The 65th annual Sydney Film Festival took place from 6 to 17 June 2018 in Sydney, Australia.[1] The festival opened with Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek's romantic comedy film The Breaker Upperers.[2] It closed with Brett Haley's musical comedy-drama film Hearts Beat Loud.[3]
Marcelo Martinessi's drama film The Heiresses won the most prestigious award of the festival, Sydney Film Prize.[4]
Juries
The following people were named as the festival juries:
Sydney Film Prize
Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary
- Shameela Sadat, South African filmmaker
- Melanie Miller, American film producer
- Maya Newell, Australian filmmaker
Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films
Official selection
Opening and closing films
In competition
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| Ága
|
Milko Lazarov
|
Bulgaria, Germany, France
|
| BlacKkKlansman
|
Spike Lee
|
United States
|
| Daughter of Mine
|
Figlia mia
|
Laura Bispuri
|
Italy, Germany, Switzerland
|
| The Heiresses
|
Las herederas
|
Marcelo Martinessi
|
Paraguay, Germany, Brazil, Uruguay, Norway, France
|
| Jirga
|
Benjamin Gilmour
|
Australia
|
| Leave No Trace
|
Debra Granik
|
United States
|
| Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.
|
Stephen Loveridge
|
United Kingdom, United States, Sri Lanka
|
| The Miseducation of Cameron Post
|
Desiree Akhavan
|
United States
|
| One Day
|
Egy nap
|
Zsófia Szilágyi
|
Hungary
|
| The Seen and Unseen
|
Sekala Niskala
|
Kamila Andini
|
Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia, Qatar
|
| Transit
|
Christian Petzold
|
Germany, France
|
| Wajib
|
Annemarie Jacir
|
Palestine, France, Germany, Colombia, Norway, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
|
Documentary Australia Foundation Award
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| Backtrack Boys
|
Catherine Scott
|
Australia
|
| China Love
|
Olivia Martin-McGuire
|
Australia, China
|
| Dying to Live
|
Richard Todd
|
Australia
|
| Finke: There & Back
|
Dylan River
|
| Ghosthunter
|
Ben Lawrence
|
| I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story
|
Jessica Leski
|
| In the Land of Wolves
|
Grace McKenzie
|
| Oyster
|
Kim Beamish
|
| RocKabul
|
Travis Beard
|
Afghanistan, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Turkey
|
| Teach a Man to Fish
|
Grant Saunders
|
Australia
|
Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| Asian Girls
|
Hyun Lee
|
Australia
|
| Barbara
|
Larissa Behrendt, Marieka Walsh
|
| Bubble
|
Hobab
|
Ronak Taher
|
| Drum Wave
|
Natalie Erika James
|
| Judas Collar
|
Alison James
|
| Lost & Found
|
Andrew Goldsmith, Bradley Slabe
|
| Nursery Rhymes
|
Tom Noakes
|
| On Hold
|
Jake Nielsen, Matthew Predny
|
| Second Best
|
Alyssa McClelland
|
| Tied
|
Stephanie Davison, Isabella Spagnolo
|
Special Presentations
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| 3 Faces
|
Jafar Panahi
|
Iran
|
| American Animals
|
Bart Layton
|
United States
|
| Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
|
Gus Van Sant
|
| Foxtrot
|
Samuel Maoz
|
Germany, France, Switzerland
|
| The Guilty
|
Den skyldige
|
Gustav Möller
|
Denmark
|
| The Insult
|
L'insulte
|
Ziad Doueiri
|
France, Lebanon
|
| Juliet, Naked
|
Jesse Peretz
|
United States
|
| The Kindergarten Teacher
|
Sara Colangelo
|
| Manto
|
Nandita Das
|
India
|
| Mirai
|
Mamoru Hosoda
|
Japan
|
| Pope Francis: A Man of His Word
|
Wim Wenders
|
Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France
|
| West of Sunshine
|
James Raftopoulos
|
Australia
|
| The Wife
|
Björn Runge
|
Sweden, United Kingdom
|
| The Wild Pear Tree
|
Ahlat Ağacı
|
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
|
Turkey
|
| You Were Never Really Here
|
Lynne Ramsay
|
United States, United Kingdom, France
|
Focus on Italy
Features
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| America Town
|
Jeon Soo-il
|
South Korea
|
| Anchor and Hope
|
Carlos Marqués-Marcet
|
Spain, United Kingdom
|
| Beirut
|
Brad Anderson
|
United States
|
| The Blood of Wolves
|
孤狼の血
|
Kazuya Shiraishi
|
Japan
|
| Brothers' Nest
|
Clayton Jacobson
|
Australia
|
| Butterflies
|
Kelebekler
|
Tolga Karaçelik
|
Turkey
|
| The Charmer
|
Charmøren
|
Milad Alami
|
Denmark, Sweden
|
| The Children Act
|
Richard Eyre
|
United States
