The momentous 70^th Sydney Film Festival program was officially launched today by Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley, with a bumper line-up featuring the Australian premieres of new films including Warwick Thornton’s latest masterpiece The New Boy, starring Cate Blanchett; Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City; Celine Song’s highly anticipated Past Lives; films direct from the Cannes Competition by masters Aki Kaurismäki, Wim Wenders, and Kore-eda Hirokazu; actor Alice Englert’s directorial feature debut Bad Behaviour; and many more.

“A film festival is a gathering of diverse perspectives that offers a collective snapshot of the global zeitgeist, allowing us to delve deeper into our present reality,” said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “For 70 years, Sydney Film Festival has been privileged to capture and embody these moments, presenting a rich tapestry of stories that reflect our shared desire to understand the world we live in.”

“The 2023 Festival program stands as a testament to its ambitious vision, showcasing a dynamic and expansive line-up of both emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. Through their thought-provoking films, they offer us an invitation to reflect on our shared humanity and contemplate the possibilities that lie ahead,” he said.

“As we celebrate our 70th milestone, we extend our gratitude to the city and people of Sydney, whose unwavering curiosity and passion for cinema have made this festival into an inclusive and welcoming platform for filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike,” he said.

“Join us once again at The Hub, offering immersive filmmaker talks, panels, and film-themed parties. Grab a drink and enjoy a special archive exhibition, celebrating 70 years of Sydney Film Festival and showcasing the remarkable intersection of world and cinema history,” said Moodley.

Minister for the Arts John Graham said the Sydney Film Festival is a highlight in Sydney’s cultural calendar, connecting audiences to world-class cinema and celebrating a diverse range of established and emerging filmmakers.

“The NSW Government is proud to support the Sydney Film Festival as it celebrates its 70th season. As one of the world’s longest running festivals it continues to present courageous, audacious and cutting-edge films and provides a launch pad for countless filmmakers,” Mr Graham said.

“The highly-regarded Screenability program continues to profile the immense talents of filmmakers identifying with disability, while the Travelling Film Festival brings audiences together throughout NSW to enjoy the festival experience. I invite everyone to immerse themselves in cinema and celebrate everything our premier Film Festival has to offer.”

In 2023, the Festival will present 239 films from 67 countries including 37 World Premieres and 123 Australian Premieres, bringing together hundreds of new international and local stories, with more to still be announced. The program is made up of 90 narrative feature films, including prestigious international festival prize-winners and 54 documentaries tackling crucial contemporary issues, from established and upcoming documentarians.

OPENING NIGHT

The 2023 Festival opens with the Australian Premiere of The New Boy, a captivating new film by Cannes Caméra d’Or winning Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton, and produced by Dirty Films and Scarlett Pictures. The Cannes-selected feature tells a story of spirituality and survival set in 1940s Australia, starring Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and newcomer Aswan Reid.

Director Warwick Thornton and producer Kath Shelper will attend opening night to present their film.

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

For the 15th year, the Official Competition will award the $60,000 cash Sydney Film Prize to a film that demonstrates audacious, cutting-edge and courageous cinema.

Australian films competing are the Opening Night film The New Boy and the World Premiere of The Dark Emu Story. This revelatory documentary explores the ground-breaking work of Bruce Pascoe, whose best-selling book challenged Australia’s historical narrative and revolutionised our understanding of traditional Aboriginal life.

Directed by Allan Clarke and produced by Blackfella Films, The Dark Emu Story dives deep into the controversy surrounding Pascoe’s claims, offering a platform for First Nations peoples to share their untold stories.

Internationally awarded films in competition at SFF include Christian Petzold’s (Undine, SFF 2021; Barbara, SFF 2012) Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear winning feature Afire, about four young people trapped in a holiday house as a wild fire draws near; and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Scrapper, Charlotte Regan’s joyous debut about a 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in London until her estranged father (Harris Dickinson, Triangle of Sadness, SFF 2022) turns up.

Direct from the 2023 Cannes Film Festival competition will be: Monster, an intense drama from Kore-eda Hirokazu (Shoplifters, SFF 2018; Broker, SFF 2022), told through multiple perspectives; and Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki’s compassionate comedy Fallen Leaves.

Also screening straight from Cannes is Cobweb, Kim Jee-woon’s (A Tale of Two Sisters, The Age of Shadows) film about a director obsessed with re-shooting the end of his completed film; and Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, that melds fact, fiction and figurines to lay bare a hidden personal and national history.

Sundance-selected gems include Alice Englert’s directorial debut feature Bad Behaviour, a dark New Zealand-produced comedy starring Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Dasha Nekrasova and Englert herself; and Celine Song’s Sundance and Berlinale 2023 selected tender romance, Past Lives.

Liu Jian’s 2023 Berlinale-selected animation Art College 1994 will also screen in competition alongside Devashish Makhija’s Joram, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about an on the run labourer in Mumbai.

The winner of the Sydney Film Prize is announced at the Festival’s Closing Night Gala on Sunday 18 June. Previous winners include 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).

The competition is endorsed by FIAPF, the regulating body for international film festivals, and is judged by a jury of international and Australian filmmakers and industry professionals.

DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA AWARD

10 documentaries (including three World Premieres and three Australian Premieres) will contest the 2023 Documentary Australia Award.

World Premieres: The Defenders, a headline grabbing story of former Socceroos Captain Craig Foster as he fights to rescue the life of fellow player Hakeem al-Araibi; The Cape, about the mysterious tragedies in Australia’s Cape York from Emmy and previous SFF award winner Michael Ware (Only The Dead, SFF 2015); Isabel Darling’s The Carnival, an epic road trip with a sixth-generation carnival family; Climate Changers, documents Australian scientist and conservationist Tim Flannery on his global search for genuine leadership on climate change; Indigenous actor Mark Coles Smith returns home to the Kimberley to interrogate the alarming suicide rates there in Keeping Hope, and; Kindred, filmmakers Gillian Moody and Adrian Russell Wills’ personal journey into the emotional landscape of family, love and loss.

