The 26^th annual Revelation Perth International Film Festival returns to Luna Cinemas Leederville from 12 – 16 July with a programme celebrating the work of local and international creatives. 

Featuring 17 documentaries, 16 feature films, a locally made web series, an extra special event presentation based around an experimental film like no other, the annual Industrial Revelations industry programme of talks/workshops, a family friendly animation showcase that’s completely free, over 80 short films and much more, Rev ’23 is packed from beginning to end with cinematic delights drawn from the four corners of the globe. 

“We can’t be happier with our 2023 program,” says Festival Director Richard Sowada. “From opening with a new work from one of our favourite local filmmakers to premieres of a ton of locally produced short and feature films, this year’s showcase of new indie films demonstrates the blossoming of the sector post-COVID.”

Leading the charge of international features is US crime drama Devil’s Peak – from Perth director, and Revelation Perth International Film Festival Ambassador, Ben Young (Hounds of Love, Extinction) and local production company See Pictures (Breath, The Little Death, June Again). Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Robin Wright, Hopper Penn and Emma Booth and set in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, the screen adaptation of David Joy’s novel titled Where All Light Tends To Go follows eighteen-year-old Jacob McNeely who is torn between his meth-dealing kingpin father and leaving the mountains forever with the girl he loves. 

With all sound and post-production requirements for the feature handled by Western Australian providers, marking the first time the full scope of an international feature film of this scale was completed in the state, Rev is thrilled to present the Australian premiere of Devil’s Peak on Wednesday 12 July. 

Other international feature films in this year’s jam packed programme include The Integrity Of Joseph Chambers – which tells of an insurance salesman and family man who wants to acquire the skills to be able to take care of his family in case of an apocalypse; written and directed by Robert Machoian (The Killing of Two Lovers); Unidentified Objects – a film about an uptight dwarf and his free spirited, alien-obsessed neighbour who hit the road on a border-defying search for their own place in the universe; Mammalia – about a man on the brink of losing control who discovers a world of strange rituals and unsettling communities, as the lines between the real and the surreal start to blur; and How to Blow up Pipeline – an American environmental action-thriller in which a group of brave environmental activists come up with a daring plan to make their voices heard and disrupt an oil pipeline. 

Rev also presents a screening of An Untitled And Perfectly Legal Coming Of Age Parody Film – one of the most talked about and ground-breaking films of the year, this controversial film is a trans coming of age comedy where filmmakers cannot legally call the film by its original title due to some outstanding legal issues. Safe to say, you may never get the chance to see this film anywhere else. 

Canadian indie darlings and international festival hits Riceboy Sleeps – set in the 90s about strong-willed Korean single mother raising her young son in the suburbs who is determined to provide a better life for him than the one she left and I Like Movies – the debut feature from director Chandler Levack, this indie gem tugs at your heart strings and feels like a tribute to cinephiles around the globe. Set in the early 2000’s the film stars Isaiah Lehtinen as Lawrence Kweller, a socially inept movie-obsessed 17-year-old who gets a job in a video store where he forms a complicated relationship with his older female manager. 

German horror comedy Holy Shit! in which an architect wakes up from unconsciousness – bloody and squeezed into a portaloo (enough said?) is sandwiched alongside the Austrian artistic genre film produced on a shoestring budget Enter Mycel.

Audiences can catch the latest Japanese superhero film Shin Ultraman alongside Maniac Cop from 1988 and Merry Chrstimas Mr. Lawrence from 1983 as Rev brings these gems back to the big screen. Based on the experiences of Sir Laurens van der Post as a prisoner of war in Japan during WWII, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence stars David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano and Jack Thompson, whilst Maniac Cop is an American action slasher film. 

International documentaries in this year’s programme include the found footage film comprised entirely of often-shocking videos uploaded by Russian teenagers to social media platforms – Manifesto. The presumably pseudonymous filmmaker Angie Vinchito has taken considerable risk with this darkly disturbing portrait of school life that shows how aggression and oppression are unwittingly passed onto the next generation. To counter this difficult viewing, Rev presents the psychotropic spectacle of American politics from 2016 – 2021 which is Hello Dankness – the latest sample-based experimental film from New York based Australian siblings Dan and Dominique Angeloro, the artist duo also known as Soda Jerk. A political fable disguised as a stoner musical comprised entirely of hundreds of pirated film samples, this is part political satire, part zombie stoner film and part Greek tragedy – a record of the time, written from the time. Soda Jerk will visit Perth during the Festival to participate in an extra Special Event screening on Thursday 13 July.

Other international documentaries include Duthchas – containing previously unseen 8mm archival film of everyday life on Berneray, the film is a celebration of community and culture from the 1960s and 70s; De Humani Coporis Fabrica – which literally opens the human body to cinema and offers an examination of the human body as an extraordinary landscape that is also otherworldly and harrowing, from five hospitals in northern Paris neighbourhoods; Werner Herzog Radical Dreamer – a documentary on the iconic director Werner Herzog revealing extraordinary anecdotes about his filmmaking process; Smoke Sauna Sisterhood – an Estonian documentary set in the darkness of a smoke sauna, where women share their innermost thoughts, secrets and intimate experiences; and 

Rev also presents the world premiere of IX XI – a US documentary about 9/11 from director Sean Wilsey who will attend the Festival in person; The Space Race – from National Geographic Documentary Films, this emotive and educational exploration of the experiences of the first Black astronauts features candid interviews spotlighting the oft-omitted racial injustice narratives and present-day realities of these pioneers; Heavenly Resentments from NYC underground filmmaker and musician Carey Burtt and The New Americans – a 7-hour documentary about a diverse group of immigrants and refugees who leave their home and families behind to learn what it means to be new Americans in the 21^st century. 

The darkly funny Citizen Sleuth is an engaging and thrilling documentary about a true crime podcast which examines the ethics of the true crime genre and how the power of narrative can affect truth and communities; and Sunlight: Yes an Australian documentary from Japanese/Australian writer, filmmaker and Perth-based academic Kenta McGrath and filmmaker Joseph London. 

Testament to the Festival’s focus on bringing the best cultural docs and films to the big screen ahead of anyone else is the musical and arts offerings in this year’s programme which includes Lee Fields: Faithful Man – a feature documentary 50 years in the making about the soul of soul singers; What You Could Not Visualise – an intimate portrait of the short-lived 4AD band Rema-Rema who were part of the initial wave of post-punk bands that formed in the late 70s after the demise of punk; Little Richard: I Am Everything – a treasure trove of archival footage that recounts the story of black queer origins of rock n’ roll; Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest Tv – which tells the remarkable story of Paik as a citizen of the world and trailblazing artist – the father of video art and coiner of the term “electronic superhighway,” Nam June Paik was one of the most influential artists of the 20^th century; Circus Of The Scars –  a sensational circus sideshow act that exploded out of the Pacific Northwest and revived a lost art form of the 90s US grunge rock scene; Fragments Of Paradise – which follows Jonas Mekas, the godfather of avant-garde cinema, who emigrated to New York in 1949 and over the next 70 years drove the rise of the independent film scene; and Bolan’s Shoes – a light-hearted comedy with supernatural chills that is a joyful celebration of Seventies culture taking us on a tumultuous journey from the height of T.Rex mania to the present-day poignancy of what would have been guitarist Marc Bolan’s 75^th birthday. 

On the local home front, Rev presents the 7-episode lesbian web series shot in Fremantle, WA, Love Me Lex; celebrates micro-budget triumphs with the Australian premiere of Frank And Frank from Albany writer/director Adam Morris (Edward and Isabella), a bromance movie which stars Myles Pollard and Trevor Jamieson and was filmed on location in Albany and Mt Barker, WA; and presents Show Me The Magic: The Adventures Of Don Mcalpine from 2013 – a tender portrait of a life in film which weaves together footage from Don’s personal archive and work on sets of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, directed by WA Screen Academy’s Cathy Henkel who will present a masterclass in documentary filmmaking  – part of the Industrial Revelations programme. 

Rev also shines a spotlight on absurdist and surreal filmmaking with metafictional comic odyssey Paco – in which a sound recordist goes in search of his most crucial possession, his radio microphone. 

WAnimate presents a showcase of animation from WA filmmakers from the past 15 years and Rev also gets behind one of our favourite local film critics, RTRFM GM and Rotten Tomatoes certified, Simon Miraudo, with the launch of his book Book of the Banned which takes a deep dive into the history of film censorship in Australia. 

In a special partnership with the WA Museum Boola Bardip, Rev presents a screening of The Mummy from 1959 – from Hammer Studios who brought us The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula. This is pure Hammer horror entertainment, screening at the Museum to align with their Discovering Ancient Egypt exhibition.

We welcome the return of Rev’s International Family Animation Explosion; a specially curated collection of family friendly international short animations from all corners of the globe that are perfect for all ages – including those who have never been to the movies before. And the best news is, tickets are free! 

Rev presents a sidebar of Experimental Shorts as well as Horror Shorts – From The Gothics To The Ghostly To The Grotesque And The Gross. As well as some ‘’long shorts’’ gathered together in The World And All Within It And Fault Lines.

