CANADIAN FF starts Monday
July 31st 2010 04:14
Only two days to go until the opening of this year’s POSSIBLE WORLDS Canadian Film Festival screening at Dendy Quays down the road from the iconic Sydney Opera House. A mixed bag of World, Australian and Sydney premieres will entertain audiences over the week with some of the best Canadian and International collaborations over the last twelve months
The opening night gala at this years’ festival sees the Australian debut of CHLOE starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried in a modern day Fatal Attraction, followed by THE WILD HUNT a medieval ride between comedy and horror that will definitely have audiences on the edge of their seats.
What will follow over the next 7 days will be a little drama, more comedy and even a rock music road trip. Collaborations between Australia and Canada on the disaster movie ARTIC BLAST, the Chinese/Canadian award winning documentary LAST TRAIN HOME about the mass migration of Chinese workerstravelling home to their villages every New Year and the moving tale of a young muslim women in ACT OF BETRAYAL whose own beliefs and honour is brought into conflict when a Canadian film crew arrives to film a documentary on the Afghani struggle.
On Friday night the 6th of August, the festival will be screening the highly anticipated vampire film SUCK followed by the Vampires Ball all in the one locale at Queen Street Studios in Newtown. Further mayhem will continue at the nearby Agincourt Hotel until the early hours of Saturday morning.
Film screenings will be held at the Dendy Quays and Dendy Newtown cinemas, Queen Street Studios the Canadian Embassy and at St Stephens Hall where a FIGHT AGAINST THE POWER party to be held just down the road from Dendy Newton.
The Possible Worlds Canadian Film Festival runs from Monday August 1 til Sunday the 8th of August 2010. Tickets are available through the festival website – www.possibleworlds.net.au
Below is a full list of the films to be screened at this year’s festival. Some screenings have already sold out so get your tickets early.
SCREENING SCHEDULE
CHLOE(Australian Premiere)
Mon 2nd August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Atom Egoyan, Canada, 2009, 96 min, MA15
Cast: Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried
An erotic psychological thriller about desire, trust and the manipulative power of language
When Catherine (Julianne Moore, excellent), a successful gynaecologist, begins to question her husband David's (Liam Neeson) fidelity, she sets out to resolve her suspicions with the help of the alluringly confident Chloe (Amanda Seyfried, in a star turn). She hires the young escort to test her husband’s integrity but soon finds herself caught up in a web of sexual desire and on a journey which could put her family at risk.
Oscar-nominated auteur Atom Egoyan crafts his most accessible film to date, a star-studded psycho-sexual potboiler at the heart of which is a meditation on ageing and a touching love story between a husband and wife. Erotic, stylish, suspenseful and deliciously camp, Chloe is a hot and steamy Hitchcockian romp.
THE WILD HUNT(Australian Premiere)
Mon 2nd August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Alexandre Franchi, Canada, 2009, 96 min
Cast: Kaniehtiio Horn, Mark A. Krupa
Set in the world of medieval re-enactments, a gripping thriller about role-play and power
When Erik tries to win back the girl who just dumped him, he finds she’s been seduced by one of the players in a medieval live action role-playing game. Refusing to play along, Erik inadvertently disrupts the fragile balance of the players’ make-believe fantasy. The good-hearted game turns into a violent debacle of mythic resonance.
Taking Best Canadian First Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, Franchi’s debut establishes him as a talent to watch. Skilfully shifting the tone from comedy to horror, he makes the most of his original setting, crafting a tense, exhilarating Lord of the Flies-inspired thriller about the modern world’s desire for ritual and escapism.
ACT OF DISHONOUR (Australian Premiere)
Tue 3rd August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Nelofer Pazira, Canada, 2010, 95 min, English & Dari with English subtitles
Cast: Nelofer Pazira, Marina Golbahari
Tradition and modernity clash in this thought-provoking, stunningly photographed drama
Mena, a young bride-to-be, lives in a small, remote village in northern Afghanistan. Respecting the local customs, she rarely leaves the house and has little contact with her fiancé. The arrival of a Canadian film crew upsets the natural order as Mena befriends their Afghan-Canadian interpreter (actress & director Nelofer Pazira) and discovers a whole new world beyond her own.
A nuanced portrait of a culture steeped in conservative tradition, Act of Dishonour is a complex and moving tragedy of injustice. This beautiful film is also a testament to the spirit of a people who have survived decades of war.
MIGHTY UKE(Sydney Premiere)
Tue 3rd August | 6:30pm | Seymour Centre
Dir: Tony Coleman & Margaret Meagher, Canada, 2009, 76 min
The “people’s instrument” is inspiring a new generation of musicians… Join the Ukulele revolution!
Ukuleles top the charts in Japan, inspire California popsters and are adopted by Swedish punks, Emo kids and classical composers alike. Forget the grass skirts, slide guitar and kitschy lyrics: the Hawaiian novelty instrument – it is not a toy! – is staging a comeback.
