Latest news with #SydneyFilmFestival
West Australian
18 hours ago
- General
- West Australian
Film follows fight to heal Country from poison legacy
Traditional Owners call this place 'poison Country'. Spanning more than 46,000 hectares in Western Australia's Pilbara region, the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Area is the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere, blanketed in deadly asbestos. The contamination prevents Banjima Traditional Owners from accessing these thousands of hectares of Country. Yaara Bou Melhem was initially planning a film about the thousands of abandoned mines across Australia. But when she met the late Maitland Parker, a Banjima Elder, who spent his life campaigning to heal this Country, she knew the film had to be about Wittenoom. Mr Parker was battling mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. "His story was going to be one of many in the film, but when you're confronted with how shocking Wittenoom is, the very clear social injustice meted out against him and his community, it was just too compelling for it to be just a small part of a larger film," Ms Melhem told AAP. Mining occurred at Wittenoom until the 1960s, and three million tonnes of tailings containing asbestos were left behind. Since then, asbestos fibres have been dispersed throughout the area by wind and water erosion, a West Australian government website says. Ms Melham said if nothing is done to remediate the asbestos waste, it will continue to spread for hundreds of years. She said Wittenoom is one of the most egregious examples of environmental, health and community impacts of legacy mine sites, and the film Yurlu/Country explores this. "There isn't a Banjima family that has not been touched by Wittenoom and his story represents that whole, and I think that's why [Mr Parker] really wanted to tell that story on behalf of his community," Ms Melhem said. Mr Parker was a co-writer and executive producer on Yurlu / Country, which follows his final year, and his campaign to heal Country. "He gave us permission to use his name, voice, image, even after his passing because he felt like his story had some power, and his name had power and he wanted us to be able to use it to advocate for Banjima and for the clean up of his Country," Ms Melhem said. "That's a responsibility we're very aware of and hoping we do his story justice." Ms Melhem said she hopes Wittenoom, which has long been "out of sight and out of mind" is brought into full view through the film, and Mr Parker's wishes for a clean up can be fulfilled. "What we're hoping is that people don't walk away from this film feeling like this is an intractable issue that can't be changed - we know it can be changed," she said. Yurlu/Country will have its world premiere on Saturday at Sydney Film Festival, then make its international debut at Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand. Sydney Film Festival begins on Wednesday and will run until June 15.
Perth Now
18 hours ago
- General
- Perth Now
Film follows fight to heal Country from poison legacy
Traditional Owners call this place 'poison Country'. Spanning more than 46,000 hectares in Western Australia's Pilbara region, the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Area is the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere, blanketed in deadly asbestos. The contamination prevents Banjima Traditional Owners from accessing these thousands of hectares of Country. Yaara Bou Melhem was initially planning a film about the thousands of abandoned mines across Australia. But when she met the late Maitland Parker, a Banjima Elder, who spent his life campaigning to heal this Country, she knew the film had to be about Wittenoom. Mr Parker was battling mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. "His story was going to be one of many in the film, but when you're confronted with how shocking Wittenoom is, the very clear social injustice meted out against him and his community, it was just too compelling for it to be just a small part of a larger film," Ms Melhem told AAP. Mining occurred at Wittenoom until the 1960s, and three million tonnes of tailings containing asbestos were left behind. Since then, asbestos fibres have been dispersed throughout the area by wind and water erosion, a West Australian government website says. Ms Melham said if nothing is done to remediate the asbestos waste, it will continue to spread for hundreds of years. She said Wittenoom is one of the most egregious examples of environmental, health and community impacts of legacy mine sites, and the film Yurlu/Country explores this. "There isn't a Banjima family that has not been touched by Wittenoom and his story represents that whole, and I think that's why [Mr Parker] really wanted to tell that story on behalf of his community," Ms Melhem said. Mr Parker was a co-writer and executive producer on Yurlu / Country, which follows his final year, and his campaign to heal Country. "He gave us permission to use his name, voice, image, even after his passing because he felt like his story had some power, and his name had power and he wanted us to be able to use it to advocate for Banjima and for the clean up of his Country," Ms Melhem said. "That's a responsibility we're very aware of and hoping we do his story justice." Ms Melhem said she hopes Wittenoom, which has long been "out of sight and out of mind" is brought into full view through the film, and Mr Parker's wishes for a clean up can be fulfilled. "What we're hoping is that people don't walk away from this film feeling like this is an intractable issue that can't be changed - we know it can be changed," she said. Yurlu/Country will have its world premiere on Saturday at Sydney Film Festival, then make its international debut at Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand. Sydney Film Festival begins on Wednesday and will run until June 15.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
