An impressive slew of films has just been announced as part of the 2016 Sydney Film Festival, the schedule for which is now beginning to take shape. The announcement has a bit of everything for everybody, from films created by or starring big names, indie films, avant-garde documentaries to world films.
Highlights of this two-week long cinema celebration look likely to include: a biographical documentary of 1960s enigma Janis Joplin, Janis: Little Girl Blue; the Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts get-together, the dark comedy Demolition; and an expose of an American politician who, after finally digging himself out of one sexting scandal, managed to get himself into another one. Weiner is the name of that last movie, and that’s not even a clever title: the politician in question is literally called Anthony Weiner.
There’s also Heart Of A Dog, a film by Laurie Anderson (who was married to Lou Reed until he died) that contemplates love and the meaning of companionship. Aiden Gillen, aka Littlefinger aka Tommy Carcetti (in The Wire), stars in Sing Street, an Irish film about childhood in 1980s Dublin that features a suitable backing soundtrack of the ’80s hits.
Werner Herzog will also grace us with his presence, delivering another documentary. This one’s not about depressed penguins, though. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World – a title which makes a lot of sense if you’ve ever heard the man speak – is about the evolution of the internet.
These just-announced films follow the earlier revelation of a 10-film program, curated by David Stratton, of the best works by legendary director Martin Scorsese, of which probably only two don’t feature Robert De Niro. For the Essential Scorsese program and more information about all the films and Sydney film festival, head over to the official site.
The full program for the festival will be announced on Wednesday 11 May.