This hip and snappy documentary travels the world to discover why so many musicians are turning to the ukulele to express themselves and connect with each other. From the Redwoods of California to the gritty streets of New York, from swinging London to Tokyo’s highrise canyons, this is the unlikely story of a mighty musical comeback.
PASSENGER SIDE
Tue 3rd August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Matthew Bissonnette, Canada, 2009, 85 min
Cast: Adam Scott, Joel Bissonnette, Robin Tunney
In this rock music road movie, Two-Lane Blacktop meets My Dinner with Andre & American Graffiti.
Two brothers spend the day driving around LA in a beat up 1975 BMW looking for the meaning in their lives, or cheap street drugs, depending on whom you believe. Along the way the apparently random pit stops and encounters begin to bring the day trip into focus, right up until its unexpected destination.
Passenger Side is an inspired follow-up to Matt Bissonnette’s Who Loves The Sun (PW 2007). Beneath the slackers’ banter, expertly written and delivered, lies a bittersweet story about the paths our messy lives can take. Like a friend’s mixtape, it takes you on a subtle narrative journey, by turns hilarious, surprising and poignant.
ARCTIC BLAST(World Premiere)
Wed 4th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Canada-Australia, 2010, 91 min
Cast: Michael Shanks, Indiana Evans, Robert Mammone
Join us for the world premiere of a home-grown disaster movie packed with rising talent
In Arctic Blast, a solar eclipse sends a blast of super-chilled air towards the Earth, setting off a catastrophic chain of events that threatens a new Ice Age. As coastal Australia undergoes mass evacuation, physicist Jack Tate (Stargate SG-1’s Michael Shanks) races to find a solution while protecting his family.
The Australian-Canadian co-production was shot in Tasmania with post-production done in Montreal, including effects by Modus (300, Sin City). Genre master and Ozploitation legend Brian Trenchard-Smith’s first Australian film in over a decade, it’s a fun disaster flick which harks back to the glory days of the classic B-movie.
HIGHRISE: TRANSMEDIA TALK (Australian Premiere)
Thu 5th August | 6:00pm | Embassy Conference Centre
Learn about transmedia production through this innovative filmmaker in residence project
Gerry Flahive (twitter), a senior producer at the National Film Board, has produced over 40 films and webby award winning new media projects, including Manufactured Landscapes (PW07), Waterlife (PW09) and this year’s Invisible City. He joins us from Toronto to screen works from his new cross-platform project Highrise and chat about transmedia production.
Highrise is a multi-year, multi-media, collaborative documentary project about the human experience in global vertical suburbs. Made up of web-documentaries, live presentations, installations and mobile projects, it uses the acclaimed interventionist and participatory approaches of the NFB’s Filmmaker-in-Residence model.
This industry talk will be hosted by Alan Erson, Commissioning Editor at ABC Documentaries. It's a great introduction to Canadian cinema, the innovative work of the National Film Board and transmedia production.
LAST TRAIN HOME
Wed 4th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Lixin Fan, Canada/China, 2009, 85 min, Mandarin with English subtitles
This award-winning documentary opens our eyes to some of China’s complex contradictions
Chinese-Canadian director Lixin Fan draws us into the fractured lives of a Chinese family. The Zhangs work in garment factory 2,000km away from their village, sending wages back to give their children a chance for a better life. Once a year, they join the world’s greatest human migration, as 130 million migrants attempt to return home for the New Year.
Torn apart by distance, poverty and a widening generation gap, the Zhangs invite us to consider the dramatic changes sweeping the nation. A candid portrait of a family – and a country – in crisis, it adroitly combines stunning, widescreen landscapes with moving, intimate moments.
FINDING FARLEY( Australian Premiere)
Thu 5th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Leanne Allison, Canada, 2009, 63 min
Travel across Canada on an environmentally conscious journey of arresting splendour
Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, their two-year old son Zev and indomitable dog Willow, set out to retrace the literary footsteps of conservationist and author Farley Mowat (Never Cry Wolf). Their 5000km trip – trekking, sailing and canoeing from the Prairies to the Maritimes – is captured in this eye-catching documentary. From Alberta to Mowat’s home in Cape Breton Island, Finding Farley brings to life pristine and remote Canadian landscapes through crisp widescreen photography. It’s a breathless adventure and a moving journey you’re not likely to forget.
Screening with: Higglety Pigglety Pop! (Chris Lavis And Maciek Szczerbowski, 24min)
Voiced by Meryl Streep & Forest Whitaker, this animation charts Jennie's surreal, suspenseful efforts to become the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre. Adapted from a book by Maurice Sendak and produced by Spike Jonze.
THE TROTSKY(Sydney Premiere)
Thu 5th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Jacob Tierney, Canada, 2009, 120 min | Cast: Jay Baruchel, Genevieve Bujold
Rushmore meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in this riotous but super sharp high school comedy
Montreal West teenager Leon Bronstein (rising star Jay Baruchel) is convinced he’s the reincarnation of 20th century Soviet iconoclast Leon Trotsky. When he’s sent to public school as punishment for staging a hunger strike at his dad’s factory, he takes a hammer and sickle to the high school class system.
