Can’t wait until next year for your dose of the Adelaide Film Festival? The organisers have told us that the prestigious fest goes rogue throughout October to offer up audiences a screen-based oasis until the ADLFF returns, “full throttle”, in 2017.
Premiering works commissioned by the Adelaide Film Festival Fund, October begins with the Australian Premiere season of COLLISIONS (Oct 5-30), includes a special free event at Adelaide Festival of Ideas (AFOI) (Oct 23) and culminates in a 4-day streamlined mini-festival (Oct 27-30) featuring World Premiere screenings of two ADL Film Fest Fund screen events – Australia’s first Muslim rom-com ALI’S WEDDING based on the life of actor, writer and comedian Osamah Sami and a special ‘Work In Progress’ screening of the highly anticipated DAVID STRATTON’S STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN CINEMA. The latter sounds a little bit like Martin Scorsese’s journey through cinema, except this one is with the man who peed on Fellini.
ADLFF is always a festival to watch for rich Australian content. Last year’s Festival Fund gave us the award-winning Girl Asleep, one of our favourites at this year’s festival circuit and during its limited cinema release. The fact that it only runs every two years now makes the event a little extra special too, so don’t be surprised if you see us covering it sometime in 2017. That said, we aren’t the only ones who can’t wait for the full program.
Amanda Duthie, ADL Film Fest CEO and Artistic Director, said, “We couldn’t wait to celebrate so we are delighted that our roguish partners Arts South Australia, Screen Australia and our Principal Partner Channel 9 helped us to create this film fiesta. It is an honour to welcome the work of these brilliant screen creatives as well as presenting work for the very first time here in Adelaide.”
Highlights are listed below, but be sure to check out the adelaidefilmfestival.org site for more details.
ALI’S WEDDING
GALA WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING & PARTY Friday 28 October, 6.30pm
Written by Osamah Sami together with Andrew Knight (Hacksaw Ridge, SeaChange) ALI’S WEDDING tells the story of the charming son of a Muslim cleric, who, after a reckless lie, sets off a catastrophic (and hilarious) chain of events. Ali finds himself caught between his sense of duty to his family and following his heart. Osamah Sami stars in the title role of Ali, joined by Don Hany (Healing, Lucky Miles), Frances Duca and featuring a standout performance by newcomer Helana Sawires in the role of Ali’s feisty love interest.
The feature film directorial debut from ADG & AFI Award winning TV director Jeffrey Walker (Jack Irish, Modern Family, Angry Boys, Dance Academy) with cinematography by Australian legend Don McAlpine, Ali’s Wedding is a Matchbox Pictures production, produced by Sheila Jayadev and Helen Panckhurst, executive produced by Tony Ayres, Michael McMahon, Greg Sitch, Nina Stevenson, Ian Kirk. Produced with the support of ADL Film Fest Fund, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Film Victoria, White Hot Productions, Matchbox Productions.
Special In Conversation event with cast and crew of ALI’S WEDDING Saturday 29 October, 2pm
DAVID STRATTON’S STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN CINEMA
GALA WORK-IN-PROGRESS SCREENING Saturday 29 October, 6.30pm
One of Australia’s most revered film critics, David Stratton takes the audience on his own personal journey through the cinematic landscape that shaped both him and us as he traces the story of Australian cinema. The series interweaves the cinematic visions of our greatest films and their filmmakers, telling intimate behind-the-scenes stories through the voices of iconic stars and industry protagonists. It also encompasses David Stratton’s parallel Australian journey, as he becomes deeply enmeshed in this nation’s cinema – from his first thrilling glimpse of the Australian film The Overlanders, when he was 10, to his arrival as a Ten Pound Pom and finally to his becoming a household name in his adoptive country and a renowned authority on an art form that has defined the twentieth century. Using unique archive footage and memorable moments from the films themselves, the series focuses on some of our deepest preoccupations via the many and wonderfully varied depictions of ourselves onscreen. It’s through Australian films that David comes to understand his new home and himself, as his country forges its own identity on the silver screen.
Directed by Sally Aitken (Getting Frank Gehry) and produced by Jo-anne McGowan (Art & Soul, Between a Frock and a Hard Place) and Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa). Produced with the support of ADL Film Fest Fund, ABC TV Arts, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Definition Films, National Film & Sound Archive
Special In Conversation event with David Stratton & creative team, Director Sally Aitken, Producers Jo-anne McGowan and Jennifer Peedom Sunday 30 October, 2pm
LUCKY MILES
Retrospective screening: Thursday 27 October, 7pm
Celebrating its 10th anniversary next year, Lucky Miles retains every ounce of political contention it had upon its first release. Produced through the ADL Film Fest Fund and starring Osamah Sami (in what was his first ever big screen appearance), Don Hany and Rodney Afif from Ali’s Wedding, this is the story of refugees abandoned in the ruggedly handsome Pilbara desert. Returning to the Mercury Cinema for one night only.
COLLISIONS
Wednesday 5 October to Sunday 30 October, 2016 – Art Gallery of South Australia
Adelaide Film Festival and the Art Gallery of South Australia together present the Australian Premiere of artist Lynette Wallworth’s bold new VR screen project COLLISIONS, a stunning, deeply poetic and immersive live‐action/animated experience, from October 5 to October 30, 2016. The world’s oldest culture collides with the vanguard of VR tech, as Martu elder Nyarri Nyarri Morgan shares the story he’s been waiting half a century to tell.
