Film festival fans rejoice. The 2020 Adelaide Film Festival is here... in cinemas

A film festival, in an actual movie theatre?! It's what every film lover has been waiting for this year. The Adelaide Film Festival has arrived for 12 glorious days from October 14 - 25.

'Minari' is the AFF Closing Night Film Source: AFF

22 World premieres, 27 Australian premieres, 10 galas, 40+ Countries and 12 days of cinema, it all kicks off today at the 2020 Adelaide Film Festival (running from 14 October till 25 October).

AFF is one of the first film festivals to be able to return to cinemas this year and, with 22 world premieres, 27 australian premieres and a total of 54 feature films from more than 40 countries featuring acclaimed actors and directors as well as new and exciting film discoveries, this diverse array of cinematic delights - alongside inspiring talks and COVID-safe galas and events  - offers timely cultural and artistic nourishment.

“Festivals are about bringing people together and we are so lucky in South Australia to be able to do this during this challenging time." (Adelaide Film Festival CEO and Artistic Director Mat Kesting )

'I Am Woman' will screen at AFF Source: AFF

Long heralded for its commitment to Australian talent, the Festival will host the world premieres of three local feature films, including the opening night film, the futuristic thriller 2067 directed by Seth Larney and starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, four feature documentaries, a six-part webseries and several short films. These films have all been supported through the world-renowned Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund and will take audiences on journeys from the streets of Kabul, to the players’ sheds of the Port Adelaide Football Club, to the agonising hill climbs of the Tour de France and into the subculture of Adelaide’s trash film scene. There will also be a repeat of I Am Woman, the Unjoo Moon Helen Reddy biopic starring Festival favourite and South Australian Tilda Cobham-Hervey.

'Another Round' Source: AFF

Other highlights include the Danish dark comedy playing in competition, Another Round , starring everyone's favourite Dane Mads Mikkelsen. For the music lovers there is the documentary on the greatest all-girl — no, make that all-woman — band of the 1980s to emerge out of the LA punk scene. Australian-born director Allison Ellwood mixes abundant archival material and candid interviews with the band members to tell you everything worth knowing in The Go-Go’s.  

Stephen Maxwell Johnson's long-awaited follow-up to Yolngu Boy is one of the Australian films not to be missed. High Ground stars festival guests Australian screen legend Jack Thompson and Witiyana Marika. The film, which wowed audiences and critics at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, also stars Simon Baker. Due to popular demand, an extra screening of High Ground has been added to the festival program.

'High Ground' Source: AFF

The AFF ends with the Closing Night Gala screening of the sweet and heart-warming Minari directed by Lee Isaac Chung, which was the winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance.

While film fans have snapped up tickets to many of the Festival’s hottest titles and new sessions are being added every day, Adelaide Film Festival CEO and Creative Director Mat Kesting is urging audiences to look for the hidden gems in the program.

 

“There are always those incredible moments at a Festival where you find a film that’s unexpectedly wonderful.  Our program is dotted with films that I know people will fall in love with, whether an Australian or US indie, or an international award winner. Festival time is the best time to throw oneself into the deep end and go see something you would not ordinarily think you would see – this sense of discovery is exciting and is what makes us feel alive,“ Mat says.

“The shared experience of discovering a film you love surrounded by others in a cinema is what makes being able to attend a physical Festival so joyful. I couldn’t be happier that we have been able to navigate these difficult times and offer this program to the people of South Australia and our interstate guests.”

Discover the full program online at www.adelaidefilmfestival.org

 

A NOTE ABOUT AFF IN THE TIME OF COVID-19:

AFF events and screenings are managed by detailed and dedicated COVID-19 Safe and Management Plans. AFF has undertaken all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure the Festival is as safe as possible. If COVID-19 restrictions impact any screenings or events AFF will firstly aim to reschedule or postpone the event to an appropriate and safe date in the future. If it is not possible to reschedule, AFF may need to cancel and refund tickets.