Littered with sly cinematic references and erudite jokes, Jacob Tierney’s Trotsky sets the bar for teen-angst and nerd-chic at the movies for years to come. Smarter than a high school comedy has any right to be, it’s as laugh-out-loud funny as it is thought-provoking in its exploration of political engagement.
“The most genuine, authentic, legitimately funny teen movie since Heathers or John Hughes’ movies” – Sun Media
Also screening at Dendy Newtown Sat 7th August
1981
Fri 6th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Ricardo Trogi, Canada, 2009, 102 min, French with English subtitles | Cast: Jean-Carl Boucher, Sandrine Bisson
This cheeky, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy is for anyone who grew up in the 1980’s
1981 tells the comedic story of eleven year-old Ricardo, who, struggling with his family's move and a new school, decides the best way to navigate the tough waters ahead is to become a liar. His flair for inventiveness helps to impress his classmates (who are all from wealthier backgrounds), but will it work on Anne Tremblay, the most gorgeous girl in school?
Vintage goalie helmets, Star Wars sheets and original Sony cassette Walkmans set the scene in this wry, nostalgic feel-good movie about growing up in Quebec. 1981 is Ricardo Trogi’s third hit after Quebec-Montreal and Horloge Biologique. His next film? It’s called 1987.
“Belongs on your 'Must-See' list if you were ever 11 years old and made it to adulthood!” - Cinequest
Screening with: Runaway (Cordell Barker, 9min)
Happy passengers are having a great time on a crowded train, oblivious to the unknown fate that awaits them around the bend.
SUCK VAMPIRE BALL
Fri 6th August | 6:30pm | Queen St Studio
Dir: Rob Stefaniuk, Canada, 2009, 90 min | Cast: Jessica Paré, Malcolm MacDowell, Dave Foley
A hilarious vampire comedy which proves that rock n’ roll will never die
Suck is a rock’n’roll vampire spoof about a down and out band, The Winners, who will do anything for a record deal. During a road trip, their image radically changes when bass player Jennifer emerges from a one strange one night stand sporting fangs and a sexually charged charisma that drives the audiences wild. But when legendary vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsig enters the scene, the Winners question if fame and fortune is worth their gruesome existence.
Musicians Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Moby, Dimitri Coats, Alex Lifeson and Carole Pope co star in Suck, while Bowie, the Stones and The Velvet Underground all feature on its rock-literate soundtrack... meaning we just had to throw a party.
THE VAMPIRE BALL
When the screening finishes, Queen St Studio will host The Vampire Ball, DJ'd by Sydney's consummate rock and roll vamp, Mz Ann Thropik. The Ball will feature a free beer & whisky bar, free pizza, installation artwork curated by PolyMorph Gallery's Nel Wolf, giveaways and prizes for best costumes.
After-party: show your Suck ticket for half-price entry to CLUB BLINK at the nearby Agincourt Hotel.
GENIUS WITHIN - THE INNER LIFE OF GLENN GOULD
Sat 7th August | 4:00pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Michèle Hozer & Peter Raymont, Canada, 2009, 108 min
This music documentary pierces through the myths, revealing the man beneath the icon.
Some have described Glenn Gould as classical music’s Michael Jackson. Others compare him to Jeff Buckley and James Dean. An enigmatic musical poet, eccentric artist and world-renowned pianist who continues to captivate long after his untimely death, Glenn Gould’s life was as passionate as his music. A rebel unafraid of controversy, Gould was also a loner struggling with perfection.
Using never-before seen footage and excerpts from his private home recordings and diaries, the filmmakers – aided by Gould’s friends and lovers - draw a portrait of the artist which reveals tremendous insights into the creative process. An indispensable film for serious music fans.
“An invigorating & brightly unsettling journey (…) mischievous and divine.” – Patty Smith
Screening with: Move Your Mind (Hubert Davis, 6min)
Faith. Heart. Imagination. These are the principles to which director Robin Phillips – known especially for his theatrical productions of Shakespeare – has devoted himself.
POLYTECHNIQUE
Fri 6th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Denis Villeneuve, Canada, 2009, 77 min, French with English subtitles
Cast : Karine Vanasse, Maxim Gaudette
A courageous, topical drama whose many artistic merits transcend the grim subject matter
Polytechnique is the dramatic recreation of the night of Dec. 6, 1989, when gunman Marc Lépine shot and killed 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique. The hate crime shocked the nation, provoked endless debate and prompted the strengthening of Canadian gun laws.
Eschewing the voyeuristic, Villeneuve’s approach is sober and thoughtful: “every shot felt like a moral decision”. The result is a stunningly acted, intelligently constructed black & white drama which moves beyond mere re-enactment to become a powerful tribute to the very values the gunman struggled with: equality of the sexe and respect for human life.
