This year’s Sydney Film Festival is set to boast a number of motion pictures with Greek elements, the most notable being the official Australian premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos’ newest film ‘Kinds of Kindness’.
The 71st edition of the Festival is running from 5-16 June and will screen 197 films from 69 countries with 28 world premieres and 133 Australian premieres.
One of the most profile inclusions is arguably the new Yorgos Lanthimos picture, which has its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May.
The film is a darkly hilarious anthology that has been described as a triptych fable, and it features in its cast established Hollywood names like Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Jesse Clemons.
‘Kinds of Kindness’ is slated to be in contention for the Sydney Film Prize, which awards $60,000 to a film that demonstrates audacious, cutting-edge and courageous cinema.
Another film that is listed to be in the Official Competition for this prize is Greek French actress Ariane Labed’s directorial debut ‘September Says’.
The picture, which is based on Daisy Johnson’s novel ‘Sisters’, is also screening straight from Cannes and is a gothic psychological drama in which the closeness of two sisters becomes increasingly disruptive.
The program also includes Yannis Veslemedis’ ‘She Loved Blossoms More’, a horror/sci-fi picture that follows three brothers as they experiment with a time machine that will bring back their long-dead mother.
The other feature film with a Greek element comes in the form of Sylvie Michel’s ‘More Than Strangers’, which explores five strangers of different nationalities carpooling from Berlin to Paris as trouble ensues.
Among the drama/comedy film’s languages include Modern Greek, German, English and French.
Outside of feature films, there is also Hellenic representation among the documentary list through ‘The Battle for Laikipia’.
The documentary is directed by Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi and follows the evolution of a generations-old conflict between Indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Kenya’s Laikipia region, exploring the complexities of environmental conservation, social justice and cultural heritage in the face of modernization.
The Director of the Festival, Nashen Moodley, expressed his pride at the wide range of films they are showcasing in this year’s event.
“The 2024 selection reinforces our commitment to fostering a diverse cinematic experience, spotlighting works that engage with pressing social issues, personal stories, and transformative historical moments,” Moodley said.
NSW Minister for the Arts John Graham remarked on the significance of the Sydney Film Festival as one of the most anticipated events in the city’s cultural calendar.
“One of the reasons the festival continues to go from strength to strength is the power of going to the cinema – coming together in a shared experience of escaping day to day life, sitting down in a theatre, and looking into this kaleidoscope of human stories,” the minister said.
“There is something special about sharing that experience with hundreds other people that I believe will keep this festival going for another 71 years.”
The 71st Sydney Film Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW and Destination NSW, the Federal Government through Screen Australia and the City of Sydney.
