The first weekend of the Adelaide Film Festival was action packed

The Adelaide Film Festival helps cement Adelaide’s place in the world of cutting-edge arts, music and film. With Gala nights, forums and talks, award nights, and even a children’s program there really is something for everyone. Over 12 days and nights, over 120 films are presented, including many with the directors or stars in attendance.

Friday evening was no exception, with Cate Blanchett on the red carpet at the beautiful art deco Capri Theatre to showcase her most recent movie Tár. The movie tells the story of Lydia Tár, the first female lesbian German symphony conductor.  After the movie, she answered questions in a Q&A session.

In the Palace Nova City Hub, the Australian and New Zealand collaboration  We Are Still Here is a response from ten Indigenous directors to 250 years of colonialism. Eight powerful stories weave tales of kinship, grief and resilience.

In complete contrast, Will-O’-the-Wisp is a camp story of a Prince who would rather be a fireman. A combination of dance musical, gratuitous male nudity, and commentary on modern issues such as Coronavirus makes for an amusing gay comedy.

Sirens is marketed as a backstage pass to the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, which barely scratches the surface of what a wonderful movie this is. Set against years of oppression, war and destruction, culminating in the massive port bombing in 2020 that killed over 200 people, the band create their dreams. They experience hostility from the public, from their families and more, yet their focus is clear. Despite some tensions in their band, Slave to the Sirens, especially between guitarists Lila and Sherry, they manage to find themselves on stage at Glastonbury. A truly uplifting story of having the courage to fulfil your dreams.

In the city there were red-carpet parties for Carniflex and The Survival of Kindness by Rolf De Heer.

On Sunday at the Mitcham Cinema, Hugo Weaving presented some background to the movie Lone Wolf. It’s based on Joseph Conrad‘s book The Secret Agent, which deals broadly with anarchism, espionage and terrorism. Set in modern-day Melbourne it tells the story via imagery captured via hidden cameras, phone footage and surveillance imagery. As the plot slowly unfolds, we are privy to a futuristic style of policing, questioning the increased need for privacy controls to be erased.

Back at the Capri Theatre, a Wizard of Oz afternoon meant that families could enjoy this 50-year-old classic on the big screen. This was followed by Lynch / Oz, a six-part essay on the influence that the Wizard of Oz had on David Lynch and his filmmaking. It was fascinating to compare scenes and appreciate the subtle (or not so subtle) influences that the classic movie had on Lynch and other filmmakers of his ilk.

Over at Prospect Cinema, Please Baby Please is highly stylised musical queer cinema. It begins with an almost West Side Story feel, with leather-clad gang dancing in litter-strewn streets, before attacking a defenceless couple, beating them to death. This is witnessed by another local couple, who live in the apartment next to where the murder happened. Suddenly their lives become entwined and their conservative existence is drawn into question. A highly stylised movie by director Amanda Kramer keeps the viewer entertained for a good 90 minutes.

With another week left in the Adelaide Film Festival, it’s worth downloading the phone app to search for movies and book tickets. Here is a sample of a few of the gala events in the week ahead.

  • Monday night has the Made in SA Short Film Showcase Red Carpet, screening and awards at Palace Nova Eastend.
  • The Australian Premiere of Carmen presented at Her Majesty’s Theatre will feature a dramatic performance before the screening by Adelaide-raised flamenco superstar Marina Tamayo, who stars in the film.
  • The world premiere of The Giants will be followed by a Q&A with Dr Bob Brown alongside filmmakers Laurence Billiet, Rachel Antony and Helen Panckhu.

Due to popular demand, AFF has also just announced a slew of new screenings.

BONES AND ALL – Directed by Luca Guadagnino. With Timothée Chalamet, David Gordon Green, Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance. It is one of the most anticipated and controversial films of the year, being the winner of the Silver Lion award for Best Direction at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival. Screening Saturday, October 29 at 9pm at Palace Nova Eastend Cinema.

Additional screenings of the following movies:

  • MONDAY NOVEMBER 1: AFF Closing Night film talk TALK TO ME returns with Q&A with writer/directors, Adelaide’s own Daniel and Michael Philippou (A.K.A RackaRacka).
  • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 2:  Monolith The feature from the South Australian creative team of director Matt Vesely, writer Lucy Campbell and producer Bettina Hamilton is a striking science fiction thriller.
  • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 2: TÁR marks the welcome return of acclaimed director Todd Field, who also wrote and produced the film, and whose last project was the Oscar© nominated 2006 Little Children. Starring and Executive Produced by Festival guest, Cate Blanchett, winner of The Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival for her performance in the film.
  • WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 3: The Last Daughter. In this Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund film, Brenda Matthews, who directs with Nathaniel Schmidt, is on a mission to unearth the truth about her past, and to reconcile the two sides of her family. Brenda’s first memories were of growing up in a loving white foster family, before she was suddenly taken away and returned to her Aboriginal family.
  • WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 3: Triangle of Sadness A darkly hilarious satire of celebrity culture, where beauty is the main form of currency.

There is plenty of options for delicious food at the Lucky Dumpling Market in Elder Park.

For the full list of programs at the Adelaide Film Festival check here.