“It stands as a work of art, summoning unspoken thoughts the way Picasso's war abstraction Guernica does” – Toronto Star
THE TROTSKY FIGHT THE POWER PARTY
Sat 7th August | 6:00pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Jacob Tierney, Canada, 2009, 109 min
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire
Rushmore meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in this riotous but super sharp high school comedy
Montreal West teenager Leon Bronstein (rising star Jay Baruchel) is convinced he’s the reincarnation of 20th century Soviet iconoclast Leon Trotsky. When he’s sent to public school as punishment for staging a hunger strike at his dad’s factory, he takes a hammer and sickle to the high school class system.
Littered with sly cinematic references and erudite jokes, Jacob Tierney’s Trotsky sets the bar for teen-angst and nerd-chic at the movies for years to come. Smarter than a high school comedy has any right to be, it’s as laugh-out-loud funny as it is thought-provoking in its exploration of political engagement.
“Skewers the very notion of revolutionary nostalgia in the post-everything world. On the other hand — a raised fist — it celebrates the rejection of apathy” – Eye Weekly
FIGHT THE POWER PARTY
Ticket holders are invited to join us for the Festival’s FIGHT THE POWER! party after the screening, behind Dendy Newton at St Stephen’s Church Hall.
Like a high school dance for social justice infiltrated by counter-culture radicals, the Fight the Power! party is a chance to unleash your inner revolutionary. Free pizza, beer & whisky all night!
Get your picture taken at our Radical Photobooth or get your Pamphleteer on by creating your own revolutionary zine (materials and hot activists provided). Dance to the beat of our Wheelie Bin Sound System and groove to the tunes of Neon Hearts Djs. As always, giveaways and prizes for best dressed revolutionaries!
LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL FIGHT THE POWER PARTY
Sat 7th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Reg Harkema, Canada, 2009, 85 min
Cast: Kristen Hager, Don McKellar
The Manson family clashes with America’s silent majority in this heady dose of counter-culture pulp
Perry is a conservative engineer soon to be engaged to his virgin Christian girlfriend. Leslie follows a different path, experimenting with LSD and joining the Manson family’s violent Satanic cult. This irreverent film charts both stories as they converge during the murder trial of the infamous Manson girls.
Reg Harkema (PW07’s Monkey Warfare) wields a double-edged sword of satire, drawing clever parallels between the hypocrisies of conservative 1960’s America and the self-serving lies of the hippie death cult. Influenced by Godard, Corman and John Waters, Leslie serves up a sharp blend of agit-prop, camp melodrama and political commentary with clear contemporary echoes.
“Does to the Manson family what Inglourious Basterds did to WWII” – Toronto Star
INVISIBLE CITY
Sun 8th August | 4:00pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Hubert Davis, Canada, 2009, 75 min | Special guest Gerry Flahive
Halfway between The Wire and Hoop Dreams, this insightful documentary tells it like it is.
This documentary by Oscar-nominated director Hubert Davis, set in the housing project of Toronto's Regent Park, follows charismatic teenagers Kendell and Mikey over three years, as they cross into adulthood. Their mothers and mentors fight for them to succeed, while their environment and social pressures tempt them to make poor choices.
Behind this astute, intimate portrait is a wider examination of the disconnect between urban poverty, race and the mainstream. We discover both the systemic odds stacked against inner-city kids and the positive grassroots effect of community involvement and education. Moving but never sentimental, Invisible City educates but never preaches.
Screening with: Cold Morning (Mark Lewis, 7min)
GROWN UP MOVIE STAR
Sun 8th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Adriana Maggs, Canada, 2009, 96 min
Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Shawn Doyle
An evocative, often very funny indie drama about sexual awakening and family ties
Hockey hero Ray (Shawn Doyle, of HBO’s Big Love) – his career in shatters following a drug conviction – returns home to Newfoundland, only to have his wife leave him for another man. Struggling with his attraction to men, his tendency to drink and his two unruly and precocious girls, he makes an attempt to keep the family together.
From a richly textured, incredibly honest script, Adriana Maggs weaves a gripping story about a daughter – and a father – coming of age. As the worldly and glamorous 14-year-old Ruby, Tatiana Maslany is mesmerizing (winning a special jury prize for breakthrough performance at Sundance this year).
I KILLED MY MOTHER(J'AI TUE MA MERE)
Sun 8th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Xavier Dolan, Canada, 2009, 100 min, French with English subtitles
Cast: Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval
This bold and furious gay coming of age tale heralds the arrival of a bright new talent
17-year-old Hubert is confused and obsessed with his love/hate relationship with his mother. As he drifts through the mysteries of adolescence – artistic discoveries, sexual experimentation and rebellious defiance – his passive aggressive mother hovers ceaselessly, threatening to ruin the fun.