|
| Chocolate Oyster
|
Steve Jaggi
|
Australia
|
| Disobedience
|
Sebastián Lelio
|
United States
|
| An Elephant Sitting Still
|
大象席地而坐
|
Hu Bo
|
China
|
| The Great Buddha+
|
Huang Hsin-yao
|
Taiwan
|
| Hard Paint
|
Tinta bruta
|
Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon
|
Brazil
|
| The Hungry Lion
|
飢えたライオン
|
Takaomi Ogata
|
Japan
|
| In the Aisles
|
In den Gängen
|
Thomas Stuber
|
Germany
|
| Lean on Pete
|
Andrew Haigh
|
United Kingdom, United States
|
| The Line
|
Čiara
|
Peter Bebjak
|
Slovakia, Ukraine
|
| Mehsampur
|
Kabir Chowdhry
|
India
|
| Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno
|
Abdellatif Kechiche
|
France
|
| Mug
|
Twarz
|
Małgorzata Szumowska
|
Poland
|
| No Date, No Signature
|
بدون تاریخ، بدون امضاء
|
Vahid Jalilvand
|
Iran
|
| Number 37
|
Nommer 37
|
Nosipho Dumisa
|
South Africa
|
| A Paris Education
|
Mes provinciales
|
Jean-Paul Civeyrac
|
France
|
| Pig
|
خوک
|
Mani Haghighi
|
Iran
|
| Puzzle
|
Marc Turtletaub
|
United States
|
| Rafiki
|
Wanuri Kahiu
|
Kenya
|
| The Reports on Sarah and Saleem
|
Muayad Alayan
|
Palestine, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico
|
| The Rider
|
Chloé Zhao
|
United States
|
| Samui Song
|
ไม่มีสมุยสำหรับเธอ
|
Pen-ek Ratanaruang
|
Thailand, Germany, Norway
|
| The Seagull
|
Michael Mayer
|
United States
|
| Searching
|
Aneesh Chaganty
|
United States
|
| A Season in France
|
Une Saison en France
|
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
|
France
|
| Season of the Devil
|
Ang Panahon ng Halimaw
|
Lav Diaz
|
Philippines
|
| The Second
|
Mairi Cameron
|
Australia
|
| Skate Kitchen
|
Crystal Moselle
|
United States
|
| Strange Colours
|
Alena Lodkina
|
Australia
|
| Support the Girls
|
Andrew Bujalski
|
United States
|
| The Taste of Rice Flower
|
米花之味
|
Pengfei Song
|
China
|
| Touch Me Not
|
Adina Pintilie
|
Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria
|
| Tyrel
|
Sebastián Silva
|
United States
|
| A Vigilante
|
Sarah Daggar-Nickson
|
| We the Animals
|
Jeremiah Zagar
|
| Wrath of Silence
|
暴裂无声
|
Xin Yukun
|
China
|
| Zama
|
Lucrecia Martel
|
Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Portugal, United States
|
International Documentaries
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| The Ancient Woods
|
Sengirė
|
Mindaugas Survila
|
Lithuania, Estonia, Germany
|
| Bisbee '17
|
Robert Greene
|
United States
|
| Chef Flynn
|
Cameron Yates
|
| The Cleaners
|
Moritz Riesewieck, Hans Block
|
Germany, Brazil
|
| Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders
|
Joe Berlinger
|
United States
|
| The Deminer
|
Hogir Hirori
|
Sweden
|
| The Distant Barking of Dogs
|
Simon Lereng Wilmont
|
Denmark, Finland, Sweden
|
| Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
|
Frederick Wiseman
|
United States
|
| Filmworker
|
Tony Zierra
|
| Genesis 2.0
|
Christian Frei
|
Switzerland
|
| Habaneros
|
Havana
|
Julien Temple
|
United Kingdom
|
| Half the Picture
|
Amy Adrion
|
United States
|
| The Ice King
|
James Erskine
|
United Kingdom
|
| Inland Sea
|
港町
|
Kazuhiro Soda
|
Japan
|
| Inventing Tomorrow
|
Laura Nix
|
United States, Mexico, India, Indonesia
|
| Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible
|
Axel Grigor
|
Australia
|
| John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection
|
Julien Faraut
|
France
|
| Kusama: Infinity
|
Heather Lenz
|
United States
|
| The Long Season
|
Leonard Retel Helmrich
|
Netherlands
|
| Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle
|
Gustavo Salmerón
|
Spain
|
| McQueen
|
Ian Bonhôte
|
United Kingdom
|
| A Murder in Mansfield
|
Barbara Kopple
|
United States
|
| Of Fathers and Sons
|
Talal Derki
|
Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar
|
| On Her Shoulders
|
Alexandria Bombach
|
United States
|
| The Other Side of Everything
|
Mila Turajlić
|
Serbia, France, Qatar
|
| Over the Limit
|
Marta Prus
|
Finland, Germany, Poland
|
| The Poetess
|
Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff
|
Germany
|
| The Prince of Nothingwood
|
Sonia Kronlund
|
France, Germany, Qatar
|
| Speak Up
|
À voix haute
|
Stéphane de Freitas, Ladj Ly
|
France
|
| That Summer
|
Göran Hugo Olsson
|
Sweden, United States, Denmark
|
| Three Identical Strangers
|
Tim Wardle
|
United Kingdom, United States
|
| The Venerable W.
