Events for week of July 4, 2022

Directed by Jan Bubenicek and Denisa Grimmova. A film about two mortal enemies - a little mouse Whizzy and Whitebelly the fox, who after an unfortunate accident, meet in animal heaven where they lose their natural instincts and become best friends. 

A specially curated collection of international short animations that are perfect for all ages – including those who have never been to the movies before. These wonderful films come from the four corners of the globe from Singapore to Portugal, to New Zealand to the UK. Experience some lovely work in the universal language of animation.

Directed by Abed Abest. A visually stunning narrative from Iran, a truly powerful exploration of war, family, and crime, for anyone interested in the possibilities of cinema this is essential viewing.

Join us at the REV Opening Night 2022!

Directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes. Wellness and self-care influencer Cecilia runs into her former best friend Emma at the supermarket, rapidly reigniting their friendship. And then Cecilia goes to Emma’s bachelorette weekend… where she meets her former school bully. What follows is an astute, smart, and occasionally jaw-dropping, horror-thriller about remote locations, youthful transgressions, and influencers…

Directed by Courtney Stephens. Using archive footage and home movies, Terra Femme examines the history and experiences of women travellers.

An after-film talk with co-director/writer/lead actor Hannah Barlow, co-director/writer Kane Senes, producer Lisa Shaunessy and executive producer Alexandra Burke, and cast member Emily De Margheriti (WAAPA graduate). Hosted by Richard Sowada.

An after-film talk with director Riley Sugars, producer Anthony Littlechild, and executive producer Darren Collinson, hosted by Richard Sowada

Directed by Maxence Vassilyevitch. Radiation from the sun has forced people into shelters during the day, escaping certain death. But what is happening to humanity, and what possibilities are there in this strange post-apocalyptic world?

Directed by Dan Mirvish. It’s 1974 and a White House transcriber has a copy of missing 18 1/2 minutes of Nixon tapes, but what can she do with them and what secrets do they hold?

Directed by Tim Mummery. In Namarali, filmmaker Tim Mummery follows artist Donny (Yorna) Woolagoodja as he pursues his connections to culture and the Wandjina – creator beings – whose images can be seen in caves and rock ledges in the Kimberly.

An after-film talk with Director/Editor/Producer Tim Mummery

Directed by Tommy Walker and Ross Hockro. In late 2016, as a response to the police killings of African Americans, Colin Kapernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand during the national anthem, instead choosing to kneel.Telling the sportsman’s story, Kaepernick and America is a necessary, sobering and authentic film filled with hard emotions, hard decisions and individual truths.

Directed by Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier. New York’s Chelsea Hotel is legendary. Exploring the hotel and following the few remaining residents, the ghosts of the past and the changes coming, Dreaming Walls is a quiet, impressionistic documentary in and around one of the most iconic buildings in art, music and popular culture.

Directed by Daniel Roher. With the pacing and power of a political thriller, Roher’s perfectly pitched documentary switches between fly-on-the-wall observation to in-depth interviews with the subject and those around him, creating a fascinating portrait of Navalny, producing a documentary that (as I write these words) is exceptional and timely. 

Directed by Peter Strickland. A surreal infused tale of sound, music, and food, Strickland’s latest feature unfolds in the halls of a rural artistic institute, as a trio of musicians explore food, sounds and performance under the gaze of the institute’s director, a journalist and a doctor.

Directed by Bertrand Mandico. Set in a distant world, where only women can survive After Blue is an off-kilter quasi-psychedelic science fiction western adventure like nothing you’ve ever seen. 

Special Event / 2022 /

A showcase of Western Australian made screen productions at The Backlot Perth.

Directed by Brian Vincent. The eighties NYC art scene was a place where anything went, the Lower East Side was a hot bed of creative energy. Make Me Famous explores this scene, but rather than focusing on the era’s more famous figures like Basquait, Keith Haring, and David Wojnarowicz, it tells the story of unknown expressionist painter Edward Brezinski.