Xavier Dolan – 19 when he made the film – took Cannes by storm with this rough but inspired debut. His visual flair, unflinching honesty and intuitive grasp of cinematic language combine to striking effect. Hilarious, sensual and high-strung, I Killed My Mother gets under the skin with its spot-on portrayal of teenage arrogance and family dysfunction.
www.possibleworlds.net.au
SJC 30072010
What will follow over the next 7 days will be a little drama, more comedy and even a rock music road trip. Collaborations between Australia and Canada on the disaster movie ARTIC BLAST, the Chinese/Canadian award winning documentary LAST TRAIN HOME about the mass migration of Chinese workerstravelling home to their villages every New Year and the moving tale of a young muslim women in ACT OF BETRAYAL whose own beliefs and honour is brought into conflict when a Canadian film crew arrives to film a documentary on the Afghani struggle.
On Friday night the 6th of August, the festival will be screening the highly anticipated vampire film SUCK followed by the Vampires Ball all in the one locale at Queen Street Studios in Newtown. Further mayhem will continue at the nearby Agincourt Hotel until the early hours of Saturday morning.
Film screenings will be held at the Dendy Quays and Dendy Newtown cinemas, Queen Street Studios the Canadian Embassy and at St Stephens Hall where a FIGHT AGAINST THE POWER party to be held just down the road from Dendy Newton.
The Possible Worlds Canadian Film Festival runs from Monday August 1 til Sunday the 8th of August 2010. Tickets are available through the festival website – www.possibleworlds.net.au
Below is a full list of the films to be screened at this year’s festival. Some screenings have already sold out so get your tickets early.
SCREENING SCHEDULE
CHLOE(Australian Premiere)
Mon 2nd August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Atom Egoyan, Canada, 2009, 96 min, MA15
Cast: Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried
An erotic psychological thriller about desire, trust and the manipulative power of language
When Catherine (Julianne Moore, excellent), a successful gynaecologist, begins to question her husband David's (Liam Neeson) fidelity, she sets out to resolve her suspicions with the help of the alluringly confident Chloe (Amanda Seyfried, in a star turn). She hires the young escort to test her husband’s integrity but soon finds herself caught up in a web of sexual desire and on a journey which could put her family at risk.
Oscar-nominated auteur Atom Egoyan crafts his most accessible film to date, a star-studded psycho-sexual potboiler at the heart of which is a meditation on ageing and a touching love story between a husband and wife. Erotic, stylish, suspenseful and deliciously camp, Chloe is a hot and steamy Hitchcockian romp.
THE WILD HUNT(Australian Premiere)
Mon 2nd August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Alexandre Franchi, Canada, 2009, 96 min
Cast: Kaniehtiio Horn, Mark A. Krupa
Set in the world of medieval re-enactments, a gripping thriller about role-play and power
When Erik tries to win back the girl who just dumped him, he finds she’s been seduced by one of the players in a medieval live action role-playing game. Refusing to play along, Erik inadvertently disrupts the fragile balance of the players’ make-believe fantasy. The good-hearted game turns into a violent debacle of mythic resonance.
Taking Best Canadian First Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, Franchi’s debut establishes him as a talent to watch. Skilfully shifting the tone from comedy to horror, he makes the most of his original setting, crafting a tense, exhilarating Lord of the Flies-inspired thriller about the modern world’s desire for ritual and escapism.
ACT OF DISHONOUR (Australian Premiere)
Tue 3rd August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Nelofer Pazira, Canada, 2010, 95 min, English & Dari with English subtitles
Cast: Nelofer Pazira, Marina Golbahari
Tradition and modernity clash in this thought-provoking, stunningly photographed drama
Mena, a young bride-to-be, lives in a small, remote village in northern Afghanistan. Respecting the local customs, she rarely leaves the house and has little contact with her fiancé. The arrival of a Canadian film crew upsets the natural order as Mena befriends their Afghan-Canadian interpreter (actress & director Nelofer Pazira) and discovers a whole new world beyond her own.
A nuanced portrait of a culture steeped in conservative tradition, Act of Dishonour is a complex and moving tragedy of injustice. This beautiful film is also a testament to the spirit of a people who have survived decades of war.
MIGHTY UKE(Sydney Premiere)
Tue 3rd August | 6:30pm | Seymour Centre
Dir: Tony Coleman & Margaret Meagher, Canada, 2009, 76 min
The “people’s instrument” is inspiring a new generation of musicians… Join the Ukulele revolution!
Ukuleles top the charts in Japan, inspire California popsters and are adopted by Swedish punks, Emo kids and classical composers alike. Forget the grass skirts, slide guitar and kitschy lyrics: the Hawaiian novelty instrument – it is not a toy! – is staging a comeback.
This hip and snappy documentary travels the world to discover why so many musicians are turning to the ukulele to express themselves and connect with each other. From the Redwoods of California to the gritty streets of New York, from swinging London to Tokyo’s highrise canyons, this is the unlikely story of a mighty musical comeback.
