PRESENTS
EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
PLAN YOUR WEEK
TICKETS
All films are at Event Cinemas unless otherwise noted
GENERAL ADMISSION $18 STUDENTS & SENIORS $16 NO BOOKING FEE! BOOK ONLINE PWFF14.EVENTBRITE.COM.AU BY PHONE (BUSINESS HOURS): 9550 2266
THU 7 AUG
WED 13 AUG
6:30pm 1987 + opening night drinks from 6pm
6:30pm DIVIDE IN CONCORD + Q&A
FRI 8 AUG
THU 14 AUG
6:30pm THE GRAND SEDUCTION
6:30pm THE MEND
SAT 9 AUG
FRI 15 AUG
1pm THE AUCTION 4pm TRIPTYCH 6:30pm BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY
6:30pm THE HEART MACHINE 8:30pm AIR SEX: THE MOVIE + free beer from 8pm 9pm TOM AT THE FARM (Golden Age Cinema & Bar)
SUN 10 AUG 4pm WHEN JEWS WERE FUNNY 6:30pm TOM AT THE FARM
MON 11 AUG 6:30pm OUR MAN IN TEHRAN
TUE 12 AUG 6:30pm YOUNG ONES + film trivia in the Festival Bar
2
SAT 16 AUG 4pm I ORIGINS 6:30pm FAULTS 8:30pm THE DIRTIES
Tickets will also be available at the door from one hour prior. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Event Cinemas George Street Sydney 505–525 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, Sydney 2010
Possible Worlds Film Festival
Instagram Social Icon
@possibleworlds #PWFF14 share’n is care’n
Visit www.possibleworlds.net.au for ticketing updates, giveaways & latest news. Films start at the advised time, unless otherwise stated. All festival films (unless otherwise noted) are restricted to persons over 18 years of age. This relates to the requirements of holding a film festival, as set by the Classification Board, and is not necessarily a reflection of the films’ content. @mrkylemac
SUN 17 AUG 4pm MIRACULUM 6:30pm LAND HO! + awards ceremony & drinks from 6pm
3
1987
THE GRAND SEDUCTION
THU 7 AUG 6PM DRINKS, 6:30PM FILM
FRI 8 AUG 6:30PM
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR RICARDO TROGI| CANADA, 2014, 105 MIN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES WITH SIMON PIGEON, ÉLÉONORE LAMOTHE, SANDRINE BISSON
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR DON MCKELLAR | CANADA, 2014, 113 MIN WITH TAYLOR KITSCH, BRENDAN GLEESON, GORDON PINSENT
It’s the summer of 1987 and 17 year old Ricardo’s to-do list is as follows: hang out with his mates, get into bars, find a car, open a nightclub and loose his virginity. Unable to hold down a job, Ricardo adds “becoming a smalltime crook”, which is when his summer plans begin to go awry… Set to an excellent 80s soundtrack and tackling all of the hilariously awkward moments that come with being a teenager but wanting to be treated like an adult, 1987 is a light-hearted comedy that refuses to take itself too seriously. JOIN US FROM 6PM FOR COMPLIMENTARY OPENING NIGHT DRINKS 4
A small, failing fishing village needs to procure a local GP to secure a lucrative business contract, so when unlikely candidate and big city doctor Paul Lewis lands in their lap for a trial residence, the townsfolk rally together to seduce him into staying with a series of increasingly complicated and outlandish tricks and schemes. Set against the stunning coastline of Newfoundland, this laugh-outloud comedy is also a charming humanist fable about community spirit, led by warmly charismatic performances by Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch. FESTIVALS: TORONTO, SEATTLE 2014
5
THE AUCTION (LE DEMANTELEMENT)
TRIPTYCH (TRIPTYQUE)
BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY
WHEN JEWS WERE FUNNY
SAT 9 AUG 1PM
SAT 9 AUG 4PM
SAT 9 AUG 6:30PM
SUN 10 AUG 4PM
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR SÉBASTIAN PILOTE | CANADA, 2013, 111 MIN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES WITH GABRIEL ARCAND, GILLES RENAUD, LUCIE LAURIER
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR ROBERT LEPAGE & PEDRO PIRES CANADA, 2013, 94 MIN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | WITH BILL CROFT, LISE CASTONGUAY, FRÉDÉRIKE BÉDARD
SYDNEY PREMIERE DIR GITA PULLPILLY & ARON GAUDET USA, 2013, 116 MIN | WITH CALLEN MCAULIFFE, EMORY COHEN, AIDAN GILLEN
DOCUMENTARY | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR ALAN ZWEIG | CANADA, 2013, 89 MIN
While the economic crisis is forcing many farmers to sell their property, ageing sheep farmer Gaby resists the pressure to give up, staying devoted to the upkeep of the farm, in the family for generations. But when his daughter, long since moved to Montreal, asks for financial help, he is faced with a difficult decision. Told simply through finely calibrated performances and elegant cinematography, The Auction is not just a precise portrait of a vanishing world but also a moving yet unsentimental story about legacy and responsibility.
