Anarchy in the ADL - Film Fest tips and picks
From the Movie Man About ADL.
The Adelaide Film Festival, this year dubbed Vive Le Punk, has kicked its way open in our own city of churches, and promises to deliver a celebration of cinema from around the globe. I’ve flipped through the pages of its program and here are my picks for the fest, divided into home-grown tales and world-wide gems.
From the home turf Cargo Directed by Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling, and starring Martin Freeman, Cargo started as a 2013 Tropfest finalist short film and found a huge following online. It’s the feature debut from Ramke and Howling, was shot here in South Australia, and tells the story of man desperately trying to find safety for his infant child amongst a violent pandemic.
Source: Adelaide Film Festival
Horror Movie: A Low Budget Nightmare
Those of you who fondly remember the doco series Next Stop Hollywood will undoubtedly recall the hilarious Craig Anderson, who has since gone on to direct a low budget horror movie called Red Christmas. This documentary, from director Gary Doust follows Craig’s journey into the joyful nightmare of making movies. It’s a shame this couldn’t be a double feature with Red Christmas, but never fear, as Craig’s effort is now available from all good DVD outlets.
Sweet Country
The long awaited return to feature films of Samson and Delilah director Warwick Thornton, Sweet Country is about an Aboriginal stockman who, after killing a white station owner in self-defence, is forced on the run with his pregnant wife. The outback western set in 1929 is inspired by real events.
F*!#ing Adelaide
The hard working darlings of the local industry Closer Productions (featuring heavily amongst the festival’s program) bring us the world premiere of Fucking Adelaide, a comedy about a trio of siblings returning to their hometown of Adelaide to reconnect with their mother. This one’s directed by Sophie Hyde who brought us the brilliant 52 Tuesdays back in 2013.
Youth on the March
From one of Adelaide’s true originals, director Mike Retter, Youth on the March is an experimental feature about teenage stoners in Port Adelaide and told in 9:16 aspect ratio. The film will have its world premiere at Hart’s Mill in Port Adelaide and it’s worth taking a look at what’s happening there throughout the festival.
And don’t forget to see all the local shorts at the Made in SA showcase on Thursday 12th October, featuring the offbeat The Confidence Men from Anthony Firth and the charming Split Me from Andrew Shanks.
From across the sea
Blade of the Immortal
Director Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Yakuza Apocalypse, Ichi the Killer, Audition, and 95 other movies!) tells the tale of a samurai cursed with immortality. Expect a lot of sword play in this action packed quest for redemption.
Source: Adelaide Film Festival
Happy End
If you know the work of director Michael Haneke, you don’t need me telling you that this should be “must see” cinema. His films are haunting, mesmerizing, beautiful, harrowing, and honest. If you don’t know his work, see this and then look up his previous films.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Not one to shy away from absurdist ideas, director Yorgos Lanthimos once again teams up with Colin Farrel after 2015’s spectacularly strange The Lobster. Farrel plays a surgeon whose life falls apart when the teenage boy he helps becomes sinister. This is one is said to be a knuckle-biting psychological thriller.
Thelma
A Scandinavian romantic thriller about a young woman falling in love who discovers she has supernatural powers. Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s latest after 2015’s Louder Than Bombs.
How To Talk to Girls at Parties
From the short story by popular fantasy author, Neil Gaiman, How to Talk to Girls at Parties follows two teenage wannabe punks, Enn and Vic, as they head out to parties to talk to, you guessed it, girls. But Gaiman wouldn’t give us a plot so simple and soon we’re talking punks versus aliens. This one’s directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Rabbit Hole, Shortbus), produced by the team at See Saw (The King’s Speech), and stars Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman.
Source: Adelaide Film Festival
Adelaide Film Festival – Vive Le Punk runs from October 5th through to the 15th. See you at the cinema.