Embrace the colour and energy of Mexico and party like Frida and Diego at AFF’s Opening Weekend Gala & Party, following the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival award-winning gangster-trans-musical, Emilia Perez. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez.
Gala Events
Based on the true story of Australian war correspondent Peter Greste’s imprisonment in Egypt in 2013, The Correspondent is a gripping biographical thriller, a story about the brutal war on truth. Join special guests at the AFF 2024 Opening Night Gala to mark the world premiere.
Director:
Kriv Stenders
Country:
Australia
A struggling Hollywood actress returns home to beautiful Kangaroo Island where she confronts some ugly family truths.
Director:
Timothy David
Country:
Australia
Special Presentations
Anora
Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2024, Anora reimagines Pretty Woman in a thrilling tragicomedy by Sean Baker. Anora, a young sex worker, marries a Russian oligarch's son, only to face his powerful family. Mikey Madison and Mark Eidelstein deliver electrifying performances in this must-see film celebrating womanhood.
Blitz
Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety. George, defiant and determined to return home, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril.
Dying
Dying, an award-winning Berlinale film, is a searing drama that dives into the complicated relationships of the Lunies family. As the son Tom, a conductor, grapples with his best friend's depression and his ex's request to parent her child, his sister Ellen's struggles ignite a volatile reunion.
Piece by Piece
The life of influential music producer and singer Pharrell Williams told through LEGO® animation. Piece by Piece invites you turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music’s most innovative minds. Directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville.
Nightbitch
A woman, thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler, becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre signs that she may be turning into a dog. Starring Amy Adams and based on the acclaimed debut novel by Rachel Yoder.
Country Spotlight India
All We Imagine as Light
All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, makes history as the first Indian film in competition at Cannes in 30 years, the first by an Indian female filmmaker and the first Indian Grand Prix winner. The film follows two Mumbai nurses who escape relationship pressures and find renewal in a seaside town.
In the Belly of a Tiger
An elderly farmer and his family return home to their village after trying to make money in the city, only to find it destitute and ruled by exploitative employers and a hungry tiger. Both the greedy employers and the tiger are protected by the government, but only the death at the hands of one will provide compensation.
Boong
With inspiration from pop idol Madonna, Boong plans to surprise his mother with a gift, leaving his home in Manipur taking enormous risks believing he can bring back his absent father. Defying borders, racial tensions and school obligations with his best friend Raju, the two boys set out to reunite Boong’s family.
Nocturnes
Nocturnes immerses you in the hidden world of Eastern Himalayan moths, winning the Sundance 2024 Special Jury Award for Craft. Follow ecologists, scientist Mansi and Indigenous assistant Bicki from the Bugun community, as they study Hawk moths, revealing their mysteries through stunning cinematography and soundscapes. This documentary raises vital questions about global warming and biodiversity.
Second Chance
Heartbroken and scared, Nia retreats to her family’s summer home in the Himalayas after experiencing the first major trauma of her young life. Amidst the snow-covered mountains, with little phone reception, she turns to the company of the caretaker’s mother-in-law, Bhemi, and her grandson, Sunny. With time, the inescapable ruggedness of nature, and unlikely friendships, Nia begins to heal.
Free Events
Wirltuti Season Launch
Samstag Museum of Art
Join us for a drink and music in Fenn Place to celebrate the launch of the Samstag/Adelaide Film Festival Moving Image commissions.
Archie Moore in Conversation
Screen Conversation
Join us for a conversation about film with Archie Moore, the 2024 Art and Moving Image feature artist and Golden Lion winner at the Venice Biennale, and AFF CEO and Creative Director Mat Kesting.
Animation: Contextualising Australia's Mini-Boom
Screen Conversation
Join Ken Anderson, co-founder of Wild Child Animation, UK, Leela Varghese and various filmmakers in conversation about Australia's animation mini-boom, witnessed by the production of Memoir of a Snail, Magic Beach and Lesbian Space Princess.
Documentary: Where Real Life and Cinematic Artifice Meet
Screen Conversation
Hear how the directors of three feature documentaries in AFF 2024 approached their subject and, in the process, learn about hummingbirds, the Nimbin Aquarius Festival, and making and using songs in films. Join panellists Sally Aitken (Every Little Thing), Shalom Almond (Songs Inside) and Wendy Champagne (Aquarius).
