Australia Day 2018

SWEET COUNTRY

AUSTRALIA DAY 2018 SCREENING

Warwick Thornton (dir) 113 min (rated 15)
Short Film Programme & drinks reception by Chris Beale of Australian Short Film Today

Australian snacks will be on sale - cash only

Screened 27 February, 2018
7.30pm
Regent Street Cinema
FEATURE

SWEET COUNTRY
Winner Venice Special Jury Prize & Platform Prize at Toronto 2017
Warwick Thornton (dir) 113 min (rated 15)

Warwick Thornton’s follow up feature film to the brilliant Samson and Delilah (2009) is well worth the wait.
 
Set in the wild frontier of 1920s Northern Territory, where men are wild and hungry to establish themselves as masters of the harsh environment, the story centres on an older aboriginal man who shoots a white man in self-defence and the subsequent hunt for him by the men that rule the area.
 
Visceral and haunting, with stunning cinematography and powerful performances from Hamilton Morris, Sam Neill, and Bryan Brown, this film will keep audiences transfixed and eager to grab a glass and dissect during the break before the short films begin.
 
This screening will coincide with the Australian cinematic release and comes courtesy of Thunderbird Releasing, ahead of the UK release on 9th March 2018.
SHORT FILM PROGRAMME

After the feature film and drinks and canapés provided by Chris Beale of AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILM TODAY, there will be an 80-minute program of 10 short films that will open with Matthew Saville's A Writer and Three Script Editors Walk Into a Bar, a three minute film on the agony of screenwriting.

The program also includes - among other films: 
BLUEY, a drama by Australian Screenwriter's Guild honouree Darlene Johnson about a troubled young woman who has lost her child; 

THE MOTHER SITUATION, a dark comedy about assisted suicide and Sydney home prices directed by well known Australian actor Matt Day; 

THE DAM, by Brendon McDonall, a drama about feelings between two lifetime friends that can no longer be contained; Identical, a mockumentary about identical twins, starring, written and directed by identical twins Mark and (Sydney stand up comedian) Brett Nichols;

HABITS, an animation by Kathy Sarpi about a woman in need of self-improvement; 

MY BEST FRIEND IS STUCK ON THE CEILING, about a shy man who wants to declare his love;

MEAT AND POTATOES, by Arielle Thomas and Ellenor Argyropoulous, a comedy about a vegan woman who is starving in the Outback during the Apocalypse. There is no food, but there are dead bodies ...

What is shorter than a short? A trailer of a short.
Australian Short Film Today
Click You Tube below to watch a short trailer, on the shorts!
THE TRAILER

The 2018 Australia Day Wrap Up

Our Australia Day event is now done and dusted, and what a ripper night it was!
 
Our lolly and snack bar was overrun with eager patrons desperate for the packets of Twisties and Cheezles, Cherry Ripes, Violet Crumbles, BBQ Shapes, Minties, Jaffas, Redskins, Snakes Alive…. And mixed lolly bags – “I’ve never seen a queue like it!” cried the projectionist. Sadly, our Tim Tams and Mint slices were lost in transit (not happy Jan) – but thankfully there was no riot on the night. We promise they will be there for the festival in May!
 
Cravings sated, there was not a single seat free for our main feature, Warwick Thornton’s magnificent SWEET COUNTRY (courtesy of Thunderbird Releasing)
If you love the film as much as we do, tell all your UK-based friends. 
We are so grateful to Michael Walling, artistic director of Border Crossings who bring Londoners ORIGINS Festival, for his insightful introduction.
 
Our audience were profoundly moved by the film:

Warwick Thornton’s ‘Sweet Country’ is a haunting and beautifully shot film that isn’t just a must see for Australian audiences. Thanks @TwoPaddocks for getting the word out and @OZfilmfest @LAFSociety @BorderCrossings for organising the screening last night
Adam Fitzgerald‏ @AdamPFitzgerald

@SweetCountry is such a powerhouse of a film.
 With beautifully drawn performances all round and stunning cinematography. Go see it. #sweetcountry #australianfilm Thank you @OZfilmfest for a great evening.
Karen Brace‏ @Karen_acts

If you missed out on tickets and want to catch SWEET COUNTRY on its UK cinematic release, put a reminder in your diaries for its release date of 9th March 2018.

We all trundled off to the cinema’s bar for a drinks reception generously sponsored by Chris Beale from Australian Short Film Today 
before moving back into the cinema to watch his programme of Australian Films – a wonderful balance to the evening.

We continued our tradition of supporting as many Australian events and products in the form of 
goodie bags and door prizes. Thank you to all our generous sponsors:

- PICADOR BOOKS who gave each audience member a copy of Tim Winton’s 
THE BOY BEHIND THE CURTAIN

- ALLEN & UNWIN UK – who provided three sets of four glorious Australian books for our door prize THE NEW AUSTRALIAN GARDEN, 
MISS MURIEL MATTERS, 
THE LIFE TO COME and
THE PASSAGE OF LOVE

- STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL – who sent 3 double passes for April (it opens at the Piccadilly Theatre on 29 March – book here)

- SIGNATURE ENTERTAINMENT - for three sets of JASPER JONES (our opening night film at OZ Film Festival 2017) books and DVD 

- BOOST JUICE BARS - for discount vouchers for our goodie bags – you can find your nearest one here.

- HACHETTE CHILDREN'S BOOKS ­– bookmarks and fun door-hangers for Aussie author Jessica Townsend’s new book NEVERMOOR 

- HAMPSTEAD THEATRE included postcards for their latest Australian stage show THE ASHES which only has two showings on 17 February.
 
A huge welcome to all the new members of our mailing list and Facebook group - you'll be first in line to buy tickets for the festival and other events - sign up at the top of the page if you're not already subscribed. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing team of volunteers who help me get as many Australian films onto London screens & without their help, none of this would be possible
- Dr Stephen Morgan – assistant programmer, copy editor and Tweet master
- Corin Rossouw – website magician (creator & maintainer) and event photographer
- Kate Garbellini – film team coordinator extraordinaire
- And special guest appearances on the night from Carol Ismail, raffle ticket champion, goodie bag packer and David Rae, our lolly and snack super seller. 

We’re now super excited for the festival – it’s going to be a corker!
 
Warmest wishes,
Laila
 
Laila Dickson
LAFS & OZ Film Festival director

Thank you to this screenings supporters
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