YOUR GUIDE TO ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL
Adelaide Film Festival is one of the world’s most prestigious. Here are just some of the international, national and locally-made films to add to your must-watch list...
THE ROYAL HOTEL – OPENING GALA
Adelaide Film Festival kicks off with an opening gala and screening of director Kitty Green’s The Royal Hotel, featuring Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna), Jessica Henwick and Hugo Weaving. ‘Two backpackers take on outback culture’ in this adventure-thriller that follows best friends Hanna and Liv when they take a live-in job at a rural pub. Before long, an ‘unnerving situation’ spirals out of control... Both Weaving and Green will be in attendance at the glamorous gala event. You can also catch The Royal Hotel showing throughout AFF.
October 18 | Piccadilly Cinema
TALK: QUEERNESS IN AUSTRALIAN CINEMA
Join directors Goran Stolevski (Housekeeping for Beginners), Raghuvir Joshi (Sahela) and Gabriel Carruba (Sunflower) for a discussion on their films showcasing as part of this year’s AFF program. The free event will explore the queer stories featured throughout their works and the wider Australian cinema scene. Joining the trio of directors will be UniSA lecturer and Feast Festival programmer, Jess Pacella.
October 20 | Palace Nova Eastend
THE SWEET EAST
Embark on a 104-minute ‘psychedelic road trip through America’s countercultures’ with The Sweet East, the directorial debut of Sean Price Williams that received mass praise at Cannes Film Festival. Shot on 16mm, the film follows the story of Lilian (Talia Ryder), a high-schooler who leaves a Washington excursion and finds herself encountering colourful characters – played by Simon Rex (Red Rocket, Scary Movie) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) – from ‘America’s fractious underbelly’. A satirical view on contemporary America.
October 22 & 26 | Palace Nova Eastend
HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS
Showcasing as an Australian premiere, Housekeeping for Beginners takes place in North Macedonia, where a ‘motley crew of queer people’ finds company in the home of protagonist Dita (Anamaria Marinca). When her girlfriend becomes terminally ill, Dita promises to raise her partner’s two children. However, due to the country’s stance on same-sex relationships, Dita finds herself having to marry the next available man. Directed by Macedonian-Australian Goran Stolevski, Housekeeping for Beginners is an illuminating piece underpinned by family, politics and social injustice.
October 21 | Piccadilly Cinema | October 26 | Palace Nova Eastend
CLUB ZERO
Award-winning director and co-writer Jessica Hausner explores behaviour, control and the wellness industry in new dark-comedy meets psychological thriller, Club Zero. Starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, In Treatment), the film delves into the world of cult mentality and eating disorders that arise at an elite boarding school following the introduction of the ‘conscious eating concept’. It’s all delivered in an insightful yet satirical and deadpan manner.
October 19 | Palace Nova Eastend
UPROAR
Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) stars in a coming-of-age dramedy of a teenage boy’s discovery of his place in the world. Set in the 1980s, Josh (Dennison) is the only Māori boy at his ‘rugby-obsessed private school’, and he’d rather stand on the sidelines than play. However, the stage is where our main character gains confidence, and, after joining the school drama club, Josh grapples with his cultural identity and community activism. A heartfelt, funny and important piece.
October 22 | Capri Theatre | October 28 | Piccadilly Cinema
POOR THINGS
Awarded the Golden Lion prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival, Poor Things follows the story of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a woman brought back to life by unorthodox scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Keen to learn about the world around her, Bella escapes Dr. Godwin’s supervision and runs away with lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) for a cross-continent jaunt. It’s here that filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos explores themes of agency and liberation.
October 19 & 27 | Capri Theatre
MADE IN SA
AFF’s Made in SA showcases the depth and breadth of our state-based creativity through seven short films. No genre is left untouched, with the program cutting a ‘vibrant cross-section’ of South Australia’s film scene. Old-school romantic cinema, AI-focused sci-fi explorations and a film on the fantastical manifestation of anxiety are just some of the shorts screening at the Palace Nova Eastend or Odeon Star Semaphore events.
October 23 | Palace Nova Eastend | October 28 | Odeon Star Semaphore
FIRST NATIONS FIRST FILMS
See the exciting premiere of three debut works from rising First Nations film talent. Showcased films include Black Time, White Time, a story that follows a tech-savvy teen connecting with her deaf Aunty through learning Auslan; Tambo, a piece that examines the identity, choices and future of a First Nations solider returning from Gallipoli; and The Getaway, which follows what happens when a young Aboriginal man accidentally unleashes a vengeful spiritual protector. Mingle, network and learn more about opportunities with the upcoming SAFC First Nations short film initiative.
PETER DOHERTY: STRANGER IN MY OWN SKIN
At the helm of The Libertines, singer Peter Doherty had the world at his fingers... Shot over ten years, on the road, backstage and at home, Stranger In My Own Skin examines Doherty as he grapples with drug addiction at the peak of his fame. However, the unflinching documentary is captured from the position of love, filmed by the frontman’s partner Katia de Vidas. A confronting and illuminating view on addiction and recovery.
October 20 | Palace Nova Eastend | October 27 | Odeon Star Semaphore
