Sydney Film Festival Whets Appetites With First Flicks For 2017

The Sydney Film Festival returns for its 64th annual event this June and, to set tongues wagging ahead of its arrival, organisers have lifted the veil on nearly 30 of the event's more-than-200-strong list of movies set to screen over its 11-day duration.

Leading the charge of SFF flicks is eagerly awaited documentary Whitney: Can I Be Me, the director of which — Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney, Biggie & Tupac) — has also been revealed as the first guest and masterclass mentor at this year's event.

Also ringing high-profile bells among the line-up are The Woman Who Left, an award-winning drama from Filipino independent filmmaker Lav Diaz, and 'non-traditional horror' A Ghost Story, starring Rooney Mara.

True stories occupy a prominent place in this year's film offerings, including the Samuel L. Jackson-narrated I Am Not Your Negro; an exploration of controversial South African figurehead Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in Winnie; Maud Lewis biopic Maudie, starring Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins; and Rumble: Indians Who Rocked The World, a "celebratory examination of Native American musicians and their role in the development of American popular music".

There's a solid contingent of Australian and New Zealand films filling the ranks too, including local indie flick That's Not Me, starring Isabel Lucas and Alice Foulcher; a new documentary from Jennifer Peedom, director of 2015's acclaimed Sherpa, titled Mountain; the confronting, controversial The Opposition, directed by Hollie Fifer; and Spookers, which goes inside the southern hemisphere's largest horror theme park, run by a New Zealand family.

There's also acclaimed flick The Untamed, from director Amat Escalante; Cannes Best Director Prize winner Graduation, from Cristian Mungiu; the Ellen Page, Nick Offerman and Will Forte-starring My Life As A Zucchini; "Malaysia's answer to Kill Bill", Mrs K, and tonnes more.

Alongside the 14 new features and 13 new documentaries — which include 16 Australian premieres — announced today, there will also be a screening of John Landis' cult favourite An American Werewolf In London, which will run at the Skyline Drive In on Friday 16 June.

This year's SFF will also welcome Randwick's Ritz Cinema to the ranks of event venues, along with returning spaces at The State Theatre, Dendy Opera Quays, the Art Gallery of NSW, Event Cinemas George Street, the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Dendy Newtown, Casula Powerhouse and the Skyline, with Sydney Town Hall serving as the festival's hub.

The full festival program will be announced on Wednesday 10 May at 11am.

The 2017 Sydney Film Festival will run from 7-18 June. Flexipasses and festival subscriptions are available now.

See the full list of preview films unveiled today below, and head to the Sydney Film Festival's website for more information.

Sydney Film Festival 2017 — Preview List

Documentaries

Abacus: Small Enough To Jail
Directed by Steve James

I Am Not Your Negro
Directed by Raoul Peck

Liberation Day
Directed by Morten Traavik & Ugis Olte

Motherland
Directed by Ramona S Diaz

Mountain
Directed by Jennifer Peedom

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World
Directed by Catherine Bainbridge & Alfonso Maiorana

Spookers
Directed by Florian Habicht

The Opposition
Directed by Hollie Fifer

Untitled
Direced by Michael Glawogger & Monika Willi

Waiting For Giraffes
Directed by Marco de Stefanis

Whitney: Can I Be Me
Directed by Nick Broomfield & Rudi Dolezal

Winnie
Directed by Pascale Lamche

Features

A Ghost Story
Directed by David Lowery

An American Werewolf In London
Directed by John Landis

God's Own Country
Directed by Francis Lee

Graduation
Directed by Cristian Mungiu

Hotel Salvation
Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani

Maudie
Directed by Aisling Walsh

Mrs K
Directed by Ho Yuhang

My Life As A Zucchini
Directed by Claude Barras

Nowhere To Hide
Directed by Zaradasht Ahmed

Pop Aye
Directed by Kirsten Tan

Sexy Durga
Directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

Spoor
Directed by Agnieszka Holland

That's Not Me
Directed by Gregory Erdstein

The Untamed
Directed by Amat Escalante

The Woman Who Left
Directed by Lav Diaz

Wolf & Sheep
Directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat