PREVIEW: 2023 GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL

In collaboration with German Films, Palace Cinemas presents the 2023 German Film Festival with a lineup that includes several titles arriving in Australia direct from the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival (The Berlinale). Other highlights in the vibrant, 33-film strong program include a music-themed retrospective, a focus on female filmmakers and the return of the popular family sidebar, Kino for Kids.

Opening the festival is director Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig's A THOUSAND LINES (Tausend Zeilen; pictured, above), a true-life drama starring Elyas M’Barek and Jonas May as journalists caught in a fake news scandal involving a disgraced Der Spiegel journalist.

The Festival Centrepiece, direct from its Berlinale world premiere, is Ilker Çatak's THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE (Das Lehrerzimmer) featuring 'Babylon Berlin' star Leonie Benesch (pictured, right) as a dedicated, idealistic teacher who is pushed to the brink when she investigates a series of thefts at her new school.

The program strand Frauen Am Werk: Focus on Female Directors showcases German and Swiss women in film with eleven films from dramas, to documentaries and comedies. Frauke Finsterwalder’s SISI & I (Sisi & Ich) is a contemporary reinterpretation of the “Sisi” myth starring Sandra Hüller; the stylish biopic INGEBORG BACHMANN - JOURNEY INTO THE DESERT (Ingeborg Bachmann – Reise in die Wüste), starring Vicki Krieps, is the latest film by the legendary Margarethe von Trotta; IN A LAND THAT NO LONGER EXISTS (In einem Land, das es nicht mehr gibt) is based on director Aelrun Goette’s own experiences as a model in the German Democratic Republic in 1989; and, Saskia Diesing’s WWII drama LOST TRANSPORT explores the unexpected friendship between three very different women of diverse backgrounds.

Anika Decker directs Elyas M’Barek and Alexandra Maria Lara in the romcom LOVE THING (Liebesdings); Barbara Kulcsar’s Swiss box office hit comedy GOLDEN YEARS (Die goldenen Jahre) follows two retirees who must face their marital problems on a cruise through the Mediterranean; Emily Atef’s seductive drama SOMEDAY WE’LL TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING (Irgendwann werden wir uns alles erzählen) follows a young woman who begins a relationship with a charismatic middle-aged farmer; and, Birgit Möller’s FRANKY FIVE STAR is a quirky dramatic comedy starring newcomer Lena Urzendowsky as a woman inhabited by four weird but lovable personalities.

Also helmed by women are the documentaries in the lineup. Eva Weber’s MERKEL (pictured, right) is the astonishing story of how a triple political outsider – a woman, a scientist, and an East German – became Germany’s first female chancellor. And Cordula Kablitz-Post's FCK 2020 – TWO AND A HALF YEARS WITH SCOOTER (FCK 2020  -Zweieinhalb Jahre mit Scooter) follows Germany's undisputed techno superstars Scooter and their eccentric front man H.P Baxxter.

Music flows through this year’s festival with the sidebar retrospective, Music, Art and Chaos: A Sonic Transmission from Berlin. B-MOVIE: LUST & SOUND IN WEST BERLIN 1979-1989, from the directing team of Jörg A. Hoppe, Heiko Lange and Klaus Maeck, fuses unreleased footage and original interviews with pioneers Mark Reeder, Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld, Nena, Joy Division and Gudrun Gut to reveal the story of life in the divided city; Muscha’s iconic film DECODER (1984) explores the disenfranchised youth culture, neon drenched visuals and urban industrial aesthetics of the early 80s; and, Klaus Maeck and Johanna Schenkel’s LIEBESLIEDER: EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN (1993) captures the renowned industrial band from 1980 to 1993 on the low-fi analogue equipment of the time.

Other centrepiece retrospective screenings include the Wim Wender’s angels-in-love classic WINGS OF DESIRE and Uli Edel’s CHRISTIANE F., remastered in 4K, starring Natja Bronckhurst as the14-year-old girl who falls into the drug scene in West Berlin in the 1970s.

