The 27th annual Flickerfest is now on its mammoth nationwide tour, visiting 47 locations across the country. There will be four carefully curated programs on offer: a cherry-picked collection of seven short films by homegrown Australian talents, a selection of the best international work from 2018's program, a line-up of 12 rib-tickling comedies, and the best European shorts.
But, should you need any more convincing, here are four reasons why this year's touring programs are unmissable.
Short film doesn't equal small storytelling
These films are as good as (or even better than) the blockbuster features you can catch at the cinema. This year's program features some real Hollywood heavyweights like Idris Elba (Five By Five, part of the Best Of International program) and Rose Byrne (Martha The Monster, part of the Best Of Australia program). Also, several of the films on this year's billing have already been shortlisted for the Oscars and several of the other major gongs from the upcoming awards season, so you can be sure you're getting the best of the best of the best of recent Australian and international filmmaking, of any length.
Think you know Australia? Think again
This year's Best Of Australia touring program explores diversity, creativity and the sheer inventiveness of Australian artists. But it also offers rare and surprising glimpses of our shared cultural psyche beyond the stock standard Australiana. For example, Genevieve Clay-Smith's Kill Off, starring American Horror Story's Jamie Brewer, which explores the unlikely friendship between a neurodiverse woman and a Sudanese refugee, brought together by their mutual love of street dance, or Two Bites, a dark comedy about the mercenary side of a family death. From feel-good flicks to biting period pieces to surreal fantasies, this local focus of seven Down Under wonders offers a totally new perspective on what it means to be Aussie Aussie Aussie.
You can see the world, no passport required
Even if you're not usually one for subtitling, don't discount foreign language films - the international program this year is one of the strongest Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd has ever assembled. These international features also offer an enlightening window on the world. The advantage of short films is that they don't require the years of fundraising and production that many feature-length films do, which means their immediacy and connection to current topics are second to none. Across all four of this year's touring programs, you'll find truly contemporary, culturally rich stories, chronicling diverse corners of the human experience that can often go unreported.
You can make a night of it
All Flickerfest's sessions are feature-length (between 95 and 117 minutes), so you can see seven-to-twelve short films over the course of a single feature-length showing. All four of this year's touring programs are built with variety in mind, with a lot of narrative and tonal contrast; light and shade, comedy and tragedy. There's also work by fledgeling filmmakers shoulder-to-shoulder with experienced directors, in a showcase that proves just how much raw talent is out there and how important shorts are to the art form of film.
Find the full tour schedule at flickerfest.com.au
