 2011-2015, The Bolivian Case follows three Norwegian teenage girls who are arrested with 22kg of cocaine in their luggage in a foreign country. The documentary explores the misdirected way in which the much relied upon media constructed stories based…

Regardless of your opinion on the controversial figure that was Amy Winehouse, there is no denying she was an incredibly talented musician who sadly passed away much too soon. To celebrate the life and music of Winehouse, the award-winning team behind the acclaimed documentary Senna has created Amy, an insightful and moving portrait of the…

The upcoming Sydney Film Festival will play host to the premiere of Australian feature film The Daughter. Starring Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, Paul Schneider and Geoffery Rush, The Daughter follows Christian (Schneider), who returns to his hometown, reunites with his childhood friend, and discovers family secrets that could tear everyone’s lives apart. The Daughter is…

Icon film distribution has announced that the world premiere of their Australian drama Last Cab to Darwin will be held at the Sydney State Theatre on June 6th 2015. And cast and crew from the film will be in attendance at the premiere. In addition, it’s inclusion in the Sydney Film festival program has also been…

So you’ve got your SFF Flexipass but you’re having a hard time choosing between all the hundreds of films that are part of the 62nd Sydney Film Festival. Not to worry, there are many necessary guides out there – like this one – to help you sift through the often overwhelming amount of choices here….

Today the complete line-up of films that will be picking at our hearts and minds during the 62nd Sydney Film Festival has been announced. Once again, those responsible for curating this comprehensive line-up have reached all across the globe to bring us an incredibly diverse and intriguing line-up full of premieres, classics, future classics, and…

Set to open at the official Sydney Film Festival Festival Hub in Town Hall is a special video exhibition staged by Sydney Contemporary. The Sydney Contemporary Video Exhibition will open at the hub on Thursday 4th June and run for the duration of the festival (until 14th June), showcasing works from 12 video artists from…

Sydney Film Festival and Transmission Films have announced Sydney Film Festival Presents, a new initiative to promote quality cinema across Australia. Slow West and Strangerland have been named the first of the selected feature films. In addition to their place at the SFF, the two films will be see national screenings at select Palace Cinemas…

As the Sydney Film Festival draws closer, the event has announced that they will be holding a family friendly program which includes a slew of films that appeal to all audiences. The sessions will even take place during the day. The expanded program now includes: GAYBY BABY Director: Maya Newell | Australia | 85mins |…

In the fourth of Sydney Film Festival’s new monthly screenings in Western Sydney, British film X+Y is set to play at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. The film is a moving romantic drama about a teenage maths prodigy whose world is rocked by a fellow ‘mathlete’ at an international competition. X+Y stars Asa Butterfield, as…

In an article earlier today (here it is) we posted a news piece about ACMI holding an exhibition on Orry-Kelly, Australian costume designer to some of the biggest stars of classic cinema. The exhibition will feature the documentary Women He’s Undressed by Gillian Armstrong, which focus on Orry Kelly’s tumultuous history including his impact on…

Gourmet Cinema is back this year, spread across three days from 9th to 11th June, to once again deliver the perfect pairing of food and film to the Sydney Film Festival. The concept is quite simple really, you sit back with a group of fellow cinephiles to enjoy a fine foodie film and then, following…

Confirmed as of today, the opening night gala for the 62nd Sydney Film Festival will be centered around a World Premiere screening of Australian film Ruben Guthrie, the directorial debut of award-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor Brendan Cowell. The film has been adapted from Cowell’s own critically acclaimed Belvoir St Theatre production, which played in…

The Sydney Film Festival is coming up in June, and to satiate us until then, the powers that be have released teasers for four new films that are set to screen at the festival. Deathgasm is directed by Jason Lei Howden, who previously worked on visual effects for The Hobbit trilogy and The Avengers. This New…

One of our personal favourite events to cover each year is the great Sydney Film Festival; the celebration of international and home-grown cinema that is now in it’s 62nd year. Today, the first 27 films that will be spread across the event, from June 3rd to June 14th, has been announced and it includes some…

Brendan Cowell, Shaun Gladwell and Nashen Moodley have just launched ‘The Film Crowd’, a place where enthusiastic film supporters gather at Sydney Film Festival talks over drinks. Being part of the ‘Crowd’ is all about engaging with film, gaining a unique insider perspective, meeting film industry and like-minded people in a social environment, extending your…