Australian Premieres: Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear winning short Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) about a road trip back to Country for Yankunytjatjara artist Derik Lynch; and Rachel’s Farm which follows actor-director Rachel Ward (Palm Beach, SFF 2019) as she revitalises her northern NSW beef farm using sustainable farming practices.

Also in the running: Australian filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson (Chasing Buddha, SFF 2000, Dendy Award winner; Hail, SFF 2011; Ruin, SFF 2014) examines society’s approach to death and dying in Man on Earth; and The Last Daughter documents Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews’ search to uncover the truth about her government-ordered abduction as a child.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AT THE STATE

The iconic State Theatre provides the ultimate Sydney Film Festival experience, screening everything from hard-hitting documentaries to indie hits.

Screening at SFF after straight after their Cannes Film Festival premieres are: Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City starring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks; Anurag Kashyap’s (Gangs of Wasseypur, SFF 2012) noirish thriller Kennedy; Wim Wenders’ Japan-set Perfect Days, a reflection on the beauty to be found in the everyday; Amat Escalante’s (The Untamed, SFF 2017) tense Mexican thriller Lost in the Night; and Pictures of Ghosts, a cinematic love letter to family and filmmaking by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Aquarius, Sydney Film Prize, 2016).

Also coming off the international festival circuit are Ira Sachs’ (Love is Strange, SFF 2014) sexy Sundance/Berlinale highlight, Passages, about a thorny ménage à trois starring Ben Whishaw; and Biosphere, a twist-filled comedy from Toronto FF 2022 that sees Mark Duplass (The Morning Show) and Sterling K. Brown (This is Us) play the last men on Earth.

True stories come to life at the State Theatre with Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, The White Lotus) starring in Reality as an American veteran turned whistle blower, while Radical explores an inspiring teacher’s unconventional methods in a Mexican school. Red, White & Brass, directed by Damon Fepulea’i and executive produced by Taika Waititi, tells the hilarious tale of Tongan rugby superfans on a surprising journey to the Rugby World Cup.

Two Directors will debut first features at the State Theatre. He Shuming’s Ajoomma follows the crazy adventure of a Singaporean widow obsessed with Korean soap operas; and actor Randall Park’s (Veep, WandaVision) Shortcomings is a biting comedy about race, identity and desire.

FEATURES

Embark on a cinematic journey that spans the globe as the Festival unveils a tapestry of captivating narratives, featuring exceptional talent from Australia and beyond, celebrating the art of storytelling on the silver screen.

Australian productions get the silver screen treatment including Daina Reid’s psychological thriller Run Rabbit Run, starring Sarah Snook (Succession) as a troubled single mother whose daughter grows distant and disturbing. Carmen is the directorial debut of acclaimed choreographer Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan) and stars Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Melissa Barrera (In the Heights). A visionary retelling of the classic opera, the film was shot in NSW and features Sydney Dance Company artists.

Presented by Brix, Independent in Spirit champions independent films by bold new Australian voices. The 2023 Independent in Spirit line-up consists of five local features: The Big Dog, an acidic comedy about a stockbroker with a financial domination fetish; Love Road, an intense drama detailing the highs and lows of a tempestuous relationship; Sunflower, a queer coming of age tale set in the outer Melbourne suburbs; psychological thriller Birdeater; and Tennessine, a drama in which an Iranian arrives in Australia to reunite with his lover.

The Festival presents an exceptional line-up of award-winning films that showcase diverse talent and compelling storytelling. Jafar Panahi’s (Tehran Taxi, SFF 2015; Three Faces, SFF 2018) No Bears defies bans on his filmmaking in Iran, weaving parallel love stories and won the Venice Special Jury Prize. The searing drama Sand follows an ex-Tamil Tiger survivor of the Sri Lankan Civil War, earning a Special Jury Award at Rotterdam.

Based on a true story, Yemeni feature The Burdened shines a light on the human spirit in the face of adversity, recognised with the Amnesty International prize at Berlinale 2023. A Thousand and One, winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, presents a sweeping tale of love and determination featuring R&B star Teyana Taylor.

Winner of a Directing Award at Sundance, Slow is an exploration of romance between a contemporary dancer and an asexual sign language interpreter. 20,000 Species of Bees is a stirring coming-of-age story that explores gender identity within a Basque beekeeping matriarchy, featuring an astonishing performance from the youngest-ever Silver Bear winner (Sofia Otero).

Autobiography, the first feature from Indonesian filmmaker Makbul Mubarak delves into the depths of corruption and violence and was the recipient of the FIPRESCI prize at Venice 2022. Honoured with the FIPRESCI award at Toronto, delightful comedy A Gaza Weekend, turns the tumultuous Gaza into the safest and funniest place on Earth during a pandemic.

Angela Schanelec’s Music won the Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, exploring the complexities of human existence through the myth of Oedipus. Midwives received the Ecumenical Prize at Berlinale 2023, celebrating the unsung heroes of the delivery ward. Sira, a Burkina Faso revenge saga, earned the Berlinale Panorama Audience Award, as a young Muslim woman seeks retribution after surviving a terrorist kidnapping. Lee Jeong-hong’s A Wild Roomer won the New Currents competition and the NETPAC Award at Busan, delivering a delightful South Korean comedy of manners.

Cannes Un Certain Regard selected films include: The Delinquents, Rodrigo Moreno’s unconventional Argentinian bank heist film; and Omen, by rapper and artist Baloji and about a man who was accused of sorcery and banished from the Congo, returning 15 years later.