|
Le vénérable W.
|
Barbet Schroeder
|
France, Switzerland
|
| Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist
|
Lorna Tucker
|
United Kingdom
|
| Whispering Truth to Power
|
Shameela Seedat
|
South Africa, Netherlands
|
| Wik vs Queensland
|
Dean Gibson
|
Australia
|
| Yellow Is Forbidden
|
Pietra Brettkelly
|
China, New Zealand
|
| Young Solitude
|
Premières solitudes
|
Claire Simon
|
France
|
Europe! Voices of Women in Film
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| 3 Days in Quiberon
|
3 Tage in Quiberon
|
Emily Atef
|
Germany, Austria, France
|
| L'Animale
|
Katharina Mückstein
|
Austria
|
| Cobain
|
Nanouk Leopold
|
Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
|
| Entrepreneur
|
Yrittäjä
|
Virpi Suutari
|
Finland
|
| The Heart
|
Hjärtat
|
Fanni Metelius
|
Sweden
|
| Holiday
|
Isabella Eklöf
|
Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey
|
| The Marriage
|
Martesa
|
Blerta Zeqiri
|
Kosovo, Albania
|
| A Mother Brings Her Son to Be Shot
|
Sinéad O'Shea
|
Ireland, United Kingdom
|
| Scary Mother
|
საშიში დედა
|
Ana Urushadze
|
Georgia, Estonia
|
| Tower. A Bright Day.
|
Wieża. Jasny dzień
|
Jagoda Szelc
|
Poland
|
Family Films
FLUX: ART+FILM
Sounds on Screen
Freak Me Out
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| The Field Guide to Evil
|
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, Katrin Gebbe, Calvin Reeder, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, Peter Strickland, Yannis Veslemes, Can Evrenol, Ashim Ahluwalia
|
United States, Poland, Hungary, India, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Greece
|
| Ghost Stories
|
Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
|
United Kingdom
|
| Good Manners
|
As Boas Maneiras
|
Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra
|
| Piercing
|
Nicolas Pesce
|
United States
|
| The Ranger
|
Jenn Wexler
|
| Upgrade
|
Leigh Whannell
|
Australia
|
| What Keeps You Alive
|
Colin Minihan
|
Canada
|
The Box Set
| English title
|
Original title
|
Director(s)
|
Original network
|
Production countrie(s)
|
| Deep State
|
Robert Connolly, Matthew Parkhill
|
Fox
|
United Kingdom
|
Essential
The festival paid tribute to the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki, selected by film critic David Stratton.[5]
Classics Restored
Awards
The following awards were presented at the festival:[6][7]
- Sydney Film Prize: The Heiresses by Marcelo Martinessi
- Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary: Ghosthunter by Ben Lawrence
- Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films
- Dendy Live Action Short Award: Second Best by Alyssa McClelland
- Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director: Tom Noakes for Nursery Rhymes
- Yoram Gross Animation Award: Lost & Found by Andrew Goldsmith and Bradley Slabe
- Special Mentions: Barbara by Larissa Behrendt and Marieka Walsh; Judas Collar by Alison James
- Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award: Tyson Mowarin for Undiscovered Country
- Special Mentions: Renée Marie Petropoulos for Tangle and Knots; Lucy Knox for An Act of Love; Curtis Taylor and Nathan Mewett for Yulubidyi – Until the End
- UNESCO Sydney City of Film Award: Warwick Thornton
Audience Awards
The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
- The Insult by Ziad Doueiri
- Searching by Aneesh Chaganty
- Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu
- An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu Bo
- Ága by Milko Lazarov and Leave No Trace by Debra Granik (tied)
The Audience Award for Best Documentary
- Backtrack Boys by Catherine Scott
- Teach a Man to Fish by Grant Leigh Saunders
- I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story by Jessica Leski
- Oyster by Kim Beamish
- Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible by Axel Grigor
References
External links