Back for its 26th year, Revelation Perth International Film Festival has shared the programme for its five-day celebration of independent and global film.
Set to return to Leederville's Luna Cinemas (12-16 July), this year's event presents a jam-packed programme offering the best in local and international cinema boasting 17 documentaries, 16 features films, a special event presentation around experimental film, the annual Industrial Revelations industry events comprising talks and workshops, a free family animation showcase, and much more."From opening with a new work from one of our favourite local filmmakers to premieres of a tonne of locally produced short and feature films," Festival Director Richard Sowada says, "this year's showcase of new indie films demonstrates the blossoming of the sector post-Covid."
At the head of the international features contingent is US crime drama 'Devil's Peak', directed by Perth native and Revelation Ambassador Ben Young ('Hounds Of Love', 'Extinction'), which receives its Australian premiere at Revelation (12 July).
Set in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains, this screen adaptation of David Joy's novel, 'Where All Light Tends To Go', stars Billy Bob Thornton, Robin Wright, Hooper Penn, and Emma Booth.
Other international picks in this year's programme include 'The Integrity Of Joseph Chambers' written and directed by Robert Machoian ('The Killing Of Two Lovers'); 'Unidentified Objects', 'Mammalian', and 'How To Blow Up Pipeline'.
An interesting inclusion on the Revelation programme is that of a controversial trans coming of age comedy, billed only as 'An Untitled' and 'Perfectly Legal Coming Of Age Paraody Film', called as such by filmmakers owing to some outstanding legal issues. Regardless, organisers promise this insertion to be one of the most talked about films of the season.
Short documentaries offer a smorgasbord of content from thriller to music. The dark yet engaging 'Citizen Sleuth' examines the ethics of the true crime genre and how the power of narrative affects truth and community, while 'Werner Herzog Radical Dreamer', a documentary on the iconic director, offers extraordinary anecdotes about his filmmaking process.
As for representation at Revelation from homegrown talent, this year sees the Australian premiere of micro-budget bromance hit 'Frank And Frank', from Albany writer/ director Adam Morris ('Edward And Isabella').
While metafictional comic odyssey 'Paco' shines a spotlight on absurdist and surreal filmmaking.
Additionally, a portrait of a life in film comes by way of 'Show Me The Magic: The Adventures Of Don McApline', directed by Cathy Henkel (who will also present a masterclass in documentary filmmaking) weaving together nine years of Don's work on such films as 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' through a combination of personal and archival material.
Experimental shorts make a return in 2023, with Revelation offering a sidebar named 'Horror Shorts – From The Gothics To The Ghostly To The Grotesque And The Gross'.
Meanwhile, Westralia Day at The Backlot (15 July) shines a light on local talent, while the ever-popular 'Get Your Shorts On!' segment featuring Western Australia's emerging filmmaker talent closes out the festival.
Tickets are on sale. Check out the complete 2023 programme.
The 26th annual Revelation Perth International Film Festival takes place at Luna Cinemas (Perth) 12-16 July.