Films popular at international festivals will also screen. David Zonana’s explosive drama Heroic takes aim at corruption and coercion at a Mexican military academy, and screened at both Sundance and Berlinale 2023; Chandler Levack’s hilarious ode to cinephiles I Like Movies was a warm hearted hit at Toronto FF 2022; from Sundance 2023, Sorcery, is a story of supernatural retribution set in 1800s Chile; and The Happiest Man in the World, a drama about the trauma of war and the power of love,  from Teona Strugar Mitevska (God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya, SFF 2019) screened at Venice (Horizons) 2022.

Tales of true-life feature in the Festival. Fatih Akin’s (Head-On, SFF 2004; In the Fade, SFF 2017) Rhinegold, about the extraordinary life story of Kurdish refugee-turned-gangster-turned German rap star Giwar ‘Xatar’ Hajabi; Silver Haze sees director Sacha Polak (Dirty God, SFF 2019) reunite with Vicky Knight in the semi-autobiographical role of a burn survivor obsessed with revenge; and Riceboy Sleeps is Anthony Shim’s semi-autobiographical drama that has won more than 20 international awards.

Explore social issues through fascinating features. BAFTA-nominated drama Blue Jean follows a closeted lesbian navigating anti-gay laws, life and love in Thatcher-era England; and How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a thrilling environmentalist tale of the sabotage of an oil pipeline.

Experience bold Iranian cinema in Mani Haghighi’s (Pig, SFF 2018) Subtraction – a riveting psychological mystery where a married couple encounter their doppelgängers; World War III following a filmset labourer’s unexpected rise to stardom, securing accolades at Venice (Horizons) 2022; and Iranian director Vahid Jalilvand’s gripping thriller, Beyond the Wall, where a near-blind man hides a terrified mother from the police after a protest turns into a riot.

Exciting features with big names include: The Lesson, a literary thriller starring Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy and Daryl McCormack; and Chevalier, a sumptuous historical drama based on the true story of 18^th century Black composer Joseph Bologne, starring Aussie Samara Weaving (Mayhem, SFF 2017) and Kevin Harrison Jr (Elvis, SFF 2022).

Stories from Asia include the raucous, rip-roaring kaiju film Shin Ultraman and Zhang Lu’s charming slice-of-life dramedy The Shadowless Tower.

The 70th anniversary program also showcases captivating narratives from Europe and beyond. Snow and the Bear is a slow-burning Turkish village noir, while Piaffe tells the story of an introverted German Foley artist on a transformative sexual journey. The exhilarating South London odyssey Pretty Red Dress celebrates the power of self-expression and challenges notions of masculinity.

Additional highlights include Rima Das’s award-winning drama Tora’s Husband, depicting the challenges faced by a young family in Assam amid the impact of COVID; and Aamir Bashir’s The Winter Within, which follows a Kashmiri woman’s search for her disappeared husband, a militant caught in the grip of occupying forces.

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES

This year’s International Documentary line-up is a mesmerizing, eye-opening, and visually stunning collection of prize-winning and controversial films.

Sundance award winner The Eternal Memory captures the heart-wrenching yet humorous journey of a devoted Chilean couple, while Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV presents a creatively distinctive portrait of video art pioneer Nam June Paik. Joonam uncovers a complex family history through an Iranian-born mother and grandmother’s stories. Bobi Wine: The People’s President documents the Ugandan musician-turned-politician’s campaign against dictatorship.

Explorations and reflections of a life lived feature in the expansive documentary selection with Stephen Curry: Underrated which traces the rise of the NBA superstar from high school player to legend; Blue Bag Life, Rebecca Lloyd-Evans’ deeply personal exploration of addiction and love; and
A Cooler Climate, Oscar-winning filmmaker James Ivory’s documentary revisiting untouched footage from 1960 Afghanistan, offering a richly evocative portrait.

This year’s line-up also includes stories of struggle and hope from communities across the globe. Against the Tide follows Mumbai’s Indigenous Koli fishermen confronting environmental change and its toll on their friendship. The Echo offers a lyrical portrait of a rural Mexican village by the director of Cannes winner Prayers for the Stolen (SFF 2021).

Berlinale Golden Bear Winner On the Adamant by Nicolas Philibert depicts a floating Parisian day-care centre for mental health. Free Money explores a charitable initiative providing regular income in an impoverished Kenyan village. Filmmaker Jialing Zhang (One Child Nation, SFF 2019) exposes China’s surveillance state in the unsettling Total Trust.

Experience powerful LGBTQIA+ stories in Transition, a film in which Australian journalist and filmmaker Jordan Bryon chronicles his own gender journey while embedded with Taliban forces in Afghanistan; and Queendom which explores the risks faced by queer artist and activist Gena Marvin in Putin’s Russia.

Orlando, My Political Biography creatively delves into gender and identity inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel. Who I Am Not follows intersex individuals Sharon-Rose Khumalo and Dimakatso Sebidi’s trials and triumphs; and award-winning director Kim Longinotto’s Dalton’s Dream, captures queer artist Dalton Harris’ search for love and acceptance after winning The X Factor UK.

Explore themes of oppression, politics, and power in the Festival line-up with Eastern Front exposing the brutal reality of the Ukrainian conflict, directed by Vitaly Mansky (Under the Sun, SFF 2016) and fellow Ukrainian filmmaker Yevhen Titarenko. Beyond Utopia follows a family’s daring escape from North Korea, revealing the harsh realities of life under an oppressive regime. And the gripping IDFA 2022 award-winning documentary Paradise depicts villagers defending their homes against a massive Siberian wildfire, highlighting their abandonment by Russian authorities.

From Australia: the world premiere of Freedom is Beautiful, directed by Angus McDonald, follows two Kurdish Iranian asylum seekers, musicians and artists, imprisoned on Manus Island, using their voices to challenge Australia’s refugee policy.