Westralia Day shines a glorious light on locally made films on Saturday 15 July at The Backlot. And the Festival closes with the annual celebration of WA’s talented emerging filmmakers at the popular Get Your Shorts On! and City Of Vincent Film Project Special Event on Sunday 16 July. 

The full programme Is online at www.revelationfilmfest.org. 

Revelation is supported by the Australian and Western Australian governments through Screenwest, Lotterywest, Screen Australia and the City of Vincent. 

Feature Films 

Frank and Frank (Or The Valley And The Walrus: Ruminations On The Mystery From Soup To Nuts)

Written and directed by Adam Morris
Produced by Ian Hale, Adam Morris and Suzanne Worner
Starring Myles Pollard, Trevor Jamieson and Rebecca Leafe

Deep in a midlife crisis Frank (Myles Pollard), a faith and financial influencer on the edge of divorce, finds himself befriending Frank (Trevor Jamieson), a happily separated carpenter and artist who enjoys life. As their friendship grows and the two men start sharing stories Frank (Pollard) has to face up to his uncertain future… A gentle, naturalistic, character driven drama, punctuated with occasional moments of subtle dark humour, Frank and Frank offers a subtly, knowing portrait of two men as they enter the middle years of their lives with Pollard and Jamieson turning in nuanced performances under Adam (Edward and Isabella) Morris’s direction.

Paco

Written and directed by Tim Carlier
Produced by Tim Carlier and Tim Hodgson

Sound recordist Manny knows the rule, never lose a microphone… so when an actress leaves the set with a radio mic he has to get it back.

Manny, armed with only a boom mic, stumbles through an increasingly surreal world – a journey through music videos, a meeting with a time traveller and the dreaded Sound Council.

A beautifully realised work that reimagines film sounds with surprising and magical results. Like Platon Theodoris’s The Lonely Spirits Happy Hour (seen at Revelation 2022) Paco finds a beauty and magic in a storytelling of the not-quite-everyday, hinting at a unique trend in contemporary Australian cinema.

Hello Dankness

Written and directed by Soda Jerk

Last seen at Revelation with their acclaimed Terror Nullius (2018), legendary filmmakers Soda Jerk return with Hello Dankness.

In this masterpiece of plunderphonics / sampling cinema, Australia’s most radical filmmakers explore contemporary US politics and the era of the Trump presidency, all told through their unique collage of pop culture and cinema.

Through the appropriation and reimagining of hundreds of found footage clips Hello Dankness is visually stunning, often very funny and occasionally poignant, as the directors offer their uniquely powerful exploration of recent history that takes the audience through a combination of conspiracies, protests, riots and a pandemic.

An exhilarating movie, a celebration of our media-drenched unconscious, and a sharp political commentary.

Documentaries 

Sunlight: Yes

Directed by Kenta McGrath and Joseph London

WA directors Kenta McGrath and Joseph London return with SUNLIGHT: YES, an exploration of WA based bio-artists Symbiotica’s ‘Sunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle’  – Award of Distinction in the Artificial Intelligence & Life Art category of Prix Ars Electronica 2023 –  exhibition which transpired in Fremantle in February 2022.

Exploring new and emergent technologies and their role in food production, the exhibition / performance / symposium was, like all of Symbiotica’s work, ground breaking.

McGrath (who has previously documented WA group Decibel and experimental musicians Chris Coblis, Predrag Delibasich and Stina Thomas in No Encore and Three Hams In A Can) and London (The Beloved) were there to document, contextualise and critique the event, SUNLIGHT: YES is the result.

Alongside members of Symbiotica, directors McGrath and London will discuss the film following the screening.

Show me the Magic

Directed by Cathy Henkel

Cathy Henkel’s documentary explores the life and work of cinematographer and DoP Don McAlpine, the man responsible for Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! – both of which he won BAFTAs for – as well as The Dressmaker, Lambs of God, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Peter Pan, and Predator, and many others.

In Show Me the Magic Henkel, whose film Laura’s Choice premiered at Revelation in 2020, tells McAlpine’s story, examining the cinematographer’s personal story as well as his successful career.

Screened in retrospective and accompanied by a very special masterclass from Cathy Henkel, this is a session not to be missed and essential for anyone interested in the processes of documentary storytelling.

Web Series 

Love me Lex

Written and directed by Sanja Katich
Produced by Stephanie Davis and Santa Katich
Starring Sarah Light, Deanna Cooney, Katherine Marmion, Shae Clayfield, Susan Stevenson, Princie Read and Ronnie Bhalvani

This locally produced seven-part web series tells the tale of Lex, who’s single, in her forties, and searching for love in her local lesbian community.

