In dedication to celebrated actor and composer Ryuichi Sakomoto (The Revenant, The Last Emperor), who passed away this year, join us for a special 40th anniversary screening of Nagisa Oshima’s 1983 Palme d’Or-nominated portrait of resilience, pride, and friendship. Starring David Bowie in one of his greatest roles, alongside SWIFF Festival Patron Jack Thompson, Tom …
From acclaimed director Jolyon Hoff (SWIFF Live: Surfing Soundwaves, SWIFF’22 – The Staging Post, SWIFF’18) comes a deeply touching journey of self-discovery, identity, and connection through the eyes of Afghan refugee, Muzafar Ali. Muzafar, a father, husband, and photographer living in Rural Australia discovers the rich history of cameleers in Australia, stretching back 160 years. …
The lives of two strangers are changed forever when they cross paths on the surfing adventure of a lifetime, discovering love, downshifting and four charismatic Chilean horses. Ecologist Matty Hannon heads out on an incredible solo adventure, from the top of Alaska to the tip of Patagonia. But the joy of travel lies in twists …
Rod O’Hara bought Bellingen Video Connection in 2018 when video stores were already considered to be on the way out – if not already dead. Now, years later, against all the odds, and after facing many personal setbacks, Rod and the local community have kept this iconic local business and bastion for lovers of television, …
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“The time for pacifism is gone” Ningla-a-na is the only film shot from inside the heart of Australia’s landmark 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy protest. Now, digitally restored and remastered for the film’s 50th anniversary, “Australia’s greatest ever protest movie” (The Guardian) spurs a conversation about what has changed in the last half century. Sparked by …
Ambitious and experimental, sci-fi musical Neptune Frost is a radical, afro-futurist vision of anti-colonialism from slam poet and musician Saul Williams. A hacktivist group working from the hills of Burundi are attempting to take down the oppressive authoritarian regime exploiting the region’s people and resources. When an escaped Coltan miner and intersex outcast join forces, …
An immersive, genre-defying, cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie’s creative and musical journey, five years in the making and featuring never-before-seen footage. Narrated via archival audio, by Bowie himself, Moonage Daydream ricochets from the familiar (clips from the final Ziggy Stardust performance in the ’70s, restored to astonishing new life) to the thrillingly obscure (Bowie’s experimental …
A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners. Marcel (Jenny Slate) is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colourful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now …
Psychedelic spirals and hypnotic escalations in this daring Cannes short, as a woman records her anxiety attack, ruminating on home and the perception of memory as she becomes more entangled within a labyrinth of conscious and subconscious fear. Actors Charlotte Gainsbourg, also in The Passengers of the Night (SWIFF’23), Béatrice Dalle, and Australia’s Abbey Lee, …
Two competitive, young street dancers train for a life-changing dance comp in this remarkable peak into the underground Sydney street dance scene. Patricia, Romanian-born and hanging out for a visa, is a break-dancer. Gabi, of Chilean-Samoan heritage, pops with power. Both hope a win at Australia’s largest dance comp, Destructive Steps, will be the platform …