US politics is interrogated in two important documentaries: A Storm Foretold, a jaw-dropping, portrait of Roger Stone, Donald Trump’s former adviser, filmed over three years leading up to the US Capitol storming on January 6^th; and The Corridors of Power exploring the consistent failure of US foreign policy to address genocide, featuring interviews with influential politicians and diplomats.

Delving into the profound impact of historical and societal challenges on women: Between Revolutions portrays the enduring friendship of two women, Iranian and Romanian, amidst revolutionary turmoil; and Pray for our Sinners sees Irish filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea shed light on the mistreatment of women and children by church and state in her hometown.

Cinephiles and lovers of film will rejoice in: world premiere title, Cannes Uncut, a luminary-packed tribute that lifts the curtain on the Cannes Film Festival in its 75th year; Sundance 2023 stranger-than-fiction story Kim’s Video; Fantastic Machine, a Berlinale and Sundance 2023 winner that takes an enthralling trip through 200 years of image making; and Ian Cheney’s The Arc of Oblivion, a whimsical journey that illuminates the world of archives and memory.

THE BOX SET

Sydney Film Festival presents the first two episodes of the new Australian series, Bay of Fires, a darkly comic crime story starring Marta Dusseldorp, as a mother forced to flee her city life and find refuge in the wilds of Tasmania.

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AWARD

At this year’s 70th Sydney Film Festival, the Sustainable Future Award has increased from $10,000 to $40,000, leading the world in offering the biggest cash prize for a film tackling climate change and sustainability.

The award will be presented to a film that explores the social, economic, political, and environmental consequences of climate change and highlights the urgent need for action to mitigate its effects.

The feature length films in the 2023 Sustainable Future Award are all documentaries: from Australia, Climate Changers and Rachel’s Farm, and from overseas, Against the Tide and Paradise.

A series of 11 climate environment orientated shorts, developed in a partnership between Sydney Film Festival, ABC and the Australian Museum, will also all individually compete for the coveted award.

SOUNDS ON SCREEN presented by Mountain Goat

Sounds on Screen highlights four inspiring musical stories with four toe-tapping documentaries featured in the 2023 program.

Three Cords and the Truth is an emotive Aussie indie, inspired by the real-life story of singer-songwriter Jackie Marshall, including a dynamo performance from the musician herself.

Also in the line-up: Little Richard: I am Everything, honouring the queer Black origins of rock ‘n’ roll and its ultimate architect, Richard Penniman; Joan Baez I am Noise reflects on the life of legendary folk musician and activist Joan Baez; and the Sundance-selected Pianoforte showcases young pianists competing in a prestigious competition.

EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN IN FILM Supported by European Film Promotion

In partnership with European Film Promotion, Sydney Film Festival presents the eighth annual Europe! Voices in Women in Film; a program of 10 new films from vital European women filmmakers.

From Italy to Denmark, and Ireland to Estonia the program casts a spotlight on outstanding, talented female filmmakers.

The Quiet Migration, a selection for Berlinale 2023, delves into the struggles of a Korean adoptee raised in rural Denmark, exploring themes of identity and dislocation; Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, selected for Sundance 2023, takes audiences into an Estonian log-cabin sauna where women gather to share naked truths and find solace.

Band is a raucous and eccentric documentary that follows an all-female Icelandic art rock band on their last-ditch attempt to make it big; Sunlight, a heart-warming tragicomedy by Claire Dix, explores the complexity of saying goodbye as a recovering addict discovers that his beloved mentor is terminally ill; Behind the Haystacks presents the 2015 refugee crisis on the Greece-North Macedonia border through the perspectives of three family members; and That Afternoon is an intimate character study that revolves around two Iranian refugees who find themselves as each other’s last hope.

Based on true events, The Girl from Tomorrow depicts a gripping legal battle in a Sicilian town during the 1960s, as a strong-willed woman and her family challenge a traditional custom that requires women to marry their rapists.

The program features three directorial debuts: Elaha, selected for Berlinale 2023, follows a young Kurdish-German woman on a journey to restore her virginity before her wedding; in Tia Kouvo’s Family Time, three generations of a Finnish family gather at a snowy cottage for Christmas, setting the stage for simmering tensions; and Carmen Jaquier’s Thunder delves into rebellion, spirituality, and sexual awakening as a teen nun returns to the Swiss Alps after her sister’s mysterious death.

FIRST NATIONS Supported by Screen Australia’s First Nations Department

The Festival, together with Screen Australia’s First Nations Department, continues its support of First Nations storytelling, showcasing important films by First Nations filmmakers across Australia and around the world.

Best Director winner at the Golden Horse Awards 2022, Gaga, tells the story of an Indigenous Taiwanese family caught between traditions and modern challenges from Atayal filmmaker Laha Mebow.

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

First Nations shorts screening across the Festival include: Babanil, Katele, Mamirnikuwi, Marungka Tjalatju, Nyarrpararla Malaju?, and Power to Country.

FAMILY FILMS

In honour of that trip to the cinema as a kid that made you fall in love with films, Sydney Film Festival invites families to get their kids involved in the Festival fun with two incredible all-ages films.

Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature, screening in Cannes 2023, Elemental, directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur), gets its Australian Premiere at SFF, introducing 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.

And the World Premiere of Aussie animation Scarygirl based on the graphic novel, toy and game brand, following 12-year-old Arkie as she rescues her father from space bandits and saves the planet, featuring the voices of Jillian Nguyen, Sam Neill, Deborah Mailman, Tim Minchin and more.

FREAK ME OUT

Sydney Film Festival’s weird and wonderful Freak Me Out Program, curated by Richard Kuipers, returns with five features, and a super strange double bill from South Korea.