But it’s a small dating pool and Lex has her own strict dating rules and a past…

This special session includes a screening of the series and a discussion with the key creatives behind it as they come together at the Backlot to discuss the production process.

For anyone interested in devising and writing online content, crowdfunding a project, as well as the pitfalls and possibilities of online distribution, this session will be essential.

Short Films 

Home not a House
Directed by Alicia Keenan and Carter Kirkland
With rates of homelessness rising, community support can be an essential aspect of young people’s development in overcoming the overwhelming realities of contemporary life in the 21st century.

Care to Dance
Directed by Mason Fleming
Follows a vibrant group of City of Vincent seniors as they rediscover the joy of dancing in the golden years of their lives.

What we do for Family
Directed by Jennifer ‘JP’ Piper
Queer chosen family Leslie, Alex & Sam explore their ideas of friendship, family and parenthood as they navigate the process of fertility treatment

The Private Life of a War Memorial
Directed by Dawn Farnham
Not just a memorial to the soldiers, it’s a memorial to the community.

Horsepower
Directed by Jessica London
Ian, a young farrier haunted by lifelong battles with his mental health, discovers a profound sanctuary in the gentle presence of his horses, embarking on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.

The Making of Galup
Directed by Poppy van Oorde-Grainger
Behind the scenes of a cinematic virtual reality film exploring the transformative impact of truth-telling.

Love Forever
Directed by Clare Young
A girl from Canberra navigates the treacherous waters of first love with a boy from Sydney’s northern beaches.

Goodbye, Munchkin
Directed by Andrew Pham
Two part-time food-delivery drivers find themselves in a temple in suburbia.

Death Drive
Directed by Rob Boyd
A young man drives along a country road in his new sports car, until he is waved down by a stranded mysterious woman, with a love of speed and a lust for death.

Sparky
Directed by Sarah McQuinn
A bunch of true blue Aussie tradies struggle to accept the new female plumber on the job, yet as sparks begin to fly between her and an electrician, they discover a spark that might be too huge to handle…

Bald Future
Directed by Reilly Archer-Whelan and Michael Whyntie
A follicly challenged outcast’s desperate pursuit to fit in at work takes a deadly turn, leading him to devise a hair-raising plan to save his job.

Salt Dreams
Directed by Madeleine Mytkowski
A race car driver must confront his past to pursue his dreams.

Making Waves
Directed by Christian Horgan
Celebrates the inspiring and diverse women who compete at the top level of the dynamic sport of waveski surfing.

Marungka Tjaalatjunu (Dipped in Black)
Directed by Matthew Thorne and Derik Lynch
A journey from the oppression of white city life in Adelaide as Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch’s returns to his remote Anangu community to seek spiritual healing, and perform on sacred Inma ground.

Correa
Directed by Lachlan Plain
The story of the beings that animate the bush, beginning with their gestation in the bellies of flowers and gum nuts.

Mumlife
Directed by Ruby Challenger
A first-time mother struggles to connect with her newborn baby and is pushed to her limits when she discovers her insta famous bestie has thrown her a surprise birthday party.

Useless Eaters
Directed by Ian Haig
Mutated hackable bodies, bodies that didn’t quite work out and bodies that can no longer be classified as bodies.

Requiem
Directed by Rowena Potts
Requiem imagines the last remaining astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) bidding farewell to their vessel before it is deorbited and crashed into the remote South Pacific (an event scheduled to take place by the end of 2030).

Permission to Land
Directed by Martin Gerigk
Dichotomous decision paths. What would we do if we were given the freedom to direct possibilities?

The Road
Directed by Charlotte Mungomery
Five distinct narratives collide in the genre-bending film set to dreamy jazz.

101 Days of Lockdown
Directed by Jelena Sinik
An experimental exploration into the mundane and domestic moments of aloneness that made up the human experience of the 2021 Australian pandemic lockdowns.

The Girl in the Gramophone
Directed by Klaus Banadinovich
When Andrew moves into a grimy apartment in St Kilda, all he wants is a change of scenery – but his new home has other ideas.

Banshees Ridge
Directed by Tristan Barr
When Andrew moves into a grimy apartment in St Kilda, all he wants is a change of scenery – but his new home has other ideas.

Dissociation
Directed by Clayton Orgles
A curious and driven researcher delves into the history of a family that vanished over a century ago.

The Consequence of John Doe 
Directed by Brett Barton
A desperate criminal trying to redeem himself from his murderous past repeats the same horrific event in the hope to alter the outcome.

Flappy
Directed by Darcy Conlan
A thief is stalked by a car yard mascot after stealing one of its vehicles.

