The upcoming 63rd Sydney Film Festival has revealed the first 26 of its 200+ film lineup for this year’s event.
“These 26 films may just be a taste of what’s coming, but they already make for a compelling selection of the best in features and documentaries. These are films that can change your mind, change your mood and change the way you look at the world. From big stars and big ideas to small but perfectly formed stories of truth and imagination, there’s something for all kinds of film lovers here,” said festival director Nashen Moodley.
Of the 36 films announced in the preview, 17 are new features and nine are new documentaries including 22 Australian Premieres, and 10 are iconic works of cinema to be screened on 35mm prints.
It was also confirmed that two time Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy will be attendance for this year’s festival.
Headlining the festival this year will be Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallée‘s Demolition, off-beat romantic comedy Maggie’s Plan and Alexander Sokurov’s love letter to the Louvre, Francofonia.
Other highlights include Irish comedy Sing Street and Richard Linklater’s ode to the 80s, Everybody Wants Some!!, the “spiritual sequel” to his 1993 film Dazed and Confused.
On the documentary side of things, Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner Weiner and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers.
Also set to feature are Janis Joplin biopic Janis: Little Girl in Blue and American experimental artist Laurie Anderson’s story of love and loss in Heart of a Dog.
Other films announced are as follows:
Angry Indian Goddesses
Dubbed India’s answer to Bridesmaids, this female buddy movie from acclaimed director Pan Nalin presents a refreshingly frank portrait of women in India today.
The Commune
Trine Dyrholm won the Best Actress award at the Berlinale for her terrific performance in this new ’70s-set drama by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg (The Celebration, The Hunt).
A Copy of My Mind
An unlikely romance blossoms between a film-loving beautician and a DVD bootlegger against the turbulent socio-political backdrop of contemporary Jakarta.
Desde Alla (From Afar)
Winner of the Golden Lion at Venice, this story of a middle-aged man’s affair with a young street thug is a tense study of class conflict and desire in Venezuela’s capital.
The Devil’s Candy
Heavy metal music, dark forces and a dream home with a hefty hidden cost are the elements of this red-hot horror by Australian writer-director Sean Byrne.
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World
Werner Herzog, director of such beloved classics of the non-fiction realm as Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams, turns his inimitable eye on the evolution of the Internet.
Magallanes
This suspenseful political thriller reaches deep into Peru’s long-troubled history to tell a moving tale of a man’s quest for redemption.
Morris From America
Winner of the Sundance Screenwriting Award, this is a fresh, funny film about how a shy African-American teen who relocates to Germany deals with culture shock and first love.
Mr. Gaga
This multi-award winning documentary chronicles the life and work of modern dance choreographer Ohad Narahin, offering a glimpse into the artistic genius’ creative process.
Mustang
Winner of a Cannes Directors’ Fortnight prize, six Césars and an Oscar nomination, this Turkish gem is a powerful portrait of sisterhood.
No Home Movie
The final film by influential Belgian director Chantal Akerman is a profoundly moving mother-and-daughter portrait.
Sonita
This year’s winner of the world documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance is the story of how a gutsy Afghani refugee’s love of rap music changed her life.
Tharlo
During a visit to a nearby town, the peaceful life of a reclusive Tibetan shepherd is upended by romance and bureaucracy, in this visually stunning black and white drama.
Under the Shadow
In war-torn Tehran, an evil entity invades the apartment of a mother and her young daughter. Babak Anvari’s debut combines scary supernatural suspense and potent cultural commentary.
A War
Director Tobias Lindholm and actor Pilou Asbæk reunite following their collaboration on A Hijacking in this riveting and complex exploration of Denmark’s role in the Afghan war.
For more information about the festival, stop by the official Sydney Film Festival website.
The Sydney Film Festival will take place at venues all over Sydney including The State Theatre, Dendy Opera Quays, The Art Gallery of NSW, Event Cinemas George Street, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Dendy Newtown, Casula Powerhouse, and the Skyline Drive In Blacktown.
Expect the full Sydney Film Festival program will be announced on Wednesday 11 May at 11am.
The festival itself will take place from the 8th to the 19th of June.
In the meantime, Flexipasses and subscriptions to Sydney Film Festival 2016 are on sale now.
Call 1300 733 733 or visit http://www.sff.org.au for more information.
———-