Inspired from his own stage play Lipsynch (a hit at the 2009 Sydney Festival), Robert Lepage’s Triptych is a contemporary urban saga told in three portraits: Michelle, a troubled bookseller, her sister Marie, a jazz singer, and Thomas, a German neurologist. These intertwined lives resonate first with each other, then with our own, as Lepage—Canada’s preeminent theatre artist—explores themes of memory, identity and ability, alternating deeply involving philosophical reflections with jaw-dropping cinematic tableaux. The result is an artistic puzzle which, once completed, paints a thoroughly rewarding—and inspired—picture.
FESTIVALS: CANNES, CANADIAN SCREEN AWARD 2014 (BEST ACTOR)
FESTIVALS: TORONTO, BERLIN 2014 6
Casper and Dominic have been fiercely loyal friends since childhood. Desperate for a way out of their quiet town on the Maine-Canada border, the boys make a pact to pool their earnings on a car and hit the road. When Casper is drawn into drug smuggling to pay his share, Dominic (a standout performance by Sydney actor Callan McAuliffe) is forced to make some hard choices and this authentic portrait of small-town American life becomes a riveting coming- of- age thriller. FESTIVALS: TORONTO, TRIBECA 2014
Insightful and often hilarious, the latest from acclaimed documentarian Alan Zweig unpacks a long tradition of Jewish comedy, with priceless interviews and jokes by the legends of comedy, whose introspection and self-deprecation paved the way for Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Sarah Silverman. Linking Jewish humour with persecution and outsider status, Zweig asks how humour has evolved and what it says about the world we now live in. Tackling the unruly question of what it means to be Jewish, this relaxed and conversational film is filled with provocations, touching stories, hilarious anecdotes and laugh-out-loud jokes. FESTIVALS: TORONTO (BEST CANADIAN FILM), NEW YORK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2014 7
TOM AT THE FARM (TOM A LA FERME)
OUR MAN IN TEHRAN
YOUNG ONES
DIVIDE IN CONCORD
TUE 12 AUG 6:30PM
WED 13 AUG 6:30PM
SUN 10 AUG 6:30PM
MON 11 AUG 6:30PM
DIR XAVIER DOLAN | CANADA, 2013, 102 MIN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES WITH XAVIER DOLAN, PIERRE-YVES CARDINAL, LISE ROY
DOCUMENTARY | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR DREW TAYLOR & LARRY WEINSTEIN | CANADA, 2013, 85 MIN
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR JAKE PALTROW | USA-SOUTH AFRICA, 2014, 100 MIN | WITH NICHOLAS HOULT, MICHAEL SHANNON, ELLE FANNING,
DOCUMENTARY | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR KRIS KACZOR & DAVE REGOS USA, 2014, 82 MIN
After the death of his lover Guillaume, Tom travels to rural Quebec for the funeral, to stay with the grieving family. Upon his arrival it is clear the mother was unaware of her son’s sexual orientation, while the imposing older brother Francis bullies Tom to keep quiet. Tom and Francis begin a perilous game of suppressed desire and intimidation in this Hitchcockian psychological chiller. In Xavier Dolan’s rural noir, romance, repression and violence make thrilling bedfellows. FESTIVALS: VENICE, LONDON, SYDNEY 2014 REPEAT SCREENING FRI 15 AUG 9PM 8
Our Man in Tehran revisits the true story behind Ben Affleck’s Hollywood film Argo, setting the story straight about the role played by Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor in hiding six American diplomats during the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979. With access to key players and footage, this enthralling documentary sheds new light on secret dealings between the US and Canadian governments and the covert planning of the military rescue. The filmmakers deftly summon a moment in our history where the entire world seemingly held its breath, proving that truth can be more entertaining than fiction. FESTIVALS: TORONTO, VANCOUVER, FULL FRAME 2014
Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee leads an all-star cast in this inventive post-apocalyptic Western, strikingly shot (in South Africa) by cinematographer Giles Nuttgens. Set in a lawless world where water has become a sought-after commodity, a frontier family is torn apart when their land is coveted by ruthless neighbours. A future cult film with a real drive-in feel, this Sundance hit is a grippingly original take on themes of the Old West—sin, guilt, power, corruption, vengeance and redemption—and a tribute to the heyday of ‘70s American science fiction.
GENRE MOVIE TRIVIA AT 8:15PM IN THE FESTIVAL BAR!