Late Night with the Devil is a documentary-style horror set on a US Talk Show in 1977 from Aussies Colin and Cameron Cairnes, winning fans at SXSW. Another SXSW hit, The Wrath of Becky sees a 16-year-old waitress who takes spectacularly bloody revenge on the right-wing misogynist scumbags who murdered her friend and stole her dog.

Winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Award, narrative feature Raging Race sees a Filipino single mother become the housekeeper at a creepy British mansion. Based in Lapland, 1944, an old prospector exacts bloody revenge on Nazis who stole his gold in Sisu; and Nightsiren a spellbinding folk horror awarded Best European feature at Sitges Fantastic FF 2022 set in a remote Slovak village.

A celebration of weird and wonderful Korean cinema brings together Jude Chun’s absurdist sci-fi Unidentified and Park Syeyoung’s beautifully bizarre body horror The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra, for the ultimate double feature of South Korean strangeness.

SCREENABILITY

Returning to the Festival is Screenability, an exciting program comprised of outstanding films created by filmmakers living with disability.

Curated by Screenability Programmer Rebecca McCormack, a total of six works will screen in the program including SXSW Grand Jury Award Winner Angel Applicant, Sundance-selected doc-fiction The Tuba Thieves, and the powerfully personal documentary Is There Anybody Out There?

Also in the selection, the world premiere of three Australian Screenability Filmmakers Fund for NSW short films: 14 in February, Chum and Fighting.

FLUX: ART+FILM

FLUX: ART+FILM explores the fertile ground between art and cinema, with four radical and innovative films by artists who transform the experience of what cinema can be.

Two Australian films feature in the program: Connection of the Sticks, is shot as a series of stunning vignettes across three countries, as Polish-Australian artist Kuba Dorabialski conjures the mystique and mysticism of the former Soviet Union; and Hello Dankness sees Australia’s preeminent pirate archivists Soda Jerk (Terror Nullius, SFF 2018) return for a hometown premiere of their latest political parable.

South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo’s experimental film in water disassembles cinema’s structures, featuring a blurry, impressionistic narrative set on Jeju Island.

In Last Things, acclaimed filmmaker Deborah Stratman explores the past and future of the earth through some of its most elemental materials.

JANE CAMPION – HER WAY

Sydney Film Festival in association with ACMI and the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) will present a retrospective of films by the pioneering director Jane Campion.

JANE CAMPION – HER WAY will encompass screenings of all nine Campion feature films, as well as a selection of her short films, and the Australian premiere of a new documentary about her life and career, Jane Campion, Cinema Woman by filmmaker Julie Bertuccelli (The Tree, SFF 2010).

Campion herself will appear in conversation with David Stratton at the Festival (10 June, 4:15pm, The Hub – $15).

AMITABH BACHCHAN: BACK TO THE BEGINNING

In celebration of Indian screen legend Amitabh Bachchan’s 80th birthday last year SFF presents a remarkable retrospective of his classic films curated and restored by the Film Heritage Foundation.

Sydney Film Festival have selected four titles from the Bachchan Back to the Beginning program to screen at this year’s Festival including: Deewaar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don and Kaala Patthar.

Each film showcases the essence of Hindi cinema at its finest, blending action, melodrama, and life-affirming musical numbers that have become synonymous with the industry.

CLASSICS RESTORED

Two recently restored films will give audiences the opportunity to see cinema classics the way they were intended. Soak up the kitsch costumes, camp soundtrack and performances of John Water’s 1988 cult classic Hairspray which will screen alongside an immersive themed event in The Hub; and delve into the 1973 Brazilian classic, The Devil Queen, a mix of gangster grit, colourful camp and LGBTQIA+ pride that has been beautifully restored for its 50^th Anniversary.

AFTRS 50TH – ALUMNI SHORT FILMS

In 1973, the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) was established with a revolutionary vision to shape Australian culture. Now, as AFTRS celebrates its 50th anniversary, the indomitable spirit and enduring legacy of the institution are brought to life in a captivating program of short films crafted by its esteemed alumni.

This extraordinary selection showcases the early works of influential filmmakers from the class of ’73, including Gillian Armstrong, Phillip Noyce, and Chris Noonan. Their restored films stand alongside remarkable debuts by Ivan Sen, Jane Campion, Cate Shortland, Robert Connolly, Sue Brooks, and Catriona McKenzie. Each filmmaker’s journey into the world of cinema is marked by innovation, creativity, and a profound impact on the Australian film landscape.

YOUR PLANET – CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT SHORTS

From wildlife defenders and waste warriors to valleys and reefs, alongside powerful stories from First Nations filmmakers – 11 Australian short documentaries have been selected to showcase the people and communities creating solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing our environment.

Two screenings will be presented at Event Cinemas and the Australian Museum showcasing 11 short films including: After the Smoke, Babanil, For Frog’s Sake, Mad About Maggots, Mamirnikuwi, The Number 2 Solution, Nyarrpararla Malaju?, Power to Country, The Oyster Gardener, Road Kill Warriors and Wing Threads.

Your Planet Climate and Environment Shorts is an ABC Factual and Doc Society Initiative supported by Screen Territory, VicScreen, Screen Tasmania, Screen Queensland and Screenwest.

THE DENDY AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS

10 finalists have been selected for the Dendy Awards, Australia’s longest running short film competition, celebrating its 54^th year in 2023. Screening over two sessions on 17 and 18 June.

The short film prizes will be awarded at the Festival’s Closing Night: The Dendy Live Action Short Award, The Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director, Yoram Gross Animation Award, AFTRS Craft Award and Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award.

The shorts films competing include: The 2IC, The Dancing Girl and the Balloon Man, Kariwa, Katele, Linda 4 Eva, Marionettes (And the Virtue of a Lotus Flower), Teacups, To Fly a Kite, We Circle Silently and What’s in a Name?

