The Sydney Film Festival has just unveiled a preview of 17 innovative films and events that will grace the silver screens from June 5 to June 16, 2024. Weeks before the full program announcement on May 8, festivalgoers are being teased with a collection of both profound and peculiar cinematic experiences curated by Festival Director Nashen Moodley.
The sneak peek into the 71st edition of the festival includes two world premieres of Australian films: the anticipated sci-fi mystery thriller “In Vitro,” featuring Succession’s Ashley Zukerman, and “The Pool,” a cinematic portrait of the celebrated Bondi Icebergs. These films share a common thread of resilience, according to Moodley, pointing to a robust festival program filled with discovery and insight.
Highlights from the First Film Drop at Sydney Film Festival 2024
Features:
- Explanation for Everything: A thought-provoking Hungarian satire that touches on culture wars, encapsulating the accidental rise of a student as a right-wing icon.
- Green Border: Heavyweight filmmaker Agnieszka Holland returns with a refugee thriller that has already made waves in Poland and set a box office record.
- Hear My Eyes: Hellraiser: A unique film and live music event fuse Hieroglyphic Being’s live re-score of the horror classic with an immersive laser-art show.
- House of the Seasons: A heartwarming family saga set in a Korean tofu factory, which stood out at the Busan International Film Festival.
- In Vitro: A gripping tale of biotechnological experiments on a remote cattle farm, foreshadowing a future laden with ecological disasters.
- La Cocina: A New York restaurant lunch rush provides the setting for an intense comedic drama starring Rooney Mara.
- The Monk and The Gun: An Oscar-nominated director captures the humor and suspense in rural Bhutan amidst the country’s first democratic election.
- The Mountain: Actor Rachel House’s directorial debut takes viewers on an adventurous journey through New Zealand, promising friendship and healing.
- Pepe: Delve into the ‘true-ish’ escapades of Pepe the hippo, who finds freedom outside Pablo Escobar’s private zoo.
- The Rye Horn: A captivating tale of a rural Spanish midwife portrayed against a backdrop of solidarity amidst a community’s scrutiny.
- Sex: Two chimneysweeps reevaluate their sexuality after one’s surprising encounter, leading to quirky and candid conversations.
- Suspended Time: Olivier Assayas offers a semi-autobiographical take on life during COVID-19, weaving love, art, and memory into a single narrative.
Documentaries:
- The Battle for Laikipia: This powerful piece chronicles the clash of herders, landholders, and conservationists in a Kenyan region fraught with tension.
- The Contestant: The true story of a TV contestant’s strange and long broadcast without his knowledge on Japanese TV.
- COPA ’71: A documentary that revisits the overlooked 1971 Women’s Soccer World Cup and the systemic sexism in sport.
- Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros: Frederick Wiseman documents the fascinating world of a French Michelin-starred eatery transitioning through generations.
- The Pool: Ian Darling’s picturesque and meditative exploration of the famed Bondi Icebergs pool and its vibrant community.
As the film industry and fans alike anticipate the full program reveal, this first batch of films sets a high bar for the diversity and artistic pedigree due to be showcased. The festival is also expected to serve as a platform for stirring conversations and memorable encounters with film directors and actors.
Key international prize-winners such as “The Rye Horn,” winner of the Golden Shell at San Sebastián, and Venice Film Festival Special Jury Prize recipient “Green Border,” reflect the festival’s global scope. These are complemented by works like “Explanation for Everything,” which depicts the personal becoming political, and the unconventional narrative of “Pepe,” narrated by the hippo himself, highlighting the festival’s penchant for unique storytelling.
A note of local pride can be seen with heavyweight Australian filmmaking talent presenting their world premieres, promising audiences a taste of both cutting-edge genre thrills and insightful documentary storytelling.
As the festival gears up for its 71st year, Sydney is set to become a vibrant hub of culturally rich and conversation-starting cinema, putting the spotlight on both seasoned filmmakers and emerging new voices. With a slate that challenges, entertains, and opens up dialogue, the Sydney Film Festival continues to reaffirm its place as a beacon of cinematic discovery.