PASSENGER SIDE
Tue 3rd August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Matthew Bissonnette, Canada, 2009, 85 min
Cast: Adam Scott, Joel Bissonnette, Robin Tunney
In this rock music road movie, Two-Lane Blacktop meets My Dinner with Andre & American Graffiti.
Two brothers spend the day driving around LA in a beat up 1975 BMW looking for the meaning in their lives, or cheap street drugs, depending on whom you believe. Along the way the apparently random pit stops and encounters begin to bring the day trip into focus, right up until its unexpected destination.
Passenger Side is an inspired follow-up to Matt Bissonnette’s Who Loves The Sun (PW 2007). Beneath the slackers’ banter, expertly written and delivered, lies a bittersweet story about the paths our messy lives can take. Like a friend’s mixtape, it takes you on a subtle narrative journey, by turns hilarious, surprising and poignant.
ARCTIC BLAST(World Premiere)
Wed 4th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Canada-Australia, 2010, 91 min
Cast: Michael Shanks, Indiana Evans, Robert Mammone
Join us for the world premiere of a home-grown disaster movie packed with rising talent
In Arctic Blast, a solar eclipse sends a blast of super-chilled air towards the Earth, setting off a catastrophic chain of events that threatens a new Ice Age. As coastal Australia undergoes mass evacuation, physicist Jack Tate (Stargate SG-1’s Michael Shanks) races to find a solution while protecting his family.
The Australian-Canadian co-production was shot in Tasmania with post-production done in Montreal, including effects by Modus (300, Sin City). Genre master and Ozploitation legend Brian Trenchard-Smith’s first Australian film in over a decade, it’s a fun disaster flick which harks back to the glory days of the classic B-movie.
HIGHRISE: TRANSMEDIA TALK (Australian Premiere)
Thu 5th August | 6:00pm | Embassy Conference Centre
Learn about transmedia production through this innovative filmmaker in residence project
Gerry Flahive (twitter), a senior producer at the National Film Board, has produced over 40 films and webby award winning new media projects, including Manufactured Landscapes (PW07), Waterlife (PW09) and this year’s Invisible City. He joins us from Toronto to screen works from his new cross-platform project Highrise and chat about transmedia production.
Highrise is a multi-year, multi-media, collaborative documentary project about the human experience in global vertical suburbs. Made up of web-documentaries, live presentations, installations and mobile projects, it uses the acclaimed interventionist and participatory approaches of the NFB’s Filmmaker-in-Residence model.
This industry talk will be hosted by Alan Erson, Commissioning Editor at ABC Documentaries. It's a great introduction to Canadian cinema, the innovative work of the National Film Board and transmedia production.
LAST TRAIN HOME
Wed 4th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Lixin Fan, Canada/China, 2009, 85 min, Mandarin with English subtitles
This award-winning documentary opens our eyes to some of China’s complex contradictions
Chinese-Canadian director Lixin Fan draws us into the fractured lives of a Chinese family. The Zhangs work in garment factory 2,000km away from their village, sending wages back to give their children a chance for a better life. Once a year, they join the world’s greatest human migration, as 130 million migrants attempt to return home for the New Year.
Torn apart by distance, poverty and a widening generation gap, the Zhangs invite us to consider the dramatic changes sweeping the nation. A candid portrait of a family – and a country – in crisis, it adroitly combines stunning, widescreen landscapes with moving, intimate moments.
FINDING FARLEY( Australian Premiere)
Thu 5th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Leanne Allison, Canada, 2009, 63 min
Travel across Canada on an environmentally conscious journey of arresting splendour
Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, their two-year old son Zev and indomitable dog Willow, set out to retrace the literary footsteps of conservationist and author Farley Mowat (Never Cry Wolf). Their 5000km trip – trekking, sailing and canoeing from the Prairies to the Maritimes – is captured in this eye-catching documentary. From Alberta to Mowat’s home in Cape Breton Island, Finding Farley brings to life pristine and remote Canadian landscapes through crisp widescreen photography. It’s a breathless adventure and a moving journey you’re not likely to forget.
Screening with: Higglety Pigglety Pop! (Chris Lavis And Maciek Szczerbowski, 24min)
Voiced by Meryl Streep & Forest Whitaker, this animation charts Jennie's surreal, suspenseful efforts to become the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre. Adapted from a book by Maurice Sendak and produced by Spike Jonze.
THE TROTSKY(Sydney Premiere)
Thu 5th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Jacob Tierney, Canada, 2009, 120 min | Cast: Jay Baruchel, Genevieve Bujold
Rushmore meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in this riotous but super sharp high school comedy
Montreal West teenager Leon Bronstein (rising star Jay Baruchel) is convinced he’s the reincarnation of 20th century Soviet iconoclast Leon Trotsky. When he’s sent to public school as punishment for staging a hunger strike at his dad’s factory, he takes a hammer and sickle to the high school class system.
Littered with sly cinematic references and erudite jokes, Jacob Tierney’s Trotsky sets the bar for teen-angst and nerd-chic at the movies for years to come. Smarter than a high school comedy has any right to be, it’s as laugh-out-loud funny as it is thought-provoking in its exploration of political engagement.
“The most genuine, authentic, legitimately funny teen movie since Heathers or John Hughes’ movies” – Sun Media
Also screening at Dendy Newtown Sat 7th August
1981
Fri 6th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Ricardo Trogi, Canada, 2009, 102 min, French with English subtitles | Cast: Jean-Carl Boucher, Sandrine Bisson
This cheeky, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy is for anyone who grew up in the 1980’s
1981 tells the comedic story of eleven year-old Ricardo, who, struggling with his family's move and a new school, decides the best way to navigate the tough waters ahead is to become a liar. His flair for inventiveness helps to impress his classmates (who are all from wealthier backgrounds), but will it work on Anne Tremblay, the most gorgeous girl in school?
Vintage goalie helmets, Star Wars sheets and original Sony cassette Walkmans set the scene in this wry, nostalgic feel-good movie about growing up in Quebec. 1981 is Ricardo Trogi’s third hit after Quebec-Montreal and Horloge Biologique. His next film? It’s called 1987.
“Belongs on your 'Must-See' list if you were ever 11 years old and made it to adulthood!” - Cinequest
Screening with: Runaway (Cordell Barker, 9min)
Happy passengers are having a great time on a crowded train, oblivious to the unknown fate that awaits them around the bend.
SUCK VAMPIRE BALL
Fri 6th August | 6:30pm | Queen St Studio
Dir: Rob Stefaniuk, Canada, 2009, 90 min | Cast: Jessica Paré, Malcolm MacDowell, Dave Foley
A hilarious vampire comedy which proves that rock n’ roll will never die
Suck is a rock’n’roll vampire spoof about a down and out band, The Winners, who will do anything for a record deal. During a road trip, their image radically changes when bass player Jennifer emerges from a one strange one night stand sporting fangs and a sexually charged charisma that drives the audiences wild. But when legendary vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsig enters the scene, the Winners question if fame and fortune is worth their gruesome existence.
Musicians Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Moby, Dimitri Coats, Alex Lifeson and Carole Pope co star in Suck, while Bowie, the Stones and The Velvet Underground all feature on its rock-literate soundtrack... meaning we just had to throw a party.
THE VAMPIRE BALL
When the screening finishes, Queen St Studio will host The Vampire Ball, DJ'd by Sydney's consummate rock and roll vamp, Mz Ann Thropik. The Ball will feature a free beer & whisky bar, free pizza, installation artwork curated by PolyMorph Gallery's Nel Wolf, giveaways and prizes for best costumes.
After-party: show your Suck ticket for half-price entry to CLUB BLINK at the nearby Agincourt Hotel.
GENIUS WITHIN - THE INNER LIFE OF GLENN GOULD
Sat 7th August | 4:00pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Michèle Hozer & Peter Raymont, Canada, 2009, 108 min
This music documentary pierces through the myths, revealing the man beneath the icon.
Some have described Glenn Gould as classical music’s Michael Jackson. Others compare him to Jeff Buckley and James Dean. An enigmatic musical poet, eccentric artist and world-renowned pianist who continues to captivate long after his untimely death, Glenn Gould’s life was as passionate as his music. A rebel unafraid of controversy, Gould was also a loner struggling with perfection.
Using never-before seen footage and excerpts from his private home recordings and diaries, the filmmakers – aided by Gould’s friends and lovers - draw a portrait of the artist which reveals tremendous insights into the creative process. An indispensable film for serious music fans.
“An invigorating & brightly unsettling journey (…) mischievous and divine.” – Patty Smith
Screening with: Move Your Mind (Hubert Davis, 6min)
Faith. Heart. Imagination. These are the principles to which director Robin Phillips – known especially for his theatrical productions of Shakespeare – has devoted himself.
POLYTECHNIQUE
Fri 6th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays
Dir: Denis Villeneuve, Canada, 2009, 77 min, French with English subtitles
Cast : Karine Vanasse, Maxim Gaudette
A courageous, topical drama whose many artistic merits transcend the grim subject matter
Polytechnique is the dramatic recreation of the night of Dec. 6, 1989, when gunman Marc Lépine shot and killed 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique. The hate crime shocked the nation, provoked endless debate and prompted the strengthening of Canadian gun laws.
Eschewing the voyeuristic, Villeneuve’s approach is sober and thoughtful: “every shot felt like a moral decision”. The result is a stunningly acted, intelligently constructed black & white drama which moves beyond mere re-enactment to become a powerful tribute to the very values the gunman struggled with: equality of the sexe and respect for human life.
“It stands as a work of art, summoning unspoken thoughts the way Picasso's war abstraction Guernica does” – Toronto Star
THE TROTSKY FIGHT THE POWER PARTY
Sat 7th August | 6:00pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Jacob Tierney, Canada, 2009, 109 min
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire
Rushmore meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in this riotous but super sharp high school comedy
Montreal West teenager Leon Bronstein (rising star Jay Baruchel) is convinced he’s the reincarnation of 20th century Soviet iconoclast Leon Trotsky. When he’s sent to public school as punishment for staging a hunger strike at his dad’s factory, he takes a hammer and sickle to the high school class system.
Littered with sly cinematic references and erudite jokes, Jacob Tierney’s Trotsky sets the bar for teen-angst and nerd-chic at the movies for years to come. Smarter than a high school comedy has any right to be, it’s as laugh-out-loud funny as it is thought-provoking in its exploration of political engagement.
“Skewers the very notion of revolutionary nostalgia in the post-everything world. On the other hand — a raised fist — it celebrates the rejection of apathy” – Eye Weekly
FIGHT THE POWER PARTY
Ticket holders are invited to join us for the Festival’s FIGHT THE POWER! party after the screening, behind Dendy Newton at St Stephen’s Church Hall.
Like a high school dance for social justice infiltrated by counter-culture radicals, the Fight the Power! party is a chance to unleash your inner revolutionary. Free pizza, beer & whisky all night!
Get your picture taken at our Radical Photobooth or get your Pamphleteer on by creating your own revolutionary zine (materials and hot activists provided). Dance to the beat of our Wheelie Bin Sound System and groove to the tunes of Neon Hearts Djs. As always, giveaways and prizes for best dressed revolutionaries!
LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL FIGHT THE POWER PARTY
Sat 7th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Reg Harkema, Canada, 2009, 85 min
Cast: Kristen Hager, Don McKellar
The Manson family clashes with America’s silent majority in this heady dose of counter-culture pulp
Perry is a conservative engineer soon to be engaged to his virgin Christian girlfriend. Leslie follows a different path, experimenting with LSD and joining the Manson family’s violent Satanic cult. This irreverent film charts both stories as they converge during the murder trial of the infamous Manson girls.
Reg Harkema (PW07’s Monkey Warfare) wields a double-edged sword of satire, drawing clever parallels between the hypocrisies of conservative 1960’s America and the self-serving lies of the hippie death cult. Influenced by Godard, Corman and John Waters, Leslie serves up a sharp blend of agit-prop, camp melodrama and political commentary with clear contemporary echoes.
“Does to the Manson family what Inglourious Basterds did to WWII” – Toronto Star
INVISIBLE CITY
Sun 8th August | 4:00pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Hubert Davis, Canada, 2009, 75 min | Special guest Gerry Flahive
Halfway between The Wire and Hoop Dreams, this insightful documentary tells it like it is.
This documentary by Oscar-nominated director Hubert Davis, set in the housing project of Toronto's Regent Park, follows charismatic teenagers Kendell and Mikey over three years, as they cross into adulthood. Their mothers and mentors fight for them to succeed, while their environment and social pressures tempt them to make poor choices.
Behind this astute, intimate portrait is a wider examination of the disconnect between urban poverty, race and the mainstream. We discover both the systemic odds stacked against inner-city kids and the positive grassroots effect of community involvement and education. Moving but never sentimental, Invisible City educates but never preaches.
Screening with: Cold Morning (Mark Lewis, 7min)
GROWN UP MOVIE STAR
Sun 8th August | 6:30pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Adriana Maggs, Canada, 2009, 96 min
Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Shawn Doyle
An evocative, often very funny indie drama about sexual awakening and family ties
Hockey hero Ray (Shawn Doyle, of HBO’s Big Love) – his career in shatters following a drug conviction – returns home to Newfoundland, only to have his wife leave him for another man. Struggling with his attraction to men, his tendency to drink and his two unruly and precocious girls, he makes an attempt to keep the family together.
From a richly textured, incredibly honest script, Adriana Maggs weaves a gripping story about a daughter – and a father – coming of age. As the worldly and glamorous 14-year-old Ruby, Tatiana Maslany is mesmerizing (winning a special jury prize for breakthrough performance at Sundance this year).
I KILLED MY MOTHER(J'AI TUE MA MERE)
Sun 8th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Newtown
Dir: Xavier Dolan, Canada, 2009, 100 min, French with English subtitles
Cast: Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval
This bold and furious gay coming of age tale heralds the arrival of a bright new talent
17-year-old Hubert is confused and obsessed with his love/hate relationship with his mother. As he drifts through the mysteries of adolescence – artistic discoveries, sexual experimentation and rebellious defiance – his passive aggressive mother hovers ceaselessly, threatening to ruin the fun.
Xavier Dolan – 19 when he made the film – took Cannes by storm with this rough but inspired debut. His visual flair, unflinching honesty and intuitive grasp of cinematic language combine to striking effect. Hilarious, sensual and high-strung, I Killed My Mother gets under the skin with its spot-on portrayal of teenage arrogance and family dysfunction.
www.possibleworlds.net.au
SJC 30072010
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