Special Events / 2022 / 66 min

From visual and aural loops, cut-ups, media manipulations and found footage to technical exploration, home printing, and all points in between, a selection of experiments in cinema and visual/audio media. Themes of rhythm, music, movement, location, nature, culture, and the performance of the social ripple through this selection of short experimental works.

Directed by Mikhaël Hers. It’s 1981 and newly separated Elisabeth (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is having trouble sleeping, she’s running low on money and has two teenage children to care for.

Directed by Dean Kavanagh. The film combines drama, comedy and experimentation in telling the story of John Kline Jr, a mute projectionist whose parents vanished twenty-five years earlier.
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Feature Documentary / 2021 / Australia / 52min / Directed by Tim Mummery

In Namarali, filmmaker Tim Mummery, follows artist Donny (Yorna) Woolagoodja as he pursues his connections to culture and the Wandjina – creator beings – whose images can be seen in caves and rock ledges in the Kimberly.

Directed by Constantine Costi. A visual and aural feast, A Delicate Fire combines the spectacle of cinema and the power of opera to create a work that pays homage to 17th century composer Barbara Strozzi.  

Directed by Peter Brunner. On a rural mountainside, a mother and son carve out an ascetic existence far removed from everyday convention. And then, one day, a drone emerges, hovering over their small farmhouse. Combining elements of psychological horror and drama, with a rich arthouse sensibility, Luzifer is a must see for anyone interested in existential fears and nightmares.

Directed by Robert B Weide and Dan Argott. Legendary author Kurt Vonnegut - the writer behind cult classics Cats Cradle and Slaughterhouse 5 - is the subject of this absorbing biopic, which paints a fascinating picture of its subject.

Directed by Ari Folman. A beautifully realised animated feature that explores Anne Frank’s life, her diary, and her legacy.

Directed by Toby Amies, In his latest documentary filmmaker Toby Amies (The Man Whose Mind Exploded) turns his attention to the legendary prog-rock band King Crimson, documenting the group on their 50th-anniversary tour.

Feature Narrative / 2021 / USA / 108 min / Directed by Stephen Karam

Brigid and Richard have moved into a rundown Manhattan duplex. Before they’ve had time to settle, Brigid’s family visit for Thanksgiving.

Conversations, tensions, dramas slowly emerge, and all around them the duplex creeks, the very walls seem to echo with inexplicable sounds.

Adapted from his Tony Award winning theatrical production, Karam’s film is a masterpiece in tensions, deftly adding a cinematic quality to the unfolding psychological drama.

Directed by Craig Boreham. Fleeing a small-town scandal Casey finds himself in Sydney where he hooks up with Tib. Both young men are searching for something elusive while navigating their way through the inner-city queer scene.

Directed by Gabriele Mainetti. As a small troupe of circus performers find themselves embroiled in the ever-expanding battle front of WW2 in Europe, a singular battle for the future of civilisation emerges in this sprawling big-screen fantasy.

Directed by Christina Kallas. Paris Is In Harlem may be one of the best New York movies of recent years, its narrative weaves through situations and characters, that unfold with rare power and authenticity. Creating a vivid portrait of the city on the day the no dancing law was repealed in 2017, the ensemble cast, tight narrative, and naturalistic filmmaking create a beautifully realised film that feels truly alive.

Directed by Jan Bubenicek and Denisa Grimmova. A film about two mortal enemies - a little mouse Whizzy and Whitebelly the fox, who after an unfortunate accident, meet in animal heaven where they lose their natural instincts and become best friends. 

A trio of powerful documentaries that tell human stories in radically different ways, each of these works reveals the possibilities of the medium for sharing our stories and connecting us all.

Special Events / 2022 / 72 min

A selection of films that offer meditations on the nature of storytelling and the structure of narrative, exploring movement and form both within and beyond the frame, and new forms of meaning of cinema.

