2021 Program
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2021 PROGRAM MELBOURNE // 16 APRIL — 1 MAY SYDNEY FANTASTICFILMFESTIVAL.COM.AU WELCOME Home to trendsetters, truth talkers, trailer blazers and loose wires, Fantastic Film Festival Australia is an event dedicated to showcasing the world’s most daring works from filmmakers with innovative and Lido Cinemas The home of FFFA in Melbourne unique perspectives. These films look both inwards and outwards to present vivid visions of our reality, A Hawthorn movie palace dedicated to the weird and wonderful. challenge cinematic convention, and offer a critical lens 675 GLENFERRIE ROAD, HAWTHORN | (03) 8658 0000 | LIDOCINEMAS.COM.AU through which to view our past, present and future. Suited for provocateurs, adrenaline junkies, cinephiles, and everyone in between, our 2021 line-up is packed full of films to scratch every cinematic itch. This is an energetic program that will inspire unpredictable and revelatory journeys into uncharted territories. Join us to celebrate extraordinary creations that offer passion, imagination and pure cinematic joy you won’t find anywhere else. HUDSON SOWADA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Ritz Cinemas The home of FFFA in Sydney Puttin’ on fantastic films since 1937. 45 ST PAULS STREET, RANDWICK | (02) 8324 2500 | RITZCINEMAS.COM.AU FIND US fantasticfilmfestival.com.au @fantasticfilmfestaus @fantasticfilmfestaus FESTIVAL TEAM CONTENTS Films (in alphabetical order) ...................................................06 Artistic Director Hudson Sowada Short Films ......................................................................................27 Executive Director Lindy Tamir Events ................................................................................................28 Catalyst Eddie Tamir Session Times .............................................................................. 29 Creative Assistant & Shorts Programmer Zac Hellyer Festival & Marketing Manager Erin Rosenberg Tickets & Venues .........................................................................30 Festival Assistant Rachel Bostock Code of Conduct .........................................................................30 Publicity Original Spin Design Ryan Beasley Web Development Chook Trailer Hudson Sowada Materials & Conversion Jorr SPECIAL THANKS Emily Milledge Richard & Coco Sowada The Lido and Ritz Cinemas teams Jessa Shields We’re grateful for the inspiration and support from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s Fantastic Fest. Fantastic Film Festival Australia has received a classification exemption from the Classification Board. Unless stated otherwise on the website, all screenings are restricted to patrons aged 18 and over. 5 VIC/NSW PREMIERE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE AKILLA’S ESCAPE BEAST CLAWING AT STRAWS JIPURAGIRADO JABGO SIPEUN JIBSEUNGDEUL From a young age, Akilla’s life has been dictated by CANADA • 2021 • 90 MIN “Beasts Clawing at Straws looks like it has SOUTH KOREA • 2020 • 109 MIN the seemingly inescapable pull of crime and violence. DIRECTOR CHARLES OFFICER it all.” — UK FILM REVIEW DIRECTOR KIM YONG-HOON Thrown into drug-running young, he’s worked his way LANGUAGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE KOREAN into managing his own cannabis operation. With his (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) SESSIONS LIDO CINEMAS Hands pass over a Louis Vuitton bag of money as profession soon to become legally legitimate, there at SUN 18 APRIL 9:00PM violence follows close behind. A cleaner who comes SESSIONS LIDO CINEMAS last seems to be an exit. But when a run-of-the-mill drug MON 26 APRIL, 9:00PM WED 21 APRIL, 6:30PM into possession of the cache becomes entwined in a SAT 1 MAY, 6:30PM drop goes haywire and a violent robbery breaks out, all RITZ CINEMAS twisting narrative well beyond his imagination. SUN 18 APRIL, 9:00PM RITZ CINEMAS of Akilla’s years in crime are tested along with whatever MON 26 APRIL, 9:00PM Yong-hoon Kim directs and writes his debut film based THU 22 APRIL, 6:30PM humanity he has managed to keep intact. With money on the novel from Keisuke Sone with a precision and missing, debts to be paid and a young teenage thief confidence that propels him into the auteur discussion. held captive, Akilla has to confront not only those 2020 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM WINNER SPECIAL JURY PRIZE 2020 FESTIVAL The Cannes award-winning best-actress Jeon Do-Yeon INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL responsible but his own traumatic past. ROTTERDAM, 2020 BUSAN shines among a brilliant cast to anchor this money- INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL This neo-noir captures a crushing cycle of crime grabbing epic. The film balances a Coen Brothers spanning generations. Charles Officer crafts an comedic thriller style, drama, and non-linear storytelling entertaining, stylistic and affectionate narrative with swagger and finesse. that oozes confidence, driven by a thumping and Questions are raised about where our faith lies, and electrifying soundtrack composed in collaboration who we pick as our heroes and villains. As the audience, with Massive Attack’s 3D. Actor, poet and musician we attempt to locate ourselves within this wild affair Saul Williams’ stoic lead performance is controlled and of blades, monsters tattoos and saunas. Can we make effortless, a dead ringer of Alain Delon in Le Samouraï. moral sense of this chaotic cacophony of human filth The combined effect is a film overflowing with aesthetic and fantasy? and political substance. 