Movies in the open

Film lovers, rejoice! Combining my two favourite activities – being outdoors and enjoying good cinema – I am stoked that Moonlight Cinema (in Centennial Park) and Open Air Cinema (in the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens), have announced their summer screening programs last week. Let me tell you, which ever you prefer, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a chance to watch all the missed new releases and enjoy your favourite classics.

Moonlight has already kicked off last week and has its last screening scheduled for Sunday 20 March, while Open Air starts on Wednesday 12 January and ends on Saturday 19 February. Screenings generally start about 8pm, but check the websites for more details like screening times, exact locations and ticket prices. Tickets are still available for many sessions for both outdoor cinemas, however if you’ve got your heart set on a movie, I’d suggest you be quick.

The American

Moonlight Cinema
Based on the novel by pulp fiction writer Jim Thompson, The Killer Inside Me, is a confronting psychotic thriller that won’t please the faint-hearted. Released earlier this year, the film is directed by Michael Winterbottom (Genova, A Mighty Heart, 9 Songs, 24 Hour Party People) and stars Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba. The Killer Inside Me screens this Sunday 19 December.

For anyone who missed Christopher Nolan’s complex and mostly confusing sci-fi thriller Inception, you have a choice of two nights to see it on: Thursday 30 December and Wednesday 16 February. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Ken Watanabe, earlier this week Inception was nominated for four awards at the 68th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture (Drama), Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.

In the new year, Moonlight will be screening many new releases like: Oliver Stone’s 1987 Wall Street sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Tuesday 4 January); the highly engaging story about the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network (Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 January); Anton Corbijn’s impressive drama set in Italy and starring George Clooney The American (Saturday 29 January); Gainsbourg (Tuesday 8 February), the odyssey of the father of French pop; Sofia Coppola’s gorgeous new film Somewhere (Friday 4 March); Blue Valentine (Tuesday 8 March) starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams; Black Swan (Wednesday 16 March) with Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel; and so on and on. A full list of features can be found here.

Highly acclaimed documentary Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie will be showing on Monday 28 February and the musical Burlesque with Cher and Christina Aguilera is scheduled for Tuesday 15 March. Classics like Pulp Fiction (Tuesday 1 March), The Godfather (Thursday 3 March) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Tuesday 22 February) to name a few, will also screen.

Desert Flower

Open Air Cinema
Open Air has decided to open the season in style with a premier of the very anticipated Burlesque musical (Wednesday 12 January). Also premiering will be the autobiographical Desert Flower (Sunday 16 January). This inspirational film is a true life story of the Somalian born Waris Dirie who fled to London aged 13, in order to escape an arranged marriage, becoming a supermodel and later a human rights activist – a UN spokeswoman against female circumcision, which she underwent in her native country at the age of three.

In February, Open Air will premier two outstanding features. A US drama Conviction (Tuesday 1 February) based on a true story of a working mother and her incredible commitment to save her brother from being wrongfully convicted of murder, and a beautiful French documentary about the life under water, Oceans (Sunday 6 February).

Other new releases worth highlighting are The Tourist (Tuesday 8 and 15 February), a spy thriller/drama set in Paris and Venice and starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp; the amazing 127 Hours (Monday 7 February) based on a true story of an adventurer’s efforts to survive; The King’s Speech (Wednesday 16 February) starring the exceptional Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Multi-award winning Australian drama Animal Kingdom will be showing on Australia Day, Tuesday 25 January, thus expect fireworks as a backdrop.

Pre-sale tickets to Open Air Cinema went on sale this morning, Thursday 16 December, and almost all have sold out. Check here for more ticket releases.

2010 Hola Mexico Film Festival

Alamar (To The Sea)

Hola Mexico Film Festival, the biggest Mexican film festival in the world, is back again with a splendid collection of feature films and documentaries. Kicking off in Sydney tomorrow, Thursday 3 November, it will be showing at Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays until Sunday 14 November.

2010 marks the centenary of the Mexican revolution, and to celebrate this important milestone, 10 leading Mexican directors have joined forces and produced a compilation of 10 short films under the title Revolucion. The short films explore the idea of revolution and what it means to young Mexicans today.

My picks Alamar, Año Bisiesto and Norteado are all multi-award winning films, promising captivating stories about love, solitude and hope. With a selection of colourful and inspiring characters, these features are fueled with diversity, energy and passion staying true to its Latin American roots.

For more details and a full list of feature films and documentaries and their screening times, check the festival website.

Sydney Latin American Film Festival

The Last Summer Of La Boyita

It’s the film festival season, all right. To launch us into a warmer part of the year, Sydney Latin American Film Festival (SLAFF) is coming to town with over 60 exciting films from all over the South and Central American region. In its 5th year, this not-for-profit, 100% volunteer-run festival, will kick off with a multi-award winning Argentine comedy A Matter of Principles on Wednesday 1 September, at the Dendy Opera Quays. This opening feature is said to be a rather funny drama and a true crowd-pleaser.

Other multi-award winning comedies, both Mexican, are Crossing and Chilango Chronicles. Crossing is about two Mexicans and their hopeless attempt to illegally cross to the US, while the latter is a surrealist take on three ‘chilangos’ (inhabitants of Mexico City) and their lives as their stories intersect. Chilango Chronicles was Mexico’s official selection for the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.