Screen Industry Talk moderated by Sandy George
Screen Conversation
Meet funders and other special guests for industry conversations over breakfast, with a focus on financing and legal models, new directions, and opportunities.
Making Debut Films: Scripts, Risks, Joys and Challenges
Screen Conversation
Join AFFIF filmmakers Kelly Schilling (With or Without You), Sally Gifford (Kangaroo Island), Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese (Lesbian Space Princess) in conversation about the making of their debut features.
Hanlon Larsen Screen Fellowship: Strega Launch Event
Strega launch event with Peter Hanlon and director Tiah Trimboli.
Drinks available for purchase and a chance to view The Gallery installation before formal introductions from Peter Hanlon, Tiah Trimboli and an AFF representative to share details about the Fellowship and officially open the film.
Free admission, bookings required.
Films in Competition
Went Up the Hill
Jack travels to remote New Zealand to attend the funeral of his estranged mother, where he meets her grieving widow, Jill. But his mother’s spirit returns, inhabiting both Jack and Jill - instigating a life-threatening three-way nocturnal dance.
Good One
17-year-old Sam joins her dad and his oldest friend on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills. While the two men quickly settle into a brotherly dynamic, airing grievances and mid-life crises, Sam observes as the thoughtful “good one”. Against the backdrop of the lush beauty of upstate New York, Sam struggles with her dad’s emotional limitations and slowly becomes disillusioned with her relationship with the two men.
Ink Wash
The debut feature from director Sarra Tsorakidis follows artist Lena (Ilinca Hărnuț) as she recovers from a difficult break up. Commissioned to paint murals during the refurbishment of a luxury brutalist hotel in a Romanian forest, she discovers that the only way out of the woods is by going through them.
In the Belly of a Tiger
An elderly farmer and his family return home to their village after trying to make money in the city, only to find it destitute and ruled by exploitative employers and a hungry tiger. Both the greedy employers and the tiger are protected by the government, but only the death at the hands of one will provide compensation.
Three Days of Fish
Gerrie flies home to Rotterdam, Netherlands to reluctantly reunite with his oddball son, Dick. Written and directed by Peter Hoogendoorn, Three Days of Fish is a witty father-son portrait that was presented in competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Homegrown
Homegrown follows three alt-right men determined to see Donald Trump re-elected in 2020. As their frustration escalates after his loss, one joins the January 6th Capitol insurrection. This gripping documentary reveals the dangerous consequences of radicalism and the threat it poses to American democracy.
I'm Not Everything I Want to Be
A young female photographer escapes the oppressive forces of Soviet-era Czechoslovakia, using her camera as a means of self-expression and liberation. Told through thousands of mostly black and white still photographs and excerpts from her diary, I’m Not Everything I Want to Be captures the spirit of the times.
Aquarius
Aquarius is a captivating documentary by Wendy Champagne, delving into the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival. Through rare archival footage and compelling interviews, it showcases how this extraordinary event transformed a community and sparked enduring activism in Australia. A must-see for history and counterculture enthusiasts.
Simon and Marianne
Simon and Marianne is a deeply moving documentary that explores love, loss, and the fragility of life. Through stunning cinematography and raw honesty, the film invites us into the final months of a couple confronting terminal illness, leaving us to reflect on what truly matters.
The Wolves Always Come at Night
In this intimate hybrid film, a young nomadic couple in Mongolia are in the midst of their animals’ birthing season when a devastating storm strikes. Forced to leave their home they must adapt to their new life in the city without their animals.
Dust to Dust
Only the second Japanese designer invited to Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, Yuima Nakazato is known for his ethereal designs and dressing music stars like Lady Gaga. With his next collection he is driven to merge his artistic vision with green technology. Starting in the landfills of Kenya, he plans a radical reimagining of fashion.
Every Little Thing
Every Little Thing follows retired writer and teacher Terry Masear over a summer as she takes in and rehabilitates injured hummingbirds. Shot with stunning close-ups of the birds against the backdrop of Masear’s storied life, this film is a mediation on human-animal relationships and our capacity for care.
I Am the River, the River Is Me
I Am the River, the River Is Me follows a five-day canoe journey along Aotearoa/New Zealand's Whanganui River, the first river in the world to gain legal personhood. Guided by a Māori guardian, this visually stunning documentary explores the river’s profound impact on Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship.
Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics
All plastic breaks down to become microplastics then drifts in the air, floats in bodies of water and mixes with the earth. Acclaimed science journalist Ziya Tong interviews global scientists, confirming we are all becoming plastic!
Union
Union is an electrifying documentary that captures the intense struggle to unionize Amazon. Following a fired worker’s fight against the corporate giant, the film unveils the power of collective action and the internal challenges that could make or break their movement. A must-see for its raw, inspiring impact.
AFF Investment Fund Films
We Bury the Dead
Writer/director Zak Hilditch delivers a chilling, survival thriller that breathes new life into the apocalyptic zombie genre. Starring Daisy Ridley, (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens), Brenton Thwaites and Mark Coles Smith, We Bury The Dead delivers unexpected twists that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
Lesbian Space Princess
Introverted space princess Saira is unexpectedly dumped by her girlfriend Kiki for being too needy. But when Kiki is kidnapped by the Straight White Maliens, they demand the one thing Saira doesn’t have: the most powerful weapon known to lesbian kind – her royal labrys.
Make It Look Real
A pioneering intimacy coordinator is hired to guide three actors through the process of simulating sex for a new Australian film, Tightrope.
One Mind, One Heart
When a historic Yirrkala bark petition is found in Derby, Western Australia, the community begin the ceremony of guiding its journey back to Yolngu Country. The repatriation provides the opportunity to track the long political campaign — through petition, song, dance, campaigning — to keep culture strong and to have a voice for country.
With or Without You
With or Without You tells the moving mother-daughter story of Chloe (Melina Vidler) and her free-spirited, alcoholic mother, Sharon (Marta Dusseldorp). When their lives intersect with Dalu (Albert Mwangi), a West African man, they find themselves on a journey of emotional discovery.
Songs Inside
A group of incarcerated women sign up to learn an instrument and write their own songs, as part of a unique music program in an Australian prison. The process opens deep scars around trauma and addiction, but can they prove that music has the universal power to heal, even in the complex world of prison? Join Nancy Bates, members of the Songbirds and ASO for a special performance accompanying the world premiere.
Music on Film
Devo
Devo explores the ground-breaking journey of the band behind Whip It, tracing their rise from an experimental group to music pioneers. Directed by Chris Smith, this documentary unveils rare footage and new interviews, showcasing Devo's profound influence on music, art, and pop culture.
Dig! XX
More music, more commentary and even more fights in this epic tale of rock ’n’ roll, reworked for the 20th anniversary. Ondi Timoner’s ground-breaking documentation of dueling rock bands The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre is introduced to new audiences in this extended edition of the cult classic, Dig! XX.
Teaches of Peaches
Winner of the 2024 Berlinale Teddy Award, this documentary showcases Peaches' talent, activism and influence. Following the 20th Anniversary tour of her album The Teaches of Peaches, the film features stunning live performances and delves into her beginnings. With interviews from Feist, Chilly Gonzales and Shirley Manson, it celebrates Peaches' revolutionary impact.
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
One of the most acclaimed and original documentaries of the year, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat explores the events leading to the assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba in 1961. Featuring jazz legends Nina Simone and Louis Armstrong, it intertwines political intrigue with cultural vibrancy, highlighting the era's intense emotions.
Piece by Piece
The life of influential music producer and singer Pharrell Williams told through LEGO® animation. Piece by Piece invites you turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music’s most innovative minds. Directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville.
Songs Inside
A group of incarcerated women sign up to learn an instrument and write their own songs, as part of a unique music program in an Australian prison. The process opens deep scars around trauma and addiction, but can they prove that music has the universal power to heal, even in the complex world of prison? Join Nancy Bates, members of the Songbirds and ASO for a special performance accompanying the world premiere.
Shorts
Made in SA
A celebration of the best in South Australian short filmmaking.
Australian Shorts
Celebrating local emerging filmmakers, our Australian Shorts strand highlights innovative and passionate local storytelling.
Queer Shorts
Celebrating the best in LGBTQIA+ short filmmaking.
Animated Shorts
A celebration of the best in Animated short filmmaking from Australia and around the world.
World Shorts
A celebration of the best in World Cinema short filmmaking.
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Country Spotlight: India
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Screen Conversations
