Sydney Film Fest: 1954 to Now

By Niall Roeder

From June 3 there’ll be lights, cameras and action around our fair city, as the Sydney Film Festival rolls into town. This historical event has come a long way since its beginnings in 1954 and is once again set to captivate movie buffs and the general public alike.

For the last 60 years (yep, 60 years!) Sydney Film Fest has been showcasing films in multiple venues in the city centre and has included features, short films, documentaries, retrospectives, family films and animations.

“The first Sydney Film Festival opened on June 11, 1954, on a cold winter’s night. It was screened in four halls over four days on borrowed projectors, offering 1200 tickets at one guinea each, and sold out.” – Tina Kaufman, “Looking Back, Looking Forward: Sydney Film Festival At 60”

In 2007 the festival changed to a competitive format, rewarding “new directions in film” and since, interest from both film makers and aficionados has continued to grow. There are high expectations for many of the international and local films on display this year. We’ve put together the following shortlist of must-sees:

Amy – From the director of Senna, comes the tragic tale of Amy Winehouse, with previously unseen footage and interviews with the vocalist’s family, friends and former husband. A heart breaking insight into the life the exceptionally talented and tormented singer.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – A touching comedy dealing with death, companionship and film-making. This has already taken out the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Very high expectations for this one – will it take out the Sydney Film Prize?

Tangerine – This film was… wait for it… shot entirely on iPhone 5s. Remarkable. Tangerine looks into L.A’s underbelly, following two transgender sex workers on a hilarious and confronting adventure.

Strangerland – Representing Australian independent cinema with a stellar cast (Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Michael Fassbender, Joseph Fiennes), Strangerland is an intense thriller set in the outback. It follows the search of Kidman’s missing children in a remote and mysterious desert town.

These sure-to-be excellent films are being shown on the silver screen at the historical State Theatre (except Amy). Sydney Film Festival venue partner, QT Sydney, is situated right next door and is the perfect place to stopover and complete a romantic night of cinematic indulgence.