THE HUB

The Sydney Festival Hub at Sydney Town Hall is the heart of the Festival as an immersive experience, with filmmaker talks, panels, and themed parties.

Open to the public all nights, and select days from 7-18 June, The Hub will feature a Happy Hour special pop-up bar between 4:30pm and 6:00pm on weekdays, with drinks from Brix Rum Distillery, Château Tanunda & Mountain Goat Beer plus a Brix limited edition Mai Tai cocktail made exclusively for SFF’s 70th birthday.

See and celebrate 70 years of Sydney Film Festival at a special archive exhibition of the Festival’s history on display at The Hub. Explore the remarkable way in which world 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 censorship rows that went all the way to parliament, and the premieres of films that have become cinema legend.

Over the last 12 months, Sydney Film Festival have been updating their Living Archive to celebrate 70 years. The digital archive has been renewed with a new user-friendly interface, more images, oral histories and recollections of the moments that stick with us long after the credits roll.

The living archive is live now and can be viewed at archive.sff.org.au

EVENTS AT THE HUB

Keep that post-film buzz going with special events paired with screenings to celebrate cinema.

Film Tracks Hairspray Party, is an after-screening party featuring DJs spinning ’60s tracks, go-go dancers and a photo booth. Dressing divine is encouraged! (8 June, 8:45pm, $45 inc. film and drink on arrival)

Red, White & Brass: Scrum at The Hub, keep the cheers going on the dance floor after the Australian Premiere screening of Red, White & Brass (9 June, 8pm FREE).

Gather a team for SFF Film Trivia Night, filled with prizes (14 June, 7pm FREE).

Late Night Party with the Devil follows a screening of Late Night With the Devil with a possessing line-up of magic, music and occult-inspired delights. Dressing freaky is encouraged (15 June, 8:15pm, $45 inc. film and drink on arrival).

Korean Cinema Celebration: Geonbae! Open to all, and a perfect companion following the screening of A Wild Roomer at Event Cinemas George St. Be immersed in Korean culture with K-Pop cover dance performances, Korean music DJ party, hands-on activities, and complimentary soju and makgeolli (16 June, 8:30pm, FREE).

TALKS

The FREE Festival Talks at the Festival Hub create a space for audiences, filmmakers and industry professionals to progress a dialogue about the important topics and issues of the year, addressed in Festival films.

Celebrate the launch of Sustainable Screens Australia (SSA) with an inspiring talk from industry experts (8 June, 5:30pm, The Hub).

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 (8 June, 6pm, Korean Cultural Centre).

Join five filmmakers from Europe! Voices of Women in Film program, in conversation with Screen International’s Sandy George as they discuss their different approaches to filmmaking and how the landscape for women working in film varies across the continent (10 June, 11:30am, The Hub).

Head to the Australian Museum for a special screening of the Your Planet: Climate and Environment Shorts and meet some of the filmmakers behind these unique films at a post-screening panel presentation with the Museum’s Dr Jenny Newell, Curator, Climate Change, Climate Solutions Centre alongside filmmakers Christopher McCormack (Wing Threads), Marlikka Perdrisat (Babanil) and Elsie Shaw (Mad About Maggots) and ABC’s Teri Calder (11 June, 2pm, Australian Museum).

Following the Australian premiere of Rachel’s Farm, Sandy George sits down with director Rachel Ward and the filmmaking team to discuss the issues raised in the film as well as the process of making such a personal film at the same time as dealing with the day-to-day operations of a working farm (11 June, 4:15pm, The Hub).

Mentored by international guests of the 70th edition of SFF, ten emerging and established filmmakers 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 to an expert industry jury who will give Platform teams immediate feedback and insight into their developing works (17 June, 12:30pm, The Hub).

Not to be missed following the State Theatre screening of The Dark Emu Story, author Bruce Pascoe sits down for an in conversation talk (18 June, 2:30pm, The Hub).

FESTIVAL VENUES

The State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Newtown_, Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Australian Museum and Art Gallery of NSW.

The full Sydney Film Festival 2023 program can be found online at sff.org.au.

Sydney Film Festival runs in cinemas 7-18 June 2023. Tickets and flexipasses to Sydney Film Festival 2023 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information or to book.

And for lovers of Australian cinema, here’s your complete list of Australian feature films screening at the festival. 

The Big Dog

Written and directed by Dane McCusker
Produced by Jessica Murphy and Claudia Shepherd
Starring Julian Garner, Felicity Price, Asha Boswarva

A married Sydney stockbroker with a financial domination fetish has one day to save his life from ruin in this acidic Aussie comedy from writer-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 his bank accounts drained by his “findom” mistress, Princess Paige (Asha Boswarva, Lambs of God). That’s a (usually) non-sexual dominatrix hired by wealthy men to spend their money and humiliate them. Frantic farce and raw drama follow as Richard attempts to gather a mountain of cash that will prevent his unsuspecting wife Kelly (Felicity Price, Last King of the Cross) from discovering the truth.

Birdeater

Written and directed by Jack Clark and Jim Weir
Produced by Ulysses Oliver and Stephanie Troost
Starring Shabana Azeez, Mackenzie Fearnley and Ben Hunter

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

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 in the 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 portrait of young Aussie men that strikes a little too close to home.

The Cape

Written and directed by Michael Ware and Justine A. Rosenthal
Produced by Richard Finlayson, Jude Troy and Alexandra Cameron

A chilling documentary about the mysterious tragedies befalling an isolated fishing community in Australia’s Cape York from Emmy and previous SFF award winner Michael Ware (Only The Dead, SFF 2015).

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 and officials. 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 a love triangle gone horribly wrong raises questions of guilt and complicity that ripple out far beyond the alleged killers.

