The Darwin International Film Festival has launched its official program at Deckchair Cinema over the weekend. A full line-up of films, workshops and events curated by an expert panel has been announced, with this year’s program resulting in all films having their Northern Territory premieres at the festival. Countries featured include Brazil, India, Germany, Poland and more, offering Darwin audiences a wide range of films from around the world.
Featured is Australia’s Force of Destiny, directed by Paul Cox and starring David Wenham and Jacqueline McKenzie, which explores the journey of love on a live transplant waiting list. It has received much acclaim for its exploration of the human condition, and has been described as a ‘must-see.’ Another film seeing its premiere is 1000 Rupee Note, which tells the story of a poor woman’s life being shattered after she receives a gift of 1000 rupee notes. It has received several awards from the Dada Saheb Palke Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of India including the Jury Prize, Special Jury Award and a 2015 Silver Peacock.
Ned Rifle, another Australian festival premiere, is a satire by America’s Hal Hartley, and follows a man who emerges from a witness protection program with a single, fixed purpose: to kill his father for ruining his mother’s life. Other comedies featured include BODY from Poland, that explores the quirky corners of human experience and The Pigeon Sat on a Brand Reflecting on Existence, a deadpan comedy following a host of ridiculous characters.
Documentaries featured include The Wolfpack, which follows the lives of six brothers raised and home-schooled in near isolation with only movies and each other to mediate their access to the outside world. It has been awarded Best Documentary Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015, as well as the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival 2015.
Alongside these films and documentaries, the festival will run several film workshops, with film director Molly Reynolds flying in to deliver a ‘Directing Master Class’ at Happy Yess. Reynolds has become known for her documentaries, as well as screen-based storytelling and digital media production, and will be presenting a workshop on creating and crafting documentaries. Also featured is a workshop from Don McAlpine, an award winning cinematographer with a long list of international successes.
The Darwin International Film Festival runs from the 16-23rd September. For more information, and the full line-up, visit the festival’s website: www.darwinfilmfest.com.au
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