Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley reflects;
“Since 1954, Sydney Film Festival has brought more than 10,000 films to Australian audiences. Year after year, the Festival continues to be a pioneer in the world of cinema, screening bold and inspiring works that provoke thought and push boundaries.
“The 2023 program will expand on this legacy, promising to ignite stimulating dialogues and present powerful ideas that will broaden audience perspectives.”
The Sydney Film Festival is thrilled to continue a 70-year strong tradition of presenting exceptional cinema from across Australia and around the world to Sydney audiences. Today the Festival announces 12 cinematic treasures for a peek of what’s in store, with over 200 feature films, documentaries and shorts to be revealed in the full program on May 10th.
The Curb is proud to preview twelve of the films that will be running during the 7 – 18 June festival.
From Australia are two documentaries and a feature film from New Zealand.
Rachel’s Farm follows actor-director Rachel Ward (Palm Beach) as she uses sustainable farming practices on her NNSW beef farm.
Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews documents her government ordered abduction as a child and seeks to uncover the truth and find her white foster family in The Last Daughter.
Brenda Matthews and Rachel Ward will be in attendance at the festival.
New Zealand comedy Red, White & Brass directed by Damon Fepulea’i and executive produced by Taika Waititi is based on the true story of Tongan Rugby fans who trick their way into the Rugby World Cup by pretending to be a marching band despite having never played.
Award-winning Iranian director Jafar Panahi who is banned from making films in his home country Iran (and recently released from prison) will have his feted film No Bears premiere as part of the International selection.
L’immensità is a French-Italian drama film directed by Emanuele Crialese. It stars Luana Giuliani alongside Penélope Cruz and Vincenzo Amato. In Rome in the 1970s: Adriana, a preteen girl, moves into a new apartment with her family. While her parents struggle in their unhappy marriage, she rejects her name and identity, ultimately deciding to convince everyone that she is a boy.
Legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman delivers a rare narrative work about the turbulent relationship between literary giants Leo and Sophia Tolstoy in A Couple. The film features a solo performance by Nathalie Boutefeu as Sophia as she reminisces on her relationship with Tolstoy.
Highly anticipated documentary Subject investigates the impact that high profile documentaries have had upon their subjects including The Staircase, Hoop Dreams, Capturing the Friedmans, The Wolfpack, and The Square. It looks into the ethical responsibilities that documentarians have towards the real people they are capturing.
The Festival line-up includes powerful stories that chronicle resistance against government systems. Bobi Wine: The People’s President is a documentary that follows the journey of the Ugandan musician turned politician campaigning to end the country’s dictatorship. And in While We Watched, director Vinay Shukla documents the struggle of award-winning Indian journalist Ravish Kumar against misinformation and political power as he fights to uphold independent reporting. Shukla will be attending the Festival to present his documentary to Sydney audiences. Lav Diaz explores another power system in the drama When the Waves Are Gone, about two policemen on a collision course in the Philippines.
Finally, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, a debut film by director Pierre Földes, is an animated adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story collection of the same name.
A small taste of the immense variety of cinematic treats that will be available at The 70th Sydney Film Festival. Whatever your interest in screen culture the festival will have something to whet your appetite and satiate it.
