The 71st Sydney Film Festival programme is here – featuring a line-up including ‘Kinds Of Kindness’ starring Emma Stone, ‘All We Imagine As Light’, ‘Kid Snow’, ‘The Convert’ with Guy Pearce, ‘The Bikeriders’ starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, and more.
“The 71st Sydney Film Festival unfurls a canvas of bold narratives and remarkable visions, mirroring the evolving dynamics of our world,” Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley says. “This year, we are proud to present films that challenge, entertain, and provoke dialogue, from the sweeping landscapes of Australian dramas to the complex human stories from global cinema.”
“The 2024 selection reinforces our commitment to fostering a diverse cinematic experience, spotlighting works that engage with pressing social issues, personal stories, and transformative historical moments,” he says. “These films invite the audience to journey through myriad cultures and experiences, reflecting the rich complexity of the human condition.”
“We invite everyone to join us in exploring this year’s exceptional films, participate in vibrant discussions at The Hub, and share in the joy of cinema that unites us all.”
The 2024 festival will present 197 films from 69 countries, including 28 world premieres and 133 Australian premieres. There are 92 narrative feature films, and 54 documentaries.
Opening the proceedings will be ‘Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line’. Featuring unheard interviews with every band member, unseen live and studio footage. Director Paul Clarke and Midnight Oil members will attend opening night.
For the 16th year, the Official Competition will award the $60,000 cash Sydney Film Prize to a film demonstrating audacious, cutting-edge and courageous cinema.
Direct from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival competition is ‘Kinds Of Kindness’, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe, from Yorgos Lanthimos. . . ‘Grand Tour’ from Miguel Gomes about a romantic pursuit across Asia. . . Christophe Honore’s ‘Marcello Mio’, and Payal Kapadia’s romantic drama ‘All We Imagine As Light’.
Also straight from Cannes is acclaimed actor Ariane Labed’s directorial debut ‘September Says’, and Cannes Un Certain Regard contender ‘Việt And Nam’.
Internationally awarded films include Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear-winning ‘Dying’, a multi-generational epic about a conductor and his turbulent family; and Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner ‘Sujo’, following a cartel-born child from infancy to manhood.
There’ll be a collection of special presentations at The State Theatre this year, featuring ‘The Bikeriders’, ‘Lee’, ‘My Old Ass’, and ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Plus, fresh from screenings at Sundance and Berlinale, ‘The Outrun’, and a highlight of the 2024 Berlinale competition ‘A Different Man’.
Features screening as part of Sydney Film Festival include ‘He Ain’t Heavy’, ‘In Vitro’ from Will Howarth and Tom McKeith, ‘All Shall Be Well’ from Ray Yeung, ‘I Saw The TV Glow’ from Jane Schoenbrun, Julio Torres’ ‘Problemista’, Ian Gabriel’s ‘Death Of A Whistleblower’ and more.
Sydney Film Festival will also this year launch the inaugural First Nations Award, establishing the world’s largest cash prize in global Indigenous filmmaking: $35,000.
Line-up programmes include Family Films, Freak Me Out, Screenability, Flux: Art + Film, Nancy Savoca: True Love Stories, and Classics Restored.
“The Sydney Film Festival is an important moment in our city’s cultural calendar. One of the reasons the festival continues to go from strength to strength is the power of going to the cinema – coming together in a shared experience of escaping day to day life, sitting down in a theatre, and looking into this kaleidoscope of human stories,” Minister For The Arts John Graham says.
“There’s something special about sharing that experience with hundreds other people that I believe will keep this festival going for another 71 years.”
Check out the full programme.
Sydney Film Festival is on from 5-16 June.
