The Sydney Film Festival has made its first program announcement for 2015, with 27 new films, a new inner-west venue and a special contribution from the male half of Australia’s favourite film duo, David Stratton.
Films making their Australian premiere include Strangerland, an Australian-Irish thriller starring Nicole Kidman, Joseph Feinnes, and Hugo Weaving, the winner of the Sundance World Cinema Jury prize starring Michael Fassbender, Slow West, and Mr. Holmes, which features Sir Ian McKellen as a 93-year-old Sherlock.
Inner-west cinema fans can get excited, with the festival expanding to Dendy Newtown, which will host 20 screenings, including the ‘Freak Me Out’ horror program.
Former host of At The Movies and certified national treasure David Stratton will present a specially curated selection of ten classics directed by Ingmar Bergman, including Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal and Fanny and Alexander.
Documentaries also feature highly in the lineup, with Sundance Special Jury winner The Chinese Mayor following the life of the controversial mayor of Datong, Geng Yanbo, while Bikes vs Cars looks into the lives of cycling activists worldwide, and Going Clear goes into the mysterious and somewhat terrifying world of Scientology.
The first announcement includes 37 films in total, including 17 new features, ten new documentaries, and the ten Bergman classics presented by Stratton, who was director of the Sydney Film Festival from 1966 to 1983.
The 2015 Sydney Film Festival will be held from June 3 to 14, and the full 2015 program will be announced on May 6. Check out some trailers below:
Bikes vs. Cars – a snapshot of the lives of cycling activists around the world
Deathgasm – the goriest Kiwi horror since Bad Taste was a smash at this year’s SXSW:
Love and Mercy: a moving portrait of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, played by both Paul Dano and John Cusack