Carmen

Directed by Benjamin Millepied
Written by Benjamin Millepied, Alex Dinelaris, Loïc Barrère
Produced by Dimitri Rassam and Rosemary Blight
Starring Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma

Starring Paul Mescal and Melissa Barrera, this visionary retelling of Carmen is an exhilarating thriller combining dance, politics and music, and features Sydney Dance Company artists.

Carmen (Barrera, In the Heights, Scream) is forced to go on the run from her Mexican desert home when her mother is killed. Crossing the border into the US, she encounters ruthless borderland vigilantes who murder immigrants. Following a violent incident, she escapes with troubled marine Aidan (Mescal, Aftersun). The pair head to Los Angeles 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 the police are tracking down the lovers. Shot in New South Wales, and with a surging score by Nicholas Britell (Succession, Moonlight), acclaimed choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s debut feature defies categorisation as it finds contemporary resonance for this classic story.

The Carnival

Directed by Isabel Darling
Produced by Tom Zubrycki and Isabel Darling

Go on an epic road trip with the Bells, a sixth-generation carnival family, as they haul their convoy of trucks, rides and workers from Batemans Bay to Darwin and back.

The Carnival captures the intimate moments of the sixth-generation carnival family, the Bells, as they haul their convoy of trucks, rides and workers from Batemans Bay to Darwin and back. Filmed over seven years, their journey includes pandemic shutdowns, bushfires, persistent rain and rising fuel costs – 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 their carnival legacy alive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyKz2XrbyrA&t=154s

Climate Changers

Directed by Johan Gabrielsson
Written by Mark Forstmann
Produced by Mark Forstmann

Join Australian scientist and conservationist Tim Flannery in his global search for genuine leadership on climate change, as he reflects on his own environmentalist journey.

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 a palaeontologist piquing his interest in climate change, to his tireless – but fruitless – efforts at the 2009 Copenhagen COP, before returning to the 2021 Glasgow COP. His ongoing fight for change brings with it geopolitical troubles, adversity from a fossil fuel industry reluctant to change, as well as personal attacks from deniers and right-wing media.

Connection Of The Sticks

Written, produced and directed by Kuba Dorabialski
Starring Kuba Dorabialski, Bruno Dorabialski and Roland Dorabialski

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

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

The Dark Emu Story

Written and directed by Allan Clarke
Produced by Darren Dale, Jacob Hickey and Belinda Mravicic

A 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 hunters and gatherers but also farmers who were 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, devised extraordinary methods of aquaculture and astronomy and were the world’s first bakers. 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. Amidst the storm, 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 of Australian history and provides a platform for First Nations peoples to share their story.

The Defenders

Written and directed by Matthew Bate

Former Socceroos captain, Craig Foster, and a team of human rights activists, challenge two monarchies and world sporting body FIFA to rescue the life of a fellow player Hakeem al-Araibi.

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 most powerful 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.

Freedom Is Beautiful

Directed by Angus McDonald
Produced by Angus McDonald, Mélita Toscan Du Plantier

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.

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 a brighter future, only to be treated callously by the Australia government. Forming a close friendship while detained, they used music and art as a form 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 away from the brutality of their experience, embraces their extraordinary resilience and optimism.

Hello Dankness

Written, directed and produced by Soda Jerk

Straight from sell-out screenings in Berlin and New York, Australia’s preeminent pirate archivists 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 that bears witness to the right-wing populist spectacle of 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 in which 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 and laboured on throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Hello Dankness never loses sight of the way that apparent unreality is tethered to real material inequalities and deep cultural fissures.

 

Holy Smoke

Directed by Jane Campion
Written by Jane Campion and Anna Campion
Starring Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel and Pam Grier

The Australian outback sets the scene for a 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 to Australia by the parents of Ruth (Winslet, sporting a pitch-perfect Aussie accent), alarmed that their daughter has embraced a guru’s teachings a little too devoutly on her recent trip to India. A battle of the sexes ensues in this wild and surreal film, which Campion says was inspired by her interest in “the question of how you have a spiritual life in the ’90s and in the connections of spirituality, eroticism, and love.” Screening in 35mm.

 

Keeping Hope

Directed by Tyson Mowarin

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

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. Mark Coles 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 a real and hopeful difference in its prevention.

Kindred

Directed by Adrian Russell Wills and Gillian Moody
Produced by Tom Zubrycki and Gillian Moody

A journey into the emotional landscape of family, love and loss of two close friends, both Aboriginal, who were adopted by white families and have connected back with their bloodline families.

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

The Last Daughter

Directed by Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt
Produced by Simon Williams and Brendon Skinner

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

As a child, Brenda 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 white parents 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 and government lies, whilst reconciling her past and the two sides of her family. Co-directors Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt won the Audience Documentary Award at the Adelaide Film Festival for this timely documentary.

Late Night With The Devil

Written and directed by Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes
Produced by Derek Dauchy, Mat Govoni, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, Adam White and John Molloy
Starring David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon and Ian Bliss

All demonic hell erupts on a US TV talk show in 1977. This brilliantly executed, documentary-style horror from Aussies Colin and Cameron Cairnes knocked ’em dead at SXSW.

For six long years late-night TV host Jack Delroy (the superb David Dastmalchian) has been runner-up in the ratings. Even belonging to shadowy power society, The Grove hasn’t helped. But tonight is Halloween, and Jack 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 be hosting a demon called ‘Mr Wiggles’. That’s just the basics of a richly detailed and brilliantly assembled tale presented as the recently rediscovered master tape and behind-the-scenes footage of that fateful night. This spooky, gory and wickedly satirical snapshot of the post-Exorcist ‘Satanic Panic’ 1970s is a triumph for its Aussie creators.

