Having already hosted two successful Travelling Film Festivals, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is going for three out of three.
The Powerhouse is set to host a monthly film program presented by Sydney Film Festival.
For one night each month newly released films will be shown , all in the comfort of Casula Powerhouse’s theatre.
Each film will be paired with a decadent meal prepared by the Bellbird Café.
Save the dates and enjoy local and international cinematic masterpieces.
Five Sydney Film Festival films will screen over this weekend, June 5 to 7, expanding the festival’s geographic presence to Liverpool.
Friday, June 5, 6pm meal, 7:30pm film: Slow West.
World Cinema Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance, this unconventional western is both thrilling and romantic.
Aristocratic 16-year-old Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is desperate to be reunited with the woman he loves, Rose, and travels from Scotland to Colorado to find her.
Unprepared for the dangers of the frontier, he teams up with the Wily Silas (Michael Fassbender) who agrees to protect him – for a fee.
Their quest soon attracts the attention of Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) and his posse of outlaws, and so begins a race to reach Rose.
Unflinching in its depiction of the violence of the era, Slow West is also extremely humorous and drenched in unforgettable imagery.
The debut feature of John Maclean features great performances, and like any great western, a breath-taking shootout.
Saturday, June 6, 2pm, Kids Animation Showcase:
A special selection of animated short films chosen for a discerning young audience. Expect lots of clever animals, plenty of laughs and the odd scary moment for good measure!
6pm meal, 7:30pm film: Strangerland:
Kim Farrant’s striking feature debut marks Nicole Kidman’s welcome return to Australian independent cinema with a fearless performance of deep vulnerability and emotion.
Soon after the Parkers move to the remote desert town of Nathgari, the teenage children of Catherine (Kidman) and Matthew (Joseph Fiennes) mysteriously disappear.
With Nathgari eerily smothered in red dust and darkness, the townsfolk join the search led by a local cop, David Rae (Hugo Weaving).
As temperatures rise and the chances of survival plummet with each passing day, Catherine and Matthew find themselves pushed to the brink. Farrant brilliantly ratchets up the tension, and gradually dark secrets are revealed.
The outback here functions as a beautiful but dangerous force, as important as the characters.
A fresh addition to a long tradition of films set in remote Australia, Strangerland is distinct in its compelling depiction of female sexuality.
Says Farrant:
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]”Strangerland examines how people react in times of crisis and how our deep fear of the unknown and our abhorrence of feeling pain can push us over the edge emotionally, psychologically and physically … especially sexually.”[/social_quote]
Sunday, June 7, 2pm The Crow’s Egg:
Dubbed the next Slumdog Millionaire, this funny and charming film from South India is a crowd-pleaser for young and old alike.
Two mischievous and resourceful brothers live in poverty in a Chennai slum but find joy in each other and their family and friends.
When the brothers see an advertisement for pizza, which coincides with the opening of a nearby pizza shop, they are determined to taste this magical food for the very first time.
So begins a great adventure, with triumphs and setbacks, as the industrious brothers try to raise the cash to fund their wish.
With delightful performances and a vibrant energy, The Crow’s Egg is both a simple fable and a poignant reflection on globalisation and aspiration.
Suitable for ages 8 and up.
7pm Riz:
Riz lives in Western Sydney with a group of his working-class mates.
He is secretly dating the middle-class Kylie and keeping her in the dark about his home life.
It all comes to a head on Riz’s 18th birthday, when his deception threatens to tear Riz’s relationships apart.
Riz has a cast of newcomers and its crew was made up of Western suburbs youth who developed their skills on the film.
Written and directed by S. Shakthidharan and Guido Gonzalez, it was inspired by the life of Gonzalez, who came to Australia from Chile as a child refugee.
It is an examination of class in Sydney, a character study of a young man trying to belong to two worlds and a multicultural Australia not often seen on our screens.