10 Must-See Movies At Sydney Film Festival 2025
One of life's greatest joys is going to the movies by yourself. Taking your seat by yourself, perhaps giving an air of mystery or intrigue, as you get ready to be the cinephile you truly are. Letterboxd at the ready, snacks brought from home in a Ziploc bag, emotional support water bottle giving you all the comfort you a truly liberating experience and I encourage you ALL to do it. Plus, even if everyone in the cinema is a complete stranger to everyone else, you're all going to laugh, or cry, or scream — or all three — at the same movie you're about to watch. And there's no better place to condense all these good feels and good vibes into a short space of time than at a film festival. This year, the Sydney Film Festival has come in swinging with some huge titles I've been dying to see. It Was Just An Accident First on the list is the winner of this year's Palme d'Or at Cannes i.e. the big dog movie award of all big dog movie awards. Directed by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, It Was Just An Accident is a thriller that promises to be the ultimate revenge the key characters aren't sure that they're taking revenge on the right person. It's meant to be equal parts exhilarating, funny, and morally grey — sounds like a must-watch to me. On Swift Horses Jacob Elordi hooking up with Diego Luna. Will Poulter hooking up with Daisy Edgar-Jones. It's a romantic drama (obviously) set against the aftermath of the Korean War, so you know it's going to balance that should they/shouldn't they romantic questions with the moral dilemma of wartime considering Elordi's fresh off the back of another wartime drama with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, you can be sure he's well and truly in his bag with this one. Together It's probably the most anticipated Aussie movie of the year, and it's set to kick off the entire festival with a bang. Starring IRL lovers Dave Franco and Alison Brie, this movie, helmed by Michael Shanks in his directorial debut (!), isn't going to be one for the faint-hearted. Take my warning now — If you watched The Substance last year because everyone was talking about it, only to leave horrified, maybe skip this everyone else, this body horror is opening the festival for a reason. It's going to be a big one, and you're gonna see Dave and Alison like you've never seen them before. My Father's Shadow This movie is the first Nigerian film to ever make the Cannes official selection, and now Aussies are getting a chance to watch the drama that's slowly winning audiences over of the best parts of the Sydney Film Festival is that it gives you a chance to see movies you'd probably never be able to otherwise, and My Father's Shadow is the perfect example of that. Following a father and his two young kids as they head into Nigeral's capital Lagos, the kids become exposed to political views that they've never seen in their rural home — and, apparently, all through stunning cinematography. The Mastermind If you're anything like me, you probably can't get enough of Josh O'Connor after watching Challengers last year. Now, our boy is booked and busy, and has a slew of movies currently in production, but the one that has me most excited is The a heist movie set in the '70s (so completely different to Challengers) and stars Alana Haim (yes, of that HAIM) in her second ever movie role after absolutely killing it in 2021's Licorice Pizza. Dangerous Animals A nail-biting, truly Australian horror movie that stars Jai Courtenay as a shark-obsessed serial killer hunting down Zephyr, played by Yellowstone's Hassie Harrison, a Gold Coast surfer to determined to survive the killer's sadistic I say more??? The Secret Agent Sometimes you just really need to sink your teeth into a heavy political thriller that really gets your wheels year, that movie is The Secret Agent, out of Brazil. Set amid the draconian political era of Brazil as last year's Oscar-winning I'm Still Here, this movie follows a guy on the run from the regime, taking on an assumed identity while also looking to reunite with his son. But a wanted man is still a wanted man, so he's going to need to figure something out before he's snatched right back I, for one, can't wait to watch it unfold. Twinless Now, Sydney Film Festival's official website says the less you know about Twinless going into it, the better. I'm all for experiencing movies like that (I knew nothing about Everything Everywhere All At Once before attending a preview screening that would ultimately change my life).That being said, here's what we do know. This movie is about a queer bromance, stars Dylan O'Brien, and it's meant to have you peeing yourself with laughter. Sign me TF up. Eddington Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Austin Butler (!) star in this movie about a fictional town riddled by COVID-19 (!!) in May 2020 directed by the evil genius behind Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster (!!!).While I'm personally not ready for films and TV to depict the pandemic, I know Ari Aster's take is going to be so creative and twisted that I'll have no choice but to sit and watch. And finally, Fwends Girl fed up with her Sydney law firm job heads to Melbourne to reconnect with her mate, who is a bit of a space cadet (head's always in the clouds). Seems simple, right?This promises to be a movie that is strictly, above all else, about female friendship. We're gonna watch these two best mates recount office horror stories, break-up tales and whatever else fills their brains as they trawl through Melbourne, and I have a feeling its going to reach so far into our souls and psyche that we won't be able to stop thinking about it long after the credits have rolled. You can check the full program for the 2025 Sydney Film Festival, and snap up remaining tickets, here.