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Dark Place is an anthology of short, horror films by Australian Indigenous filmmakers and it’s an indictment of Australia that they don’t need to exaggerate reality much for it to be horror. Continue reading
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The Centrepiece Gala had me at ‘ukulele’ and ‘zombies’. Abe Forsyth’s zom-com doesn’t take itself too seriously and is full of laugh-out-loud dialogue and devastatingly winsome performances from Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England and a class full of kindergarten kids. Continue reading
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Except for a slight misstep in the third act, this darkly funny evisceration of violent men and mob mentality hits all the right notes (pun intended). It is a strong debut by director Mirrah Foulkes. Continue reading
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A disappointingly flat and somewhat tone-deaf treatment of an interesting topic. Continue reading
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I can’t get this film by Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) out of my head. I went to it with some trepidation after tales of mass walkouts at the Sydney Film Festival. Continue reading
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I loved Maya Newell’s Gayby Baby (2015). She has a knack of removing herself from the frame and immersing us in the intimate world of family. It can seem like a commonplace tale until you slowly realise that she is personalising key social concerns, allowing us a window into the impact of prejudice, racism and institutionalised apathy. Continue reading
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Based on the four days of terrorist attacks on Mumbai ten years ago, this Australian / Indian dramatisation keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. Continue reading
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If you’re in the mood for a feelgood Aussie flick that celebrates footy, country towns and mateship then The Merger will not disappoint. Filmed in around Wagga Wagga in the fictional town of Bodgy Creek, like its second-cousin-once-removed The Castle, it tells of underdogs fighting for a fair go. Continue reading
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This unusual and well-meaning Australian film by Ben Gilmour follows an ex-soldier as he attempts to contact the widow and children of a civilian he killed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, whilst on deployment. Continue reading
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Virtual Reality at its best immerses you in a human experience in a way that cinema can’t. Parragirls Past, Present floats you slowly through a mostly ghost-like recreation of the Parramatta Girls’ Home while former inmates – survivors – recount their stories. Continue reading
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