The weather report calls for rain, so it must mean that it’s festival season in Sydney again. Between the lights of Vivid and the pouring of a fresh batch of Inner West stouts, you know what else that means? The Sydney Film Festival (SFF) is back for another year.
Running from 5-16 June, the 71st SFF will present a whopping 197 films from 69 countries including 28 World Premieres and 133 Australian Premieres. The opening night film is MIDNIGHT OIL: THE HARDEST LINE, a career retrospective of the iconic Australia band, with filmmaker Paul Clarke covering 45-years of ‘The Oils.’
There’s so much to choose from as always, from new animated films for the whole family to new and esoteric entries from Yorgos Lanthimos and Olivier Assayas or documentaries about Christopher Reeve and Blur.
Overwhelmed? Confused? Hungry? Gassy? I’ve tried to narrow it down for you with some choice picks.
Kinds of Kindness
Fresh off the back of the Oscar-winning Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos reteams with Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe for a “triptych fable” about a man taking back control of his life, a cop who is overjoyed to find his wife rescued at sea but is unsure it’s really her and duo conducting a searching for someone with a certain skill to join a “spiritual sect seemingly built on sex.” Count us in!
I Saw the TV Glow
Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) returns with their second feature — and it’s already garnering massive buzz. Following a pair of teens that bond over a mysterious TV show but have an identity crisis when it’s suddenly cancelled, and with an original soundtrack from Alex G, it’s been compared to everyone from David Lynch to Richard Kelly. It stars Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine and Helena Howard,
Sasquatch Sunset
It’s fair to say that few films have generated quite as much discussion at this one. Following its Sundance debut, audience reactions ranged from “the most walkouts I’ve ever seen by a huge margin” to David Ehrlich‘s “one of the funniest and most poignant movies you’ll see this year about Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg explosively pissing and shitting on everything in sight for 100 minutes.” It’s safe to say that Sydney film fans will be joining me in the hunt for these beasts.
Super/man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Superman: The Movie (1978) remains the greatest comic book adaptation of all time. There. It has been said. In this documentary, directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (McQueen) looks at the star who made us believe a man could fly. Examining his life and career before and after his 1995 horse-riding accident that left him paralysed, it’s fair to say that there are few film fans that won’t connect with this.
The Bikeriders
Austin Butler is having a moment right now thanks to Elvis and Dune: Part Two, so his collaboration with director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) is something to get excited about. Co-starring Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist and Norman Reedus, it takes Butler back to the 1960s during the rise of a fictional Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Expect leather jackets and smouldering over-the-shoulder looks in equal measure.
The Mountain
Following memorable turns in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, TV’s Our Flag Means Death and most recently Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, New Zealand-born actor Rachel House makes her directorial debut. In a film executive produced by (who else?) Taika Waititi comes a First Nations coming-of-age dramedy about three friends on an adventure through the New Zealand wilderness. Grab your tickets and pack your bags now for the inevitable trip you’ll want to take over the Tasman after looking at Matt Henley photography of the landscapes.
blur: To the End
There’s a tradition in our household: we see a random music documentary each year at SFF. As luck would have it, this year has provided us with a look at the return of Blur, which might now officially be a side-project for Damon Albarn’s other bands and operas. Using the backdrop of a new album and sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium, filmmaker Toby L. makes his directorial debut after producing films and videos for the likes of Liam Gallagher, Florence and the Machine and Olivia Rodrigo.
The 71st edition of the Sydney Film Festival runs from 5 – 16 June 2023 at various locations around Sydney. Check out their website for a full program and tickets.