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
June tunes: The best gigs to see in Sydney this month
Warren Ellis City Recital Hall, June 8 Yes, there will be a short solo set from the Dirty Three and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds member at this event (billed as 'An Evening With Warren Ellis'), but the real draw here will be a conversation with Ellis covering his life, music and work in animal conservation, all topics covered in the new documentary film Ellis Park, which will screen before this Q&A as part of the Sydney Film Festival (a separate ticketed event to this one, it should be noted). 10 Years of NLV Records Metro Theatre, June 8 Australian DJ and music producer Nina Las Vegas (born Nina Elizabeth Agzarian) started the electronic music label NLV Records in 2015 (on the same day she left her gig as a triple j presenter), with this mammoth anniversary show set to take over both rooms of the Metro. Acts set to appear include rising EDM star Ninajirachi, Trinidadian-born Australian singer and rapper Gold Fang, afro swing vocalist Big Skeez, Korean boyband 1300, South Florida ravers Jubilee, plus a host of others. Black Star C arriageworks, June 10 Yasiin Bey - the rapper, singer and actor formerly known as Mos Def - was at Carriageworks last year to perform both a solo show and a show covering the work of late rapper MF DOOM. He's back this year with Talib Kweli, his rhyme partner in hip-hop duo Black Star. They'll be performing music from across the decades, including the aptly titled 2022 album No Fear of Time, which arrived almost 25 years after the pair's classic 1998 debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. Supergrass Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, June 10 Although a champagne supernova's worth of hype has been directed at the upcoming Oasis reunion tour, more discerning Britpop fans will be excited to see Oxford quartet Supergrass back in action for their first headline Australian shows in 17 years. The band will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of debut album I Should Coco, featuring hit singles Caught by the Fuzz and Alright, by playing it in its entirety; expect bandmates and brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes to behave better than the Gallagher siblings. Mel Parsons The Vanguard, June 15 New Zealand singer-songwriter Mel Parsons has proved herself a master of indie-folk and alt-country over half a dozen celebrated albums, including last year's excellent Sabotage, which has been nominated for three Aotearoa Music Awards. A seasoned live performer with a spellbinding voice, Parsons will be playing old favourites and a few new tunes; if recent singles Brick by Brick and Post High Slide are anything to go by, her winning streak shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Cloud Control Enmore Theatre, June 20 2010 feels like a lifetime ago, but anyone paying attention to Australian music at the time would be familiar with Blue Mountains four-piece indie band Cloud Control. The recently reunited group will be touring to celebrate the 15th anniversary of debut album Bliss Release, which was everywhere in 2010: Five of its 10 songs were singles, it scored two ARIA Award nominations, took home the Australian Music Prize and, bizarrely, had a song that wound up in Channing Tatum stripper flick Magic Mike. Jimmy Barnes State Theatre, June 27 Fifteen solo number one albums in Australia - more than any other solo artist - and an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame as both a solo performer and as part of Cold Chisel: at 69, Jimmy Barnes has nothing left to prove. It's a pleasant surprise, then, to discover his 21st solo album, Defiant (out June 6), is an absolute belter, featuring some of his strongest songs in decades. Head along to her Barnsey belt them out live, along with the classics. June is jam-packed with great gigs, including visitors from the US (indie rockers Soccer Mommy and DIIV, astronaut Katy Perry, hip-hop producer Knxwledge), the UK (septuagenarian rappers Bas & Dave, much younger rapper Central Cee, alternative rockers Palace), South Korea (rapper Sik-K, girl group Nmixx, rockers Boohwal) and Europe (James Vincent McMorrow and Inhaler, both from Ireland, and Germany's Tangerine Dream). Australian artists doing the rounds include indie pop band Spacey Jane, Ngaiire, debuting her new show PAIA (provocatively described as 'an eruption of rage, sex, ecstasy, ceremony, ancestry, and cleansing'), Skegss, Polish Club, Short Stack, The Superjesus, Straight Arrows, Parkway Drive, Chasing Ghosts, Eggy, Kisschasy, The Beautiful Girls, Ruby Fields, Party Dozen, The Ferguson Rogers Process, Bachelor Girl and Killing Heidi.