84 year-old Jean Hill is a concerned citizen on a crusade to take down a multi-billion dollar industry. It begins in the historic town of Concord, Massachusetts, where patriots once sparked a Revolution that defined democracy and where Thoreau’s Walden once incited environmental activism and civil disobedience. In her bid to ban the sale of bottled water in her town, Jean hopes to raise awareness for plastic pollution in our oceans. Her riveting story is a test of individuals’ ability to effect profound social change and an insightful portrait of small-town America. FESTIVALS: HOT DOCS 2014 DAVE REGOS WILL TAKE PART IN A Q&A AFTER THE SCREENING! 9
10
THE MEND
THE HEART MACHINE
AIR SEX: THE MOVIE
I ORIGINS
THU 14 AUG 6:30PM
FRI 15 AUG 6:30PM
SAT 16 AUG 4PM
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR JOHN MAGARY | USA, 2014, 110 MIN WITH JOSH LUCAS, STEPHEN PLUNKETT, MICKEY SUMNER
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR ZACHARY WIGON | USA, 2014, 85 MIN WITH JOHN GALLAGHER JR, KATE LYN SHEIL
FRI 15 AUG 8PM DRINKS, 8:30PM FILM
Mat is as wild and unpredictable as his brother Alan is responsible and settled. The night before Alan and his girlfriend Farrah go on holiday, Mat shows up uninvited at their Harlem apartment. When Alan returns alone and sooner than expected, he finds Mat is still there, and a strange cohabitation begins. The broken adults who make up The Mend’s extended dysfunctional family are well-drawn complex characters with real chemistry, brought to life in a fast and furious film electrified with madcap energy. This singular vision heralds a bold new talent in writer-director John Magary.
Cody (The Newsroom’s John Gallagher Jr.) lives in Brooklyn, Virginia (House of Cards’ Kate Lyn Sheil) is in Berlin. They met online and spend late nights falling for each other through Skype. They seem to have that rare thing: a functioning longdistance relationship. Or do they? Before long, Cody begins to suspect Virginia may in fact be a lot closer than she claims... Filled with insights into physical and emotional intimacy in a world mediated by technology and social media, The Heart Machine is entirely of its time: a smart, brilliantly acted love story that unfolds like a heart-pounding lo- fi thriller.
FESTIVALS: SXSW 2014 (OFFICIAL COMPETITION)
FESTIVALS: SXSW 2014 (OFFICIAL COMPETITION)
DOCUMENTARY | WORLD PREMIERE DIR JONATHAN EVANS | USA, 2014, 90 MIN
What is Air Sex? Think Air Guitar, but instead of pretending to play an invisible instrument, players pretend to have sexual encounters with an imaginary partner (or partners). A mix of sport, comedy, storytelling and improv’, Air Sex is fast becoming a phenomenon on the American comedy circuit. This rude and riotous documentary follows New Orleans comedian and Air Sex host Chris Trew around the US as he attempts to convince crowds of excited, confused and inebriated audience members to join in on the bizarre and hilarious spectacle, climaxing in the outrageous Air Sex Championship finals. JOIN US FOR FREE BEER FROM 8PM
SYDNEY PREMIERE DIR MIKE CAHILL | USA, 2014, 113 MIN WITH MICHAEL PITT, BRIT MARLING, ASTRID BERGÈS-FRISBEY
Human eye expert Dr. Ian Gray falls for a young French woman at a party. Theirs is a wild, passionate love affair, in spite of contrasting scientific and spiritual beliefs. Years later, Ian and his lab partner make a dramatic discovery which leads Ian to put family and career at risk, travelling to India to validate a world-changing theory. This Sundance winner weaves together the emotional and the scientific in an ambitious metaphysical drama carried by a star turn from Michael Pitt (The Dreamers, Funny Games): unpredictable, compelling and thought-provoking right until the post-credits sequence. FESTIVALS: SUNDANCE, KARLOVY VARY 2014
11
FAULTS
THE DIRTIES
MIRACULUM
LAND HO!
SAT 16 AUG 6:30PM
SAT 16 AUG 8:30PM
SUN 17 AUG 4PM
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR RILEY STEARNS | USA, 2014, 89 MIN WITH MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD LELAND ORSER
SYDNEY PREMIERE DIR MATT JOHNSON | CANADA, 2013, 83 MIN | WITH MATT JOHNSON, OWEN WILLIAMS
Claire is under the grip of a mysterious cult known as Faults. Claire’s desperate parents set out to recruit mind control expert Ansel Roth to abduct and deprogram her. Washed out, in debt and in trouble, Ansel agrees. But Claire reveals herself to be a formidable challenge. As it cunningly evolves from black comedy to psychological thriller, Faults remains utterly compelling thanks to a clever script (on the 2013 Black List of unproduced screenplays) and brilliant chemistry between rising star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) and character actor Leland Orser (Se7en, Taken).
