Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Revelation Perth International Film Festival


It seems strange to me that I hadn't really heard of this event before. It's one of the problems with Perth I think, if you're not listening to local pop radio or reading the free music press you have no idea what's going on around the city.

The RPIFF has being going in one form or another since 1990. It's current format includes music, visual art, shorts, documentaries as well as feature films. Their website blurb states

Revelation was (and still is) concerned with the conservative nature of film distribution and exhibition practice in Australia. It has always sought to deliberately challenge current marketplace modes and biases through unusual and contextualised screening concepts, focused curation and active interaction with industry guilds, independent curators, the academic community and other Arts related activity and practitioners. The event has also always maintained a playful approach to both its programming and audience. Areas of pop and youth culture have always figured heavily in Revelation programs alongside some of the most individual and acclaimed works from the local and international scene. Whatever your taste though, Revelation seeks to challenge audiences and the industry itself with vibrant, individual, unusual, passionate and committed works.

As you can see they like to use their own name quite a lot in their blurb. But on a serious note it's a worthy mission statement.

My interest in the festival is the feature films as I have never really felt the need to watch short films or documentaries in cinemas. There's something about watching "real people" in movies or on TV that makes me very uncomfortable. I've never been able to put my finger on it but it's something I might have to look in to at some point. Needless to say that when the news has eyewitness accounts from passersby I tend to switch channels.

My initial picks (before factoring the need to go to work instead of the cinema) were:
A little Australian film titled LBF (on the website but it's full name is Life Between Fucks,)
Irish crime drama Charlie Casanova,
Ben Wheatley's followup to Down Terrace, Kill List,
the new (and I'm very excited about this) film from Takeshi Kitano AutoReiji,
Philip K. Dick adaptation Radio Free Albemuth,
Coenesque American Indie Small Town Murder Songs,
debut directorial effort from The I.T. Crowd's Moz, Submarine,
possible mumblecore film from Zach Clark, Vacation!
Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur has been highly praised.

However with scheduling conflicts and financial requirements it looks like I may be bringing you news from just a few of them. This Friday Kill List plays at 11pm, which is about 2 hours after my preferred bedtime these days but after Down Terrace I'm willing to go to great lengths for a Ben Wheatley film. Charlie Casanova plays Monday and I have my fingers crossed I can get across the city in time. Vacation! plays next Friday, Small Town Murder Songs Saturday and Autoreiji closes the festival for me next Sunday.

Seeing 5 films at the cinema in a week is pretty big for me these days, I may be a little out of practice but I did get quite used to seeing three films in one day a little while ago so I shall do my best.

Do I actually have any Perth readers yet? Anyone heard of this festival before and making a trip to Perth for it? Is there anything I've missed that you would recommend? Leave me a blah why don't you.

4 comments:

  1. Some interesting titles there, a couple I wasn't aware of, looking forward to reading your thoughts on them.

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  2. Cool Toby!! You are so lucky to have a film festival where you are. I wish and long for one in my home City...but alas....

    I look forward to hearing the results.

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  3. custard - seems you and i suffer from the same thing, lack of awareness of the local events. http://www.cine-city.co.uk/festival-2010/about-the-festival/ this is just for you my friend.

    bt - thank you, hopefully i will give you a little inspiration as payback for all the films you've inspired me to see.

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  4. HAHAHA Brilliant. That is TOO funny, thanks matey for the find!!

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