The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
June tunes: The best gigs to see in Sydney this month
Warren Ellis City Recital Hall, June 8 Yes, there will be a short solo set from the Dirty Three and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds member at this event (billed as 'An Evening With Warren Ellis'), but the real draw here will be a conversation with Ellis covering his life, music and work in animal conservation, all topics covered in the new documentary film Ellis Park, which will screen before this Q&A as part of the Sydney Film Festival (a separate ticketed event to this one, it should be noted). 10 Years of NLV Records Metro Theatre, June 8 Australian DJ and music producer Nina Las Vegas (born Nina Elizabeth Agzarian) started the electronic music label NLV Records in 2015 (on the same day she left her gig as a triple j presenter), with this mammoth anniversary show set to take over both rooms of the Metro. Acts set to appear include rising EDM star Ninajirachi, Trinidadian-born Australian singer and rapper Gold Fang, afro swing vocalist Big Skeez, Korean boyband 1300, South Florida ravers Jubilee, plus a host of others. Black Star C arriageworks, June 10 Yasiin Bey - the rapper, singer and actor formerly known as Mos Def - was at Carriageworks last year to perform both a solo show and a show covering the work of late rapper MF DOOM. He's back this year with Talib Kweli, his rhyme partner in hip-hop duo Black Star. They'll be performing music from across the decades, including the aptly titled 2022 album No Fear of Time, which arrived almost 25 years after the pair's classic 1998 debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. Supergrass Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, June 10 Although a champagne supernova's worth of hype has been directed at the upcoming Oasis reunion tour, more discerning Britpop fans will be excited to see Oxford quartet Supergrass back in action for their first headline Australian shows in 17 years. The band will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of debut album I Should Coco, featuring hit singles Caught by the Fuzz and Alright, by playing it in its entirety; expect bandmates and brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes to behave better than the Gallagher siblings. Mel Parsons The Vanguard, June 15 New Zealand singer-songwriter Mel Parsons has proved herself a master of indie-folk and alt-country over half a dozen celebrated albums, including last year's excellent Sabotage, which has been nominated for three Aotearoa Music Awards. A seasoned live performer with a spellbinding voice, Parsons will be playing old favourites and a few new tunes; if recent singles Brick by Brick and Post High Slide are anything to go by, her winning streak shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Cloud Control Enmore Theatre, June 20 2010 feels like a lifetime ago, but anyone paying attention to Australian music at the time would be familiar with Blue Mountains four-piece indie band Cloud Control. The recently reunited group will be touring to celebrate the 15th anniversary of debut album Bliss Release, which was everywhere in 2010: Five of its 10 songs were singles, it scored two ARIA Award nominations, took home the Australian Music Prize and, bizarrely, had a song that wound up in Channing Tatum stripper flick Magic Mike. Jimmy Barnes State Theatre, June 27 Fifteen solo number one albums in Australia - more than any other solo artist - and an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame as both a solo performer and as part of Cold Chisel: at 69, Jimmy Barnes has nothing left to prove. It's a pleasant surprise, then, to discover his 21st solo album, Defiant (out June 6), is an absolute belter, featuring some of his strongest songs in decades. Head along to her Barnsey belt them out live, along with the classics. June is jam-packed with great gigs, including visitors from the US (indie rockers Soccer Mommy and DIIV, astronaut Katy Perry, hip-hop producer Knxwledge), the UK (septuagenarian rappers Bas & Dave, much younger rapper Central Cee, alternative rockers Palace), South Korea (rapper Sik-K, girl group Nmixx, rockers Boohwal) and Europe (James Vincent McMorrow and Inhaler, both from Ireland, and Germany's Tangerine Dream). Australian artists doing the rounds include indie pop band Spacey Jane, Ngaiire, debuting her new show PAIA (provocatively described as 'an eruption of rage, sex, ecstasy, ceremony, ancestry, and cleansing'), Skegss, Polish Club, Short Stack, The Superjesus, Straight Arrows, Parkway Drive, Chasing Ghosts, Eggy, Kisschasy, The Beautiful Girls, Ruby Fields, Party Dozen, The Ferguson Rogers Process, Bachelor Girl and Killing Heidi.