Directed by Tim Mummery. In Namarali, filmmaker Tim Mummery follows artist Donny (Yorna) Woolagoodja as he pursues his connections to culture and the Wandjina – creator beings – whose images can be seen in caves and rock ledges in the Kimberly.

A specially curated collection of international short animations that are perfect for all ages – including those who have never been to the movies before. These wonderful films come from the four corners of the globe from Singapore to Portugal, to New Zealand to the UK. Experience some lovely work in the universal language of animation.

Feature Documentary / 2022 / USA / 82 min / Directed by Tommy Walker and Ross Hockro

In late 2016, as a response to the police killings of African Americans, Colin Kapernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand during the national anthem, instead choosing to kneel.Telling the sportsman’s story, Kaepernick and America is a necessary, sobering and authentic film filled with hard emotions, hard decisions and individual truths.

Directed by Jim Demonakos and Kevin Konrad Hanna. When comic book creator Mike Mignola created Hellboy, he unleashed a visionary comic book character and launched an entire universe populated by unique heroes and creatures, misfits and monsters. Demonakos and Hanna’s documentary takes the viewer into the world of the artist, tracing Mignola’s creative practice and biography.

A talk with artist Shaun Gladwell on his works, hosted by Dr Greg Ferris

A lecture that will explore both the creative process of film scoring and its rich history, hosted by Kenneth Lampl

Directed by Ryan A White and Alex Clausen. Documenting the gay porn studio Palm Drive Video, Raw! Uncut! Video! tells the story of the safe-sex studio based in a Californian ranch that created safe sex-focused porn during the early years of the AIDS pandemic. Along the way, we’re treated to a wild and no holds barred ride through the extremities of gay porn of the period.

Feature Documentary / 2021 / USA / 127 min / Directed by Robert B Weide and Dan Argott

Legendary author Kurt Vonnegut - the writer behind cult classics Cats Cradle and Slaughterhouse 5 - is the subject of this absorbing biopic, which paints a fascinating picture of its subject.

Feature Documentary/2022/USA/98min/Directed by Daniel Roher

With the pacing and power of a political thriller, Roher’s perfectly pitched documentary switches between fly-on-the-wall observation to in-depth interviews with the subject and those around him, creating a fascinating portrait of Navalny, producing a documentary which (as I write these words) is exceptional and timely. 

Directed by Oscar Harding. When Oscar Harding’s grandfather passed away, Oscar’s family inherited a strange video tape made by farmer Charles Carson. Intrigued by this strange VHS tape, titled A Life on the Farm, Harding sets out to unravel the mystery of the video described as “Monty Python meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”…

Directed by George Roy Hill. Adapted from Kurt Vonnegut’s cult novel, Slaughterhouse-Five premiered at Cannes and won the Jury Prize.

Join us for a Q&A about Slaughterhouse-Five with the Book-To-Film At The Backlot team. 

Directed by Max Good. Marina Oswald and her children lived in Ruth Paine’s house in the months prior to the assassination of the president in November 1963. Ruth Paine helped provide key evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald and answered more than 5000 questions for the Warren Commission. Now 84 years old, Paine enjoys life in a retirement community, but she is also one of the few surviving witnesses and a target for researchers into the assassination.

Directed by Courtney Stephens. Using archive footage and home movies, Terra Femme examines the history and experiences of women travellers.

Directed by Rita Baghdadi. Sirens tells the story of Beirut based musicians Lilas and Shery and their band Slave to Sorens. With their brand of thrash, the group are the Middle East’s first all-women metal band, and Rita Baghdadi’s film tells the story of the women’s friendship and the band all against the backdrop of a conservative country undergoing political turmoil.

Some of the best gothic and horror short films of the year – from the classic gothic themes of the forbidden to the echoes of uncanny environments via more recent fears of possible futures and the claustrophobia of contemporary evil. Please note some of these films feature flashing lights.