Sushi Noh
Directed by Jayden Rathsam Hua
Trapped in the care of her lonely uncle, a young girl’s nightmares about a bizarre kitchen appliance manifest into reality.

Sweet Juices
Directed by Will Suen and Sejon Im
A world where Chinese food is the supreme currency with more power than sex, drugs and money.

Gummy
Directed by Sasha Aubort
A masochistic dentistry student grapples with unrequited love and her manipulative father by pulling out her own teeth for addictive pleasure.

Geoff Lodge
Directed by Rhys Jones
Geoff lodge revisits a life lived in the bush collecting bird eggs.

Mr Kimberly
Directed by Jake Blackburn
They call him Mr Kimberley, but his mates just call him Sammy, a man who has a tale to tell.

Redzone
Directed by Joseph Wilkie
When a team member tragically passes away, an Australian American Football club is thrown into disarray.

Dare to Dream
Directed by Alan Chambers
When a key member tragically passes away, an Australian American Football club is thrown into disarray.

Showtime
Directed by Robert John Gibbon
The life and adventures of Showtime Clyde, a wrestler from Perth, documented during a hiatus from the ring.

A Portrait of Melissa
William Oliver Jackson
An exploration of sense & self through texture, light & movement. A portrait in motion.

I’m Not a Nurse
Directed by Jessica Bailey
An ambitious young African woman living in Australia must choose between following her dreams of filmmaking and supporting her family back home.

(Not so) Great Expectations
Directed by Christie Hammond
In Anna’s final year of high school, she must choose between her passion for performing or the plans of her immigrant mother.

The Eyes of Gosh
Directed by Claudia Dickson
A Pakistani-Australian runaway bride confronts her past, present, and future when the ghost of her mother tries to stop her from fleeing.

A Workman’s Grave
Directed by James Dudfield
Set at the peak of the Australian Gold Rush, a young grave digger seeks vengeance for the death of his brother from a wealthy town Commissioner.

Knock Knock
Directed by Benjamin David Taylor
A celebrated radio DJ performs for what is left of humanity during its final days.

Threadbare
Directed by Betheney A’Vard
Three foster siblings come together for a weekend to confront their alcoholic mother and face some hard truths as they attempt to mend the family – hanging by a thread.

Stained Silver
Directed by Connor West
Two sisters desperately try to get out of their house before something else gets in.

Impression
Directed by Sarah Legg
Impression and interpretation: A film that relies on sensory techniques to tell a story about depression, alienation and ultimately loneliness.

A Word for Sad Laughter
Directed by Cooper Clark
Falling out of touch with his wife, a jaded community playwright secretly exploits the private affairs of his marriage in an attempt to finally create something authentic.

Good Fortune
Directed by Alexandra Eftos
After being dumped by her ex, Liza finds herself opposite a psychic in the hopes of figuring out if there is a cosmic plan for her and what that looks like.

Lavender Arrangement
Directed by Xavier Jansen
Two gay siblings and their partners become embroiled in a humorous charade that backfires when their sexuality is revealed to their religious mother.

Expiration Date
Directed by Eliza Pritchard
Mark has received his expiration letter meaning he has two weeks to live..

Stuffed
Directed by Alex Power
A couple are forced to confront their rocky marriage when their recently deceased friend presents them with a gift from beyond the grave, himself… stuffed.

All is Well
Directed by Lauren Demarti
When Indian born Sunita tries to squirm out of her parents’ arranged marriage, she enlists her friends in the creation of a fake marriage – but the lies begin to spiral out of control.

In the Loop
Directed by George Butterworth
The aimless husband of a quantum physics expert must prove his worth to his wife by saving their cantankerous neighbour from a time loop.

Everything will Kill You – Snap
Directed by Ryan James Svirac
A photographic journalist discovers that in the bush, everything will kill you.

The Keys
Directed by Sarah Simmons
Two hungover party rats wake up in disarray and conduct a desperate, last-ditch search for the keys to their new life.

Our Ghostly Crew
Directed by Donna McRae
A portrait that depicts the artist, his filmmaker wife, and their dog, gathered in an apocalyptic landscape.

Enemy Alien
Directed by Gabriel Murphy
A poetic retelling of the experiences of Joseph Murakami, a fourteen-year-old boy from Darwin, who is summarily rounded up and interned by his government on the basis of his ethnicity.

Untitled Unfinished
Directed by Matthew Victor Pastor
In an existential panic a film director makes a TikTok and goes viral with millions of views. Met with racial abuse & hate comments the experience causes him to reflect on the Asian Australian identity.

The Grey Line
Directed by Scott Quayle
The story of Helen’s struggle to find her place in the world.