Over at Design Federation they are giving readers the chance to win one of 10 double passes to see Gainsbourg, a movie about the life and times of the legend Serge Gainsbourg.

To enter, click the link

I sat down and watched arguably the best Australian film of 2010 last week, Animal Kingdom . If you like a good crime thriller, Underbelly & The Combination you will enjoy this cinema experience. Based on the Cody Family of Melbourne in the 1970’s, this little production punches well above its weight.

This Australian film won the World Cinema Jury prize at Sundance earlier this year and deservedly so. The story was quite compelling and I was gripped to my seat with all of the twists and turns. In the centre of this story is Josh (James Frecheville); whose mother dies from an overdose and is thrown into an urban war zone and with his grandmother who he hardly knows. This young Aussie actor is superb in his first lead role.

His grandmother (Jacki Weaver) who plays Smurf is brilliant as head of a criminal family; the Cody Clain for which her four (4) sons; Baz (Joel Edgerton) who is thinking of giving up the world of crime; Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) who is just out of prison and lying low; Darren (Luke Ford) who is quiet and withdrawn and Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) a lunatic and is as unstable as they come; all of who form a gang that travel around Melbourne robbing banks.

The gang is pursued by Leckie (Guy Pearce), a detective who is hot on their heels. It was good to see Guy back on our screens and he really does well in this film. Overall, a movie well worth seeing.

Article written by Checkmate

“I liken social change to the shifting of tectonic plates underneath the earth’s surface.  The process is incredibly slow but when the plates collide the results are life-altering earthquakes and tsunamis.  Social change does occur, but it occurs far too slowly.  I’m an impatient man.  I want to see real change in my lifetime, and I want The Other Film Festival to act as an agent for that change.  I want complete cinema access for people with disabilities to be taken for granted in the future.” Read the rest of Ryan Nances article on Embracing 'otherness' at The Other Film Festival»

No, not the Sydney Film Festival, and not the Melbourne Film Festival… The Other Film Festival!

Check out something a bit different and adventurous as the 2010 festival of New Cinema By, With and About People with a Disability kicks off at the Melbourne Museum this Wednesday 25th August through to Sunday 28th August .

The festival dares to dream that one day everybody’s story will be written boldly across the cinema screen and that universal access to the cinema will be the norm not the exception. The program this year offers an exhilarating array of choices: sessions dedicated to the experience of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, films that celebrate the power of expressive dance, workshops for emerging actors and filmmakers, a forum on accessible cinema, and of course Rob Spence and the world premiere demonstration of the Eyeborg prosthetic eye.

So come and check out the future, because it’s right here, right now.

Click here to view the program and buy tickets!

 With over 800 entries from countries including the UK, USA, France, India, Iran, Cuba and South Africa, The Sydney Underground Film Festival has announced a brazen new program for its 4 ^th annual festival, which runs 9 ^th -11 ^th September this year.

Held at the Factory Theatre Marrickville, with 89 films screening from 10 countries internationally, the festival is sure to have something for everyone. Covering the political, the perverse and the simply bizarre, the festival boldly goes where no other festival dares tread, screening a number of films never before seen in Australia. 

The festival will kick off with a truly political flavour, with the Australian premiere of Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER, a controversial documentary following the filmmaker’s trip through South America and interviews with past presidents.

Festival highlights are also set to include ENTER THE VOID from famed French filmmaker Gaspar Noé, a screening of THE TAINT, Australian film EL MONSTRO DEL MAR!, LIFE AND DEATH OF A PORNO GANG, and Harmony Korine’s TRASH HUMPERS

DATE: 9 ^th – 11 ^th September, 2010
LOCATION: Factory Theatre, Marrickville
TICKETS: www.suff.com.au

Watch this space as we will doing a ticket giveaway for this film very soon!

Read all about The Kids are all right»

The sunshine state’s coolest creative hotspot, the Brisbane Powerhouse, is hosting a screening of indie, surf montage Last Hope.

Read all about Andrew Kidman's surf and music indie film, showing at the Brisbane Powerhouse.»

Our Brother Site, Design Federation did a fantastic interview with Australian Writer/Director Claire McCarthy about her film, The Waiting City and you watch it at Design Federation

Rev is very much a work in progress. Since 1990, the event has developed from a range of alternative and independent screen culture activities and experiments to what is regarded as one of Australia’s most unique annual screen activities. Taking place in cinemas, bars and clubs around the country this strange brew embraced live music, performance, movies and all manner of strange and unusual activity.

Since 1997, audience figures for the event have increased at an average rate of 30% each year, rapidly outgrowing the intimate surrounds of the Greenwich Club. Today, the event includes in excess of 100 international films presented over 75 sessions at established cinema and nightclub venues across Perth. Revelation is Australia’s fastest growing annual film event.

It sees over 500 films submitted for selection from local and international filmmakers and includes an active, creative and argumentative screen conference component. Programmed as part of the Australian film festival season, Revelation actively interacts where possible with the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand International Film Festivals and a range of Australian screen culture organisations with program and print sources and curated projects and guests and as a result fills the gap in the development of a truly national independent screen community.

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.

Revelation maintains its focus on progressive and inspiring works and embraces audiences of all ages, tastes and backgrounds. Like the films it presents, the event maintains an energy and enthusiasm for the industry quite unlike any other film festival in the country.

What: Revelation – Perth International Film Festival
When: 8th till 18th July 2010
Where: In & around Perth
Cost: Varies