9th Possible Worlds US & Canadian Film Festival program announced

The Possible Worlds Film Festival is coming back in 2014, and this year’s program looks better than ever! Celebrating its ninth year, the Festival presents an incredible selection of the best new independent films from the US and Canada. The Festival is presented by Cosmos Tours and run by non-profit The Festivalists.

This year’s Festival will include eighteen films – nine from the US and nine from Canada – and all screenings will take place at Event Cinemas on George Street in Sydney from August 7^th to 17^th. There will also be satellite events in Canberra (on August 20^th) and Perth (August 22^nd to 24^th) during which selected titles will be shown.

Festival Director Mathieu Ravier said the following about the Festival: “With one world premiere and thirteen Australian premieres, we have put together a Festival that focuses on discoveries; on introducing new films to Australian audiences. Possible Worlds is a rare opportunity to take back the multiplex and showcase the vibrant visions of independent filmmakers working outside of Hollywood.”

Here is a rundown of some of the films screening at the Festival:

1987 (Opening Night)

It’s the summer of 1987 and 17 year old Ricardo’s to-do list is as follows: hang out with his mates, get into bars, find a car, open a nightclub and loose his virginity. Unable to hold down a job, Ricardo adds  “becoming a small-time crook”, which is when his summer plans begin to go awry…  Set to an excellent 80s soundtrack and tackling all of the hilariously awkward moments that come with being a teenager but wanting to be treated like an adult, 1987 is a light-hearted comedy  that refuses to take itself too seriously.

The Grand Seduction

A small, failing fishing village needs to procure a local GP to secure a lucrative business contract, so when  unlikely candidate and big city doctor Paul Lewis lands in their lap for a trial residence, the townsfolk rally together to seduce him into staying with a series of increasingly complicated and outlandish tricks and schemes. Set against the stunning coastline of Newfoundland, this laugh-out-loud comedy is also a charming humanist fable about community spirit, led by warmly charismatic performances by Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch.

Beneath the Harvest Sky

Casper and Dominic have been fiercely loyal friends since childhood. Desperate for a way out of their quiet town on the Maine-Canada border, the boys make a pact to pool their earnings on a car and hit the road. When Casper is drawn into drug smuggling to pay his share, Dominic (a standout performance by Sydney actor Callan McAuliffe) is forced to make some hard choices and this authentic portrait of small-town American life becomes a riveting coming-of-age thriller.

Our Man in Tehran

Our Man in Tehran revisits the true story behind Ben Affleck’s Hollywood film Argo, setting the story straight about the role played by Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor in hiding six American diplomats during the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979. With access to key players and footage, this enthralling documentary sheds new light on secret dealings between the US and Canadian governments and the covert planning of the military rescue.  The filmmakers deftly summon a moment in our history where the entire world seemingly held its breath, proving that truth can be more entertaining than fiction.

Air Sex: The Movie

What is Air Sex? Think Air Guitar, but instead of pretending to play an invisible instrument, players pretend to have sexual encounters with an imaginary partner (or partners). A mix of sport, comedy, storytelling and improv’, Air Sex is fast becoming a phenomenon on the American comedy circuit. This rude and riotous documentary follows New Orleans comedian and Air Sex host Chris Trew around the US as he attempts to convince crowds of excited, confused and inebriated audience members to join in on the bizarre and hilarious spectacle, climaxing in the outrageous Air Sex Championship finals.

I Origins

Human eye expert Dr. Ian Gray falls for a young French woman at a party. Theirs is a wild, passionate love affair, in spite of contrasting scientific and spiritual beliefs. Years later, Ian and his lab partner make a dramatic discovery which leads Ian to put family and career at risk, travelling to India to validate a world-changing theory. This Sundance winner weaves together the emotional and the scientific in an ambitious metaphysical drama carried by a star turn from Michael Pitt (The Dreamers, Funny Games): unpredictable, compelling and thought-provoking right until the post-credits sequence.

Faults

Claire is under the grip of a mysterious cult known as Faults. Claire’s desperate parents set out to recruit mind control expert Ansel Roth to abduct and deprogram her. Washed out, in debt and in trouble, Ansel agrees. But Claire reveals herself to be a formidable challenge. As it cunningly evolves from black comedy to psychological thriller, Faults remains utterly compelling thanks to a clever script (on the 2013 Black List of unproduced screenplays) and brilliant chemistry between rising star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) and character actor Leland Orser (Se7en, Taken).

The 9th Possible Worlds US & Canadian Film Festival will take place at Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney from August 7^th to 17^th. Select titles will also be shown at satellite events in Canberra (on August 20^th) and Perth (August 22^nd to 24^th). Check out the rest of the program at the Possible Worlds website at www.possibleworlds.net.au and purchase tickets here. You can also check out the Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/possibleworlds.

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