Movie geeks and best friends Matt and Owen are constant targets for a group of high school bullies they call “The Dirties”. Assigned a class project, they set out to shoot a hilarious film, sending up their oppressors. Soon the high-school comedy turns into a revenge movie as tensions build and the line between fiction and reality blurs. Original and brutally honest, The Dirties is a complex and gripping story of friendship, obsession and violence. It injects raw energy, gut- wrenching chills and the blackest of humour into an increasingly stale and preachy genre.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DIR DANIEL GROU | CANADA, 2014, 110 MIN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES WITH XAVIER DOLAN, ANNE DORVAL, MARILYN CASTONGUAY
SUN 17 AUG 6PM DRINKS, 6:30PM FILM
FESTIVALS: SXSW 2014
12
FESTIVALS: SLAMDANCE (BEST FILM) AUSTIN FANTASTIC FEST (BEST FILM)
An expertly constructed ensemble drama in the vein of Magnolia or Lantana, Miraculum hops backwards and forwards in time, shifting its focus across the interlocking lives of eight Montreal residents on the cusp of life-changing decisions. At its centre is a spectacular and tragic plane crash whose narrative ripples are not fully understood until the final frames. The colourful characters—including a Jehova’s Witness, a lustful bartender and a drug runner—come alive with great performances from a cast which includes acclaimed Quebec actors Xavier Dolan, Marilyn Castonguay and Julien Poulin. FESTIVALS: QUEBEC FILM FESTIVAL 2014 (OPENING NIGHT)
SYDNEY PREMIERE DIR AARON KATZ & MARTHA STEPHENS USA-ICELAND, 2014, 95 MIN WITH PAUL EENHOORN, EARL LYNN NELSON
Colin is a gentle soft-spoken Australian whose life is tainted by regret, Mitch is a lewd American loudmouth who lives in the now. These two aging buddies set off to Iceland in an attempt to reclaim their youth on a tour of Reykjavik nightclubs, trendy spas and rugged campsites. Their seemingly uneventful journey is rich with good conversation and subtle insights. Beautifully shot in dazzling landscapes, this unassuming road movie is a witty throwback to ‘80s buddy comedies and a rumination on friendship and what makes life worth living. JOIN US FROM 6PM FOR COMPLIMENTARY CLOSING NIGHT DRINKS & AWARDS CEREMONY 13
AWARDS The jury awards for Best American Film and Best Canadian Film will be announced on August 17th at the Closing Night screening of Land Ho!
SPONSORS PRESENTING PARTNER
GOVERNMENT PARTNER
MAJOR PARTNER
MARKETING PARTNERS
AUDIENCE AWARD PRESENTER
VENUE PARTNER
Rate each film you see at the Festival and get your vote in for the World Movies Audience Award for Best Film! For every vote you’ll go into a draw to win 2 x $1000 vouchers to be used towards a 2015 Cosmos USA/Canada tour of choice.
CANBERRA & PERTH
OFFICIAL BEER
Selected titles will screen at Dendy Canberra Centre and The Jaffa Room in Perth. Visit www.possibleworlds.net.au for full line-up.
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
TEAM DIRECTOR Mathieu Ravier | FESTIVAL MANAGER Karina Libbey MARKETING & SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR Patricia Laksmono FESTIVAL COORDINATOR Samuel Hilton | SOCIAL MEDIA Melba Proestos PERTH COORDINATOR Matthew Darch | INTERN Katherine Yau The Festivalists LTD | www.thefestivalists.com admin@thefestivalists.com | 02 9550 2266 PUBLICITY Cardinal Spin (www.cardinalspin.com.au) DESIGN Alexandra De Bonis (www.dailyhabits.co) 14
THANK YOU Adrian Lugg, Alexandra De Bonis, Amber Forrest-Bisley, Anthony Kierann, Catriona Smith, Charlie McCagh, Christian Schweitzer, Christiane Lake, Consulate General of the United States Sydney, Craig Donarski, Damin Murdock, Diane Yanire, David Rokach, Domenika Theissen, Embassy of the United States Canberra, Event Cinemas Team, Geraldine Co, Ika de Detrich, Jason Flaming, Jason Frohnmayer, Jeff Purser, Kate Jinx, Kylie Edwards, Kathryn Craig, Kirsty Esson, Larin Sullivan, Leigh Small, Mario Ste Marie, Mary Lou Hayman, Nashen Moodley, Nigel Balm, OzDox, Paul Struthers, Quebec Oz Club, Richard Welch, Sharon Pinney, Stephanie Outteridge, The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, our special guests, members of the jury and all our volunteers. 15