There are quite a number of very interesting documentaries this year, but these two stood out for me most: Sins Of My Father and Chasing Che. The former is a story of the infamous Columbian drug cartel boss Pablo Escobar told by his son Sebastian. It is an fascinating account of an extraordinary childhood and an intimate relationship with his father, Columbia’s public enemy number one. Chasing Che is a documentary made by an Iranian businessman who decides to venture into a four-year journey of South America and Europe in an effort to achieve a better understanding of Che and his vision.

The festival will run until Sunday 19 September at a number of venues. All proceeds from SLAFF will be going towards grassroots community development projects in Latin America. For more info and a complete screening schedule, visit the festival website.

Sydney Film Festival 2010

Exit Through the Gift Shop

This year’s Sydney Film Festival is jam-packed with some of the best in international and Australian features, shorts, documentaries and archive titles. The full program was announced a few weeks ago and the most popular choices such as Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop, The Messenger starring Woody Harrelson, I Am Love starring Tilda Swinton and Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer with Ewan McGregor, Kim Cattrall and Pierce Brosnan, have already sold out. Also shown to be very popular and now sold-out are films like New Zealand’s Boy, beautiful animation The Illusionist and Australian feature Caught Inside.

No One Knows About Persian Cats

Because I love all things related to music, I am always very excited about the ‘Sounds on Screen’ selection of films and documentaries. This year, Sydney Film Festival brings an interesting mix of music genres to the screen. Definitely worth seeing is No One Knows About Persian Cats, an Iranian documentary on the underground indie rock scene in Tehran, and The Runaways, a film based on the 70’s all-girl band from LA.

In its 57th year, Sydney Film Festival’s selection of films doesn’t seize to impress. There are hundreds of other beautiful, moving and stimulating films to be discovered. For a full list and session times, check out the festival website. Sydney Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday 2 June and finishes on Monday 14 June.

2010 Spanish Film Festival

Fernando Trueba's Belle Epoque

Hola! It’s the Spanish Film Festival time of the year again, and this year it’s jam-packed with even more Latin passion. This time around, the festival is featuring Spanish film director Fernando Trueba’s four films, including the 1993 Academy Award winner in the Best Foreign Language Film category Belle Epoque. This romantic comedy is set in pre-Franco Spain and stars young Penelope Cruz. It is a story of four sisters competing for the attention of a carefree army deserter. If you’re a big fan of Cruz, you may also want to check out the 1998 feature The Girl Of Your Dreams, also by Trueba.

Return to Hansala is one of my favourites this year, because it deals with the ever increasing and confronting issues of illegal immigration, and its terrifying consequences. The Milk Of Sorrow is another worthwhile pick, especially because it’s been nominated for 2010 Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The festival is showing from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 16 May. For more films and a screening timetable, check out the Spanish Film Festival website.

French Film Festival

Gainsbourg: Je t'aime … moi non plus

Now in its 21st edition, the Alliance Française French Film Festival kicks off in Sydney in less than a week. This year there is a grand total of 43 films, including comedies, love stories, thrillers, films that reject the injustice of a system, a way of life, oppression, and films that support human rights, freedom of thought and dignity.

Directed by the very popular Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and the opening night choice for this year, is the captivating must-see, thrilling comedy Micmacs. If you liked Amelie, chances are you’ll enjoy this too. My favourite of the festival is the closing night’s Gainsbourg: Je t’aime … moi non plus feature, a directorial debut of the graphic novelist Joann Sfar. Of course, the film is about the father of French pop, Serge Gainsbourg. It portrays the life of the infamous iconic singer, poet, writer, actor and general provocateur. I’m really looking forward to seeing the fashions and music scenes of the times on the big screen, as well as finding out more about Gainsbourg’s fabled life. French Film Festival is showing in Sydney from Tuesday 2 March until Sunday 21 March. For more info, check out the Alliance Française French Film Festival website.

Shoot the Player: Sydney and music on film

A great way to start the new year is by getting out and indulging in the goodies Sydney has on offer this summer. If you need a break from the beach or find the weather rather unappealing, get out there and see lots of international and local gigs at the Sydney Festival, catch a movie at one of the outdoor cinemas, or, for something a bit out of the ordinary, head down to Carriageworks in Newtown for a very interesting project from the Sydney-based Shoot the Player.

Together with Carriageworks, they are presenting an interactive showing of unique one-take music videos featuring local and international artists doing things like hanging out in their pyjamas, performing on the street and buying pastries. The aim of the exhibition is two-fold: to experience the musicians in a new light by seeing them in places one wouldn’t expect them to be normally; and the evolution of the spontaneous and unpredictable one-take music videos as an art form and the ‘do-it-yourself’ concept of filmmaking.

The installation runs until Saturday 30 January, and is free.

Shoot the Player

Hola Mexico Film Festival

Hola Mexico Film Festival

Fourth annual Hola Mexican Film Festival is kicking off in Sydney tonight. The festival runs until Sunday 29 November in both Circular Quay and Newtown Dendy cinemas. My picks are the opening flick Sin Nombre (also screening on Friday 27 and Saturday 28); The Bastards (showing on Friday 20, Monday 23, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29);  I’m Gonna Explode (screening on Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29); and Those Who Remain (showing on Thursday 19, Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Friday 27 and Sunday 29);