Austrian Cinema presents Adrian Goiginger’s touching WWII drama THE FOX (Der Fuchs) featuring a standout performance from newcomer Simon Morzé as a member of the Austrian Army who finds friendship with a young fox cub; Dieter Berner’s ALMA AND OSKAR (Alma und Oskar) a historical romantic drama that follows the torrid love affair between Viennese grand dame Alma Mahler and expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka; and, Chris Raiber’s quirky fairytale-like Vienna-set urban love story, FIRST SNOW OF SUMMER.

The Goethe-Institut will present films especially curated for children, teens and families with their Kino for Kids for sidebar. The roster of titles includes Mark Schlichter’s ALFONS JITTERBIT – CLASS TRIP CHAOS! (Alfons Zitterbacke – Endlich Klassenfahrt!), the story of a chaotic class trip to the Baltic Sea coast; MY LIFE AS LOTTA – OKEY DOKEY ALPACA! (Mein Lotta-Leben - Alles Tschaka mit Alpaka!), Martina Plura’s family comedy that follows Lotta (Meggy Husson) on her first school trip adventure; ONE IN A MILLION, Joya Thome’s coming-of-age documentary about success and loneliness in the age of social media; Sven Unterwaldt Jr.’S SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS 2 (Die Schule der magischen Tiere 2; pictured, above), the live-action-adventure sequel that became Germany’s most popular film of 2022; and, THE ROBBER HOTZENPLOTZ (Der Räuber Hotzenplotz), Michael Krummenacher’s remake of Otfried Preußler's classic children's book.

Closing Night honours go to the female-led drama OVER & OUT, a unique take on a female friendship story. Directed by Julia Becker, it focuses on four lifelong friends who vowed to celebrate their weddings together 26 years ago but when one of them invites the others to Italy, a chaotic road trip ensues.

The 2023 GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL will take place nationally from 2 May to 24 May in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane and Byron Bay. Tickets and session details will be available at the event’s Official Website.

PREVIEW: 2023 SWANA FILM FESTIVAL

The first SWANA Film Festival, presented by Arts & Cultural Exchange (ACE) Parramatta, will comprise a 3-day festival of Southwest Asian and North African cinema screening at Riverside Theatre, Parramatta across the weekend of April 28-30, 2023.

ACE Executive Director Anne Loxley said, “The Festival is an important community-led project that showcases the diverse and important perspectives of Southwest Asian and North African voices.” SWANA Film Festival Director Hajer Al-Awsi (pictured, below) said, “The Festival aims to connect diasporic audiences to films from the region, and promises to be incredibly inclusive, featuring two LGBTQIA+ films as well as representing over five different languages.”

Established in 1984, Arts & Cultural Exchange is a Western Sydney-based community arts organisation with five program pillars: First Nations, Youth Engagement, Multicultural Women, Artists with Disability and People in Aged Care, and Screen. They advocate for social justice, the use of creativity to reverse disadvantage and the producing of ground-breaking interdisciplinary, intergenerational collaborative projects co-devised with the communities with whom we work.

These values will be central to the inaugural SWANA Film Festival, which promises to be a must-attend event for film lovers, artists, and cultural enthusiasts showcasing 20 unique films from such filmmaking centres as Iraq, Türkiye, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Armenia, and Syria. (Pictured, above; Grace, directed by Brian Patto, screening as part of the Australian SWANA Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Diaspora strand)

SWANA is a decolonial term for the region, its aim to displace the terminologies of Middle Eastern, Near Eastern, Arab World or Islamic World that have colonial, Eurocentric, and Orientalist origins and acknowledge the diversity and complexities of those communities.

The SWANA Opening Night honours went to Baghdad in My Shadow by acclaimed Swiss-Iraqi filmmaker Samir (Iraqi Odyssey, 2014). The Australian Premiere screening will be the centrepiece of the first night festivities, which will also include regional delicacies and music by DJ Nelya.  Also having its Australian Premiere at the festival is Turkish director Ümit Ünal’s story of a unique friendship, Love, Spells and All That, the acclaimed films screening with Jawahine Zantar's On My Fathger's Grave (Morocco); two films from Lebanese filmmaker Chantal Parmatian, Sandjak and Houbout; and, Ramazon Kilic's Penaber (Türkiye). 