6 7 GALA SCREENING VIC/NSW PREMIERE 2K DIGITAL RESTORATION VIC/NSW PREMIERE BLOODSHOT HEART COME AND SEE IDI I SMOTRI “ A rich minestrone stew of AUSTRALIA • 2020 • 90 MIN “I have rarely seen a film more ruthless in its RUSSIA • 1985 • 142 MIN cinephilic allusions.” – SCREEN HUB DIRECTOR PARISH MALFITANO depiction of human evil.” — ROGER EBERT DIRECTOR ELEM KLIMOV LANGUAGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE RUSSIAN, BELARUSIAN, GERMAN At 44, Hans still lives with his mother and makes SESSIONS LIDO CINEMAS “One of the best things I’ve ever seen.” (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) ends meet as a driving instructor. He’s plagued by SUN 25 APRIL, 6:30PM — STEVEN SODERBERGH WED 28 APRIL, 6:30PM SESSIONS LIDO CINEMAS visions of a lost love which begin to derail his grip on SAT 24 APRIL, 5:00PM reality. When Matilda, a tenant half his age, moves RITZ CINEMAS Fear of the void. The dark consciousness of human FRI 23 APRIL, 6:30PM RITZ CINEMAS in, deeply repressed feelings emerge within Hans. TUE 27 APRIL, 8:40PM brutality. Russian filmmaker Elem Klimov presents this SAT 24 APRIL, 4:00PM Tension emerge between Hans and his mother as THU 29 APRIL, 8:40PM hallucinogenic horror in a newly restored form. The their relationship is revealed to be not quite what it events of 1943, as the Nazis marched through Belarus, seems. Meanwhile, it appears that Matilda is harbouring are reimagined through the eyes of a naive boy, WINNER BEST RESTORED FILM 2017 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL, WINNER dangerous secrets of her own. Driven by his manic bewildered by the honour of defending his country. The FIPRESCI PRIZE 1985 MOSCOW obsession, Hans hatches the perfect plan to win torture of war seeps into his skin rotting the core of any INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Matilda’s heart. sense of romanticism in victory, violence or nationalism. Filled with luscious colour and stunning surreal This groundbreaking work is a dizzying achievement flourishes, Bloodshot Heart is a thrilling new piece of in cinematography and sound design, led by a pulsing Australian genre cinema. It announces exciting new soundtrack by Oleg Yanchenko. Unrelenting and talent from director Parish Malfitano, supported by an precise, Come and See is a timeless masterpiece of electric performance by prolific producer-turned-actor horror and anti-war cinema. Richard James Allen. Screens with live cast and crew Q&A. 8 9 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE GET THE HELL OUT A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX TAO CHU LI FA YUAN “Get the Hell Out is the sort of giddy big- TAIWAN • 2020 • 96 MIN “A mind-blowing dive into simulation theory.” USA • 2021 • 110 MIN screen experience that’s ideal for late-night DIRECTOR I-FAN WANG - THE GUARDIAN DIRECTOR RODNEY ASCHER festival screenings.” — SCREENDAILY LANGUAGE MANDARIN LANGUAGE ENGLISH (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) Are we living in a simulation? Is the world around us SESSIONS LIDO CINEMAS Taiwanese parliament quickly escalates from hurling SESSIONS LIDO CINEMAS fabricated? Where does virtual reality stop and the THU 22 APRIL, 6:30PM insults to literal fist-fights regularly on the legislature FRI 23 APRIL, 8:40PM real world begin? These questions, consolidated WED 28 APRIL, 8:30PM RITZ CINEMAS through simulation theory, have existed on the fringes RITZ CINEMAS floor. Despite Hsiung excelling in martial arts she is THU 22 APRIL, 8:30PM TUE 20 APRIL 9:15PM kicked out of government by her corrupt, sexist peers. FRI 30 APRIL, 6:30PM of popular culture and have been building momentum TUE 27 APRIL, 6:30PM She resorts to using Wang, a deadbeat security guard, for years. From Plato’s cave to Elon Musk’s Twitter feed, as a puppet for her political endeavours. But as Wang’s this documentary presents a staggering synthesis campaign gains traction a deadly virus turns politicians 2020 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM of perspectives that capture a poignant 21st century 2021 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FESTIVAL into flesh-hungry zombies. existential crisis. With his debut feature, I-Fan Wang exhibits a chaotic As demonstrated in his previous film, Room 237, gonzo enthusiasm that doesn’t let up off the brakes. acclaimed director Rodney Ascher is no stranger With political satire at its core, this gore-horror kung fu to left-field ideas. He uses voices on the fringes