Love Road

Written and directed by Ulysses Oliver
Produced by Ulysses Oliver and Ben Ferris
Starring Shalane Connors, Ishak Issa and Aileen Beale

Ulysses Oliver’s feature directorial debut is an intense relationship drama, jumping across three time periods, detailing the highs and lows of 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 them to the family’s country property. Daniel is utterly confused by Jaz’s departure, feeling that their difficulties 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 of this 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 love and loss.

Man On Earth

Directed by Amiel Courtin-Wilson
Produced by Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Alice Jamieson-Dowd, John Baker

Bob has scheduled his own death in eight days. Now he must make peace with his family, the love of his life and himself. He invites a filmmaker along to document the process.

Australian filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson has spent four years researching the current trends in society’s approach to death and dying. He is then approached by a man, Bob, who wants his last week on earth documented. The result, Man on Earth, combines highly intimate, direct-to-camera interviews, with a real-time observation of Bob’s last seven days as he makes peace with his family, the love of his life and himself. As the days 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.

The New Boy

Written and directed by Warwick Thornton
Produced by Kath Shelper, Andrew Upton, Cate Blanchett and Lorenzo De Maio
Starring Cate Blanchett, Aswan Reid, Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair

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.

Warwick Thornton’s (Samson and Delilah; We Don’t Need a Map, SFF 2017; Sweet Country) 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 battle with police, fighting with all his might. Eventually subdued, he is 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 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 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.

Rachel’s Farm

Directed by Rachel Ward
Produced by Bettina Dalton

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 was a family retreat, conventionally farmed by Rachel’s neighbour 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 to mention dung beetles – is palpable. Rachel’s Farm is about the environmental threats we face, but it’s also the story of one woman’s resolve to tackle them head on, intent on making a difference.

Run Rabbit Run

Directed by Daina Reid
Written by Hannah Kent
Starring Sarah Snook, Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman

Sarah Snook (Succession) stars in a spine-tingling Australian psychological thriller as a troubled single mother whose daughter grows distant… and disturbing. Official selection, Sundance.

This chilling feature debut from Emmy-nominated Australian filmmaker Daina Reid (The Handmaid’s Tale) 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 to despair and towards a reckoning with her troubled past. Outstanding performances by Snook and amazingly talented newcomer Lily LaTorre make this a memorable expedition down the rabbit hole of memory, guilt and family secrets and lies.

Scarygirl

Directed by Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent
Written by Polly Watkins, Matt Everitt, Les Turner, Craig Behenna
Produced by Sophie Byrne, Nadine Bates, Kristen Souvlis and Ryan Greaves
Starring Jillian Nguyen, Sam Neill and Deborah Mailman

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

Free spirited and cheerful Arkie (Jillian Nguyen) lives with her adoptive octopus father, Blister (Rob Collins), 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 that an evil scientist, Dr Maybee, can use his powers to sap the planet’s lifeforce and discover the key to immortality. Can Arkie rescue Blister in time to save her home from devastation? Based on the acclaimed graphic novel, toy and game brand, and featuring a stellar celebrity voice cast, Scarygirl is a visual treat.

Sunflower

Written and directed by Gabriel Carrubba
Starring Liam Mollica, Luke J. Morgan and Daniel Halmarick

This classic queer coming of age tale set in the outer Melbourne suburbs is elevated by a heartfelt authenticity from debut filmmaker Gabriel Carrubba, and tender performances.

Seventeen-year-old Leo has his life together in the high school hierarchy: drunken parties, decent grades, the popular girlfriend; and comes home to the loving bickering only a family can provide. But Leo experiences an identity crisis as he becomes increasingly attracted to his best friend, Boof. His well-groomed facade begins to crack and with 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 your mouth. Featuring performances from fresh hot talent including Liam Mollica, Luke J. Morgan and a supporting turn from Elias Anton (Of an Age).

Sweetie

Directed by Jane Campion
Written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee
Produced by John Maynard
Starring Genevieve Lemon, Karen Colston and Tom Lycos

Campion’s wild side was out in full force in her 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 of two sisters announced Campion’s arrival as an uncompromising new cinematic voice. Exploring the fractious relationship between the volatile Sweetie (Genevieve Lemon in a star making turn) and the introverted Kay (Karen Colston), Campion refuses easy 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.” Screening in 35mm.

Tennessine

Directed by Amin Palangi
Written by Osamah Sami
Produced by Ben Ferris, Ulysses Oliver and Amin Palangi
Starring Osamah Sami, Faezeh Alavi and Robert Rabiah

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

Arash (Osamah Sami, Ali’s Wedding, SFF 2017) defies his family’s wishes and travels from Iran to Australia. While he is ostensibly in Sydney to study, his main motivation is to be with the love of his life, Nazanin (Faezeh Alavi). Nazanin fails to fetch him at the airport as scheduled but all is forgiven when she whisks him away for a romantic weekend in a cabin in the country. But there are bemusing signs at the cabin 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. Exploring themes of family duty, belonging and love, Tennessine is a thoughtful drama with the taut energy of a thriller.

Three Chords And The Truth

Written and directed by Claire Pasvolsky
Produced by Steve Pasvolsky, Bin Li
Starring Jackie Marshall, Maisie Owens and Matt L Heys

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

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 is tight 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 to this rebellious music-driven drama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr5Aki4koxM

Transition

Directed by Jordan Bryon and Monica Villamizar
Produced by Monica Villamizar

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

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, he heads 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 and looks to the future.

Two Friends

Directed by Jane Campion
Written by Helen Garner
Produced by Jan Chapman
Starring Kris Bidenko, Emma Coles, Kris McQuade

Premiering at Cannes, Campion’s captivating first feature depicts the budding – and unravelling – 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 first of 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 and friendship 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. Screening in 16mm.

Sydney Film Festival runs in cinemas 7-18 June 2023. Tickets and flexipasses to Sydney Film Festival 2023 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information or to book.