Other program highlights include a selection of outstanding shorts from Syria to Morocco and award-winning director Eliane Raheb’s Miguel’s War (pictured, right), featuring Miguel Jleilaty as the gay Lebanese man returning home to confront the ghosts of his past. The Festival’s Closing Night will include shorts spanning Iraq, Egypt, the Emirates and Syria, and Egyptian director Ayten Amin’s coming-of-age romantic comedy/drama, Souad (pictured, top).

Audiences can attain an all-access pass, which includes entry to Sobhiya morning feast; screenings from Melbourne-based artist Sammaneh Pourshafighi; and, Andari’s Stove intimate exploration of life in a rural village in Mount Lebanon, followed by a panel discussion featuring Refugee Art Project.

Full session and ticketing information can be found at the Official Website of 2023 SWANA FILM FESTIVAL.

PREVIEW: 2022 JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL

Presented by The Japan Foundation, the 26th edition of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) will begin its 2022 rollout across Australia, launching in Canberra (5–20 November) before moving to Perth (21–27 November), Brisbane (11–27 November), Melbourne (30 November–4 December) and finishing up in Sydney (7–14 December).

The national season represents a return to the theatrical experience for both the festival organisers and patrons, after two years of committed online programming in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Since 1997, the Sydney-based Japan Foundation has presented contemporary and retrospective Japanese film screenings; in 2022, it will screen in conjunction with cultural partners NFSA, QAGOMA and ACMI via Palace Cinemas.    

Opening the festival this year across all cities is the historical drama Dreaming of the Meridian Arc (大河への道; pictured, right), a rewriting of Japanese history by director Kenji Nakanishi. Set in both present-day Japan and the Edo period, this comedy uncovers the true story behind the man who completed the first ever map of Japan. 

The Japanese sector’s grasp of intense and complex drama can be seen in such programming highlights as Keisuke Yoshida’s Intolerance (空白), an intricate portrayal of the behaviour and psychology of people caught in extreme situations; the moving exploration of the lies and secrets of a girl with a complex family upbringing in Tetsu Maeda’s And So The Baton Is Passed (そして、バトンは渡された; pictured, top); Keisuke Yoshida’s human drama, Blue (ブルー), an examination of the inner lives of boxers; and, Takahisa Zeze’s poignant murder mystery/drama, In the Wake (護られなかった者たちへ), about the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

The festival offers ‘quirky edginess’ with Hūgo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins (ベイビーわるきゅーれ), a Tarantino-esque romp about teen killers learning to cohabitate and adjust to the facade of ‘normal life’; Kōhei Yoshino’s ANIME SUPREMACY! (ハケンアニメ !), a charming slice-of-GenZ-life drama about a production outfits quest to create the next great anime; and, Masaki Tachibana’s coming-of-age animation Blue Thermal (ブルーサーマル), a refreshing college-life story about friends' growing devotion to competitive gliding. 

The line-up turns dark with Kazuya Shiraishi’s psychological thriller Lesson in Murder (死刑にいたる病; pictured, right), the story of a young man upended by a serial killer’s claim. And foodies will not want to miss Toshimichi Saitō’s mouth-watering documentary, The Pursuit of Perfection, following four elite chefs in Tokyo who work tirelessly to perfect their craft. 

A particular highlight for international cinephiles will be the JFF Special Series, a free sidebar of 35mm film screenings celebrating the master filmmaker Mikio Naruse. The four films featured in this program shine a light on Naruse’s poignant observation of the growing tension surrounding familial and societal conformities in a changing, post–war Japan - a theme that pervades the director’s remarkably crafted body of work. The rarely-seen collection includes Sound of the Mountain (山の音; 1954); Floating Clouds (浮雲; 1955), the film considered by many his masterpiece; When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (女が階段を上る時; 1960); and, Yearning (乱れる; 1964). 

