The 60th Sydney Film Festival program — that's a lot of film festivals — was officially launched today by NSW Arts Minister George Souris and festival director Nashen Moodley.
"Opening with the world premiere of a landmark Australian film, Ivan Sen's Mystery Road, is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate just how far both the festival and the Australian film industry have come since 1954," Moodley rightly boasted. "Confident, mature, world class and compelling — these are words that describe both this wonderful film and this extraordinary festival.
"Our 2013 program has more screenings of more films from more countries in more venues than even our record-breaking 2012 festival. We cover all tastes in film, with the peak best represented by our Official Competition films, made by some exciting new talents as well as masters of the form. Beyond the competition, feature and documentary programs, the 60th Sydney Film Festival features a focus on Austrian cinema, the best of British noir, a good splattering of horror and some downright weird works that are bound to become future cult classics."
Naturally, this year's program expands on previous efforts, with an additional 38,000 seats set to go on sale. Sydney's North Shore residents, in particular, will find the festival much more accessible this year, with 23 screenings planned for the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne.
In total, the program features 190 titles (19 world premieres, 5 international premieres, and 122 Australian premieres) from 55 countries at the State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Opera Quays, Art Gallery of NSW and the aforementioned Hayden Orpheum Cremorne. The Apple Store Sydney will host a selection of free talks, Martin Place will host a free giant outdoor screen showing SFF highlights, and Grasshopper will continue as the official festival lounge.
We know what you're thinking, though — that's all well and good, but are there any Ryan Gosling movies at this thing? Yes. They've got Gosling. And what a Gosling — Only God Forgives, one of 12 elite films screening in competition, teams The Gos with director Nicolas Winding Refn for the first time since Drive.
Other highlights include two major Australian productions — Mystery Road, an outback murder mystery starring Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Jack Thompson, Ryan Kwanten and Tasma Walton; and Nerve, a Sydney-based production featuring Gary Sweet, Christian Clark, Georgina Haig and Cameron Daddo — as well as the world premiere of William Yang: My Generation, music doco The Sunnyboy, nature doco Nothing On Earth, and a stunning digital restoration of Wrong Side Of The Road, Ned Lander's 1981 feature based on the real lives of bands Us Mob and No Fixed Address.
For more info, head to sff.org.au.
