I’ve been talking about nothing but the Oscars over the past two months so it’s time to get back to clean up some of the admin things I had lying around…
French Film Festival
The 2009 Alliance Francaise Film Festival is being held at the Palace Centro and Palace Barracks cinemas from March 19 to 29. There are 32 films in total and I’m sure it’ll grab the attention of those who love French cinema.
French actor Gerard Jugnot (who I remember as the start of The Chorus – the 2005 Academy Award nominated foreign language film) will be here to launch the festival this Friday at a special screening. He’ll be promoting one of his new films, Paris 36. It’s described as “an enchanting tale about a group of performers who are determined to keep their beloved theatre from closing during the increasingly turbulent days of Paris circa 1936.” For more information on the festival, you can check out http://www.frenchfilmfestival.org/home/brisbane.aspx.
The Horror, The Horror!
If you consider yourself more of a thriller lover, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) is currently hosting a retrospective of North American horror films from the 1940s and onwards. It kicked off last Friday and runs through until March 22. Some of the films include Psycho (1960), The Exorcist (1973), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978), The Silence Of The Lambs (1992), Seven (1995), Scream (1996) and American Psycho (2000). Tickets are only $8 per person and there are plenty of films there worth seeing. More details can be found at: http://qag.qld.gov.au/cinematheque/current_programs/be_afraid.
Human Rights
If I still haven’t found your genre yet, you might be keen to check out the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival being held at the Brisbane Powerhouse this weekend (March 6 and 7). One film which caught my eye was Kicking It. It’s a documentary which looks at the Homeless World Cup – an international recognised sporting event which in 2006, had over 500 homeless players competing from 48 nations. Find out more at http://www.hraff.org.au/brisbane.html.
Eric Bana In Brisbane
If you’re a fan of Eric Bana, you can catch him in Brisbane this Wednesday night (March 4) at a screening of his new Australian film, Love The Beast. It’s being held at the Palace Barracks at 6:30pm. It’s the story of one man’s 25-year love affair with his car and includes commentary from such celebrities as Jay Leno, Jeremy Clarkson and Dr Phil. You can find out more through the Palace website at http://www.palace.net.au/.
The Combination
Last week on my ABC radio program, I reviewed The Combination, a new Aussie film that’s worth a look. I was interested to read in the news today that Greater Union have banned the film from four major cinemas after violence flared amongst audience members in Parramatta over the weekend. I love movies that generate a response but this isn’t quite the response that I refer to. The film looks at a Lebanese family living in Sydney and the racial issues that they have to deal with.
Director David Field said that he is “devastated” by the decision but I see it as a potential positive. The extra media attention is sure to grab the attention of those who like a little controversy and it might boost business in other cinemas as a result. We’ll see.
That’s all for me. I’ll see you next week!