Sydney audiences will also be treated to a special post-film presentation at The Chauvel Cinema on Wednesday 14 December, where Dr Mats Karlsson, Senior Lecturer at The University of Sydney, will discuss Floating Clouds in the context of Naruse’s filmography, which included a mammoth 90 films spanning 1930 to 1967.

All ticketing and session details are available at the 2022 Japanese Film Festival OFFICIAL WEBSITE. 

PREVIEW: 2022 PALESTINIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The 2022 Palestinian Film Festival joins the ranks of international film celebrations regaining its live event footing post-COVID. For the first time since 2019, Festival Director Naser Shaktour will tour the country with the eleventh program, a line-up of feature films, documentaries and retrospective screenings that highlight a filmmaking culture both intellectually and creatively at its peak.

Traversing themes of people, place and identity, this year’s Festival will roll out nationally, beginning in Sydney (2-10 Nov), then Melbourne (3-6 Nov), Brisbane (11-13 Nov), Canberra (11-13 Nov), Perth (11-13 Nov), Adelaide (18-20 Nov) and Hobart (18-20 Nov). (Pictured, above; Tara Abboud, in Amira) 

“We’re very proud to present the best of Palestinian cinema. This year’s program focuses on the power of personal storytelling in building individual and collective resilience,” said Shakhtour, Founder and Director of Cultural Media, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of Palestinian art and culture in Australia. “With award-winning films set in Palestine 1948 to present day Palestine, we have curated an engaging and unforgettable program guaranteed to inform and inspire."

Opening Night honours have been bestowed upon Jordanian filmmaker Darin J. Sallam debut feature, Farha. The story of a young girl whose dreams change from seeking education to survival in Palestine 1948, the devastating narrative about loss, dispossession and survival is a poignant and remarkable first feature that became one of the must-see titles of TIFF 2021, where it debuted in the Next Wave strand. (Pictured, right; Karam Taher, in Farha)

Other narrative features in the 2022 program include Amira, a complex thriller about a girl whose identity isn’t what she thought it was, from in-demand Egyptian director Mohamed Diab (one of the creative forces on the Disney+ MCU series, Moon Knight); Gaza Mon Amour, from brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser, a charming romantic drama about an aging fisherman and an ancient statue; and, Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon (Dear Son), a twisting and gripping drama about a Palestinian woman blackmailed into becoming an informant for Israel’s internal security service. The showpiece title of the festival is Maha Haj’s Mediterranean Fever, a darkly comic friendship drama about a depressed man and a small-time crook, which earned the Best Screenplay Award at this year’s Festival du Cannes.

Documentaries to screen at the event include Julia Bacha’s Boycott an incisive look at anti-boycott legislation in the USA that tells the inspiring story of ordinary Americans living in defiance of the shifting political landscape; Fadia’s Tree, Sarah Beddington’s inspiring, tender portrait of a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon (pictured, right); Hummus: A Story of Appropriation, the largely unknown story of the appropriation of Palestine’s treasured culinary staple, from director Lafi Abood; and, Abdallah Al-Khatib’s Little Palestine, A Diary of a Siege, a journey inside the district of Yarmouk, which homed the biggest Palestinian refugee camp in the world.

In a true declaration of the festival’s commitment to Palestinian film culture and history, this year Naser Shaktour and his team will present a 40th anniversary screening of director Kassem Hawal’s Return to Haifa (A'id ila Hayfa). The story is based on a 1969 novel by Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani, who would be assassinated in 1973. Widely regarded as Palestine’s first film, it recounts the journey of Safia (Hanan Al Haj Ali) and Saeed (Paul Mattar), who are forced to leave their baby son when they are expelled in 1948, only to return 20 years later to find their son adopted and enlisted into the Israeli army. All proceeds from the screening of Return to Haifa will be donated to the Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation.

Ticketing and session information for the 2022 Palestinian Film Festival can be found at the event’s Official Website.

1% SATIRE TRIANGLE OF SADNESS TAKES TOP CANNES HONOURS

Proving that the elite of the international film industry are a bit more self-aware than many believe, Ruben Östlund’s scathing satire on wealth and privilege Triangle of Sadness has earned the Palme d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

It is the second top honour for the Swedish director; in 2017, The Square wowed judges and audiences alike in its depiction of hubris amongst the wealthy upper class. In Triangle of Sadness, a yacht filled with models, millionaires, sycophants and trophy partners is cast adrift, forcing the survivors to reconstruct a desert-island society where money holds no power and beauty becomes the most valuable asset.  It features American star Woody Harrelson as the captain of the vessel.

Led by actor Vincent Lindon, the 2022 jury spread the love across the In Competition titles, with 10 of the eligible 21 films earning trophies. The included not one but two ties in key categories - Claire Denis’ South American-set drama Stars at Noon, with Margaret Qualley (pictured, right), and Lukas Dhont’s teenage tearjerker Close shared the Grand Prix, while Félix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s majestic yet personal drama The Eight Mountains and Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, in which a donkey experiences the best and worst of European society, both took home the Jury Prize.

Other notable winners were Iranian actress Zar Amir-Ebrahimi for her role as the journalist tracking a brutal serial killer in the festival’s most controversial film, Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider; Gina Gammell and Riley Keough, who shared the Camera d’Or honour for their Native American coming-of-age drama, War Horse; Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s teen drama The Worst Ones, which secured the prestige Un Certain Regard Award; and, the latest from acclaimed director Mia Hansen-Løve, One Fine Morning, who revisits themes of infidelity and desire in One Fine Morning, starring Léa Seydoux.

The full list of winners from the 2022 Cannes Film Festival are:       

COMPETITION
Palme d’Or: “Triangle of Sadness,” Ruben Östlund
Grand Prix — TIE: “Stars at Noon,” Claire Denis AND “Close,” Lukas Dhont
Director: Park Chan-wook, “Decision to Leave”
75th Anniversary Special Award: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, “Tori & Lokita”
Actor: Song Kang-ho, “Broker”
Actress: Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, “Holy Spider” (pictured, right)
Jury Prize — TIE: “The Eight Mountains,” Félix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch AND “EO,” Jerzy Skolimowski
Screenplay: Tarik Saleh, “Boy From Heaven”

OTHER PRIZES
Camera d’Or: “War Horse,” Gina Gammell and Riley Keough
Camera d’Or Special Mention: “Plan 75,” Hayakawa Chie
Short Films Palme d’Or:“The Water Murmurs,” Jianying Chen
Short Films Special Mention:“Lori,” Abinash Bikram Shah
Golden Eye Documentary Prize: “All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen
Queer Palm: “Joyland”

UN CERTAIN REGARD
Un Certain Regard Award: “The Worst Ones,” Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret
Jury Prize: “Joyland,” Saim Sadiq
Best Director Prize: Alexandru Belc, “Metronom”
Best Performance Prize — TIE: Vicky Krieps, “Corsage” (pictured, right) and Adam Bessa, “Harka”
Best Screenplay Prize: Maha Haj, “Mediterranean Fever”
Coup de Coeur Award: “Rodeo,” Lola Quivoron

DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
Europa Cinemas Label: “One Fine Morning,” Mia Hansen-Løve
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “The Mountain,” Thomas Salvador

CRITICS’ WEEK
Nespresso Grand Prize: “La Jauria,” Andres Ramirez Pulido
French Touch Prize: “Aftersun,” Charlotte Wells
GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Urban Distribution, “The Woodcutter Story”
Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Zelda Samson, “Love According to Dalva” (pictured, right)

CINÉFONDATION
First Prize: A Conspiracy Man,” Valerio Ferrara
Second Prize: “Somewhere,” Li Jiahe
Third Prize — TIE: “Glorious Revolution,” Masha Novikova AND “Humans Are Dumber When Crammed Up Together,” Laurène Fernandez