The 45th César Awards – France’s equivalent to the Oscars – were held on Friday night at the Salle Pleyel in Paris and Brisbane audiences will soon be able to watch the winning films themselves when they screen at this year’s Alliance Française French Film Festival from March 18 to April 14.

Ladj Ly’s powerful drama, inspired by the 2005 French riots, Les Misérables, was nominated for 11 awards and walked away with Best Picture, Best Male Newcomer for Alexis Manenti, Best Editing and the People’s Choice Prize.

These honours cap off an impressive season for the film which was awarded the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Best European Film at the Goya Awards and received both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Nicolas Bedos’ charmingly nostalgic film, La Belle Epoque won Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for the legendary Fanny Ardant and Best Set Design. La Belle Epoque will screen at the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival Special Event, A Taste of France on Thursday March 26 at Palace Barracks.

Other winners include Anais Demoustier who won Best Actress for her role in the political comedy/drama, Alice and The Mayor, Roschdy Zem who took home the Best Actor award for his role in true crime drama Oh Mercy and the team behind The Wolf’s Call which won Best Sound.

These films will all screen at the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival!

National dates and venues for the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival are:

SYDNEY: 10 March – 8 April
Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central & Hayden Orpheum Cremorne

MELBOURNE: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas & The Astor Theatre

PERTH: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Raine Square, Cinema Paradiso, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema & Camelot Outdoor Cinema

CANBERRA: 12 March – 8 April
Palace Electric Cinema

ADELAIDE: 17 March – 14 April
Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinema

BRISBANE: 18 March – 14 April
Palace Barracks & Palace James Street

HOBART: 19 – 28 March
State Cinema

AVOCA BEACH: 19 March – 1 April
Avoca Beach Picture Theatre

PARRAMATTA: 26 – 29 March
Riverside Theatres Parramatta

BYRON BAY: 31 March – 12 April
Palace Byron Bay

BENDIGO: 17 – 19 April
Star Cinema

BALLARAT: 17 -19 April
Regent Cinemas
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

The following six titles are our first sneak peak into the curated programme which will screen nationally from 21 April exclusively at Palace Cinemas.

From Spain, the selection includes:
Oscar-winner Alejandro Amenábar’s exposé of the 1936 Spanish coup WHILE AT WAR (Mientras dure la Guerra). Filmed across Spain and Argentina, it reveals the personal side of politics through the eyes of writer Miguel de Unamuno.

Trapped inside a small apartment where hidden secrets slowly rise to the surface, THE PLAN (El plan) sees three friends forced to confront revealing truths in this biting comedy featuring Spanish stars Antonio de la Torre and Raúl Arévalo.

THE EUROPEANS (Los europeos) stars Award-winning actors Raúl Arévalo and Juan Diego Botto in an unforgettable romantic holiday adventure set in the wild world of 1950’s Ibiza, where dreams sometimes carry a sting in the tail.

And the dream of home ownership takes an unexpected turn in ONE CAREFUL OWNER (El inconveniente)
when a young woman must wait for a property’s current elderly owner to die in this offbeat tale of women’s friendship.

From Latin America comes:
HEROIC LOSERS (La Odisea de los Giles) the number one Argentinian film of 2019! Heroic Losers is a homespun Ocean’s 11 featuring superstar Ricardo Darín and his son Chino in a comedy heist rich in local colour and unforgettable characters.

And highlighting the Australian-Spanish connection is LATIGO in which Australian comic and filmmaker Simon Palomares visits Cuba to reveal the universal joy of laughter in a film heralded as “The Buena Vista Social Club of comedy!”

The festival will take place nationally from 21 April to 17 May in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Hobart and Byron Bay.

Tickets on sale and full programme announced on Wed 1 April!

The Moro Spanish Film Festival 2020
Sydney 21 Apr – 10 May: Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona & Palace Central.
Canberra 22 Apr – 10 May: Palace Electric Cinema.
Melbourne 23 Apr – 10 May: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, The Kino and Palace Balwyn.
Adelaide 28 Apr – 17 May: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.
Perth 29 Apr – 17 May: Palace Cinema Paradiso.
Brisbane 29 Apr – 17 May: Palace James Street and Palace Barracks.
Hobart 30 Apr – 6 May: State Cinema.
Byron Bay 30 Apr – 13 May: Palace Byron Bay.
www.spanishfilmfestival.com

In keeping with such a momentous year, this beloved event will once again unveil a thrilling selection of contemporary French cinema, guaranteed to captivate and stimulate audiences around the country.

Presented by the Alliance Française in association with the Embassy of France in Australia and Unifrance Films, the 2020 season will screen at Palace Cinemas and affiliate locations throughout March and April, encompassing 8 cities and 4 satellite locations.

Celebrating his 4th year as Artistic Director, Philippe Platel, has spent the past 12 months reviewing hundreds of films in order to select the superlative array of 49 features and documentaries, along with 2 thrilling television shows, that form this year’s programme – many of which will be screening in Australia for the first time.

Showcased via 9 distinct categories with expressively piquant headings such as ‘Eternal Odyssey,’ ‘Intense & Unsettling,’ ‘The Voice of the Countryside,’ ‘Magnetic Love,’ and ‘City of Lights,’ the 2020 line-up has a strong emphasis on social engagement and altruistic endeavours. These qualities are depicted in films such as the multi-award-winning Les Misérables, Ladj Ly’s searing snapshot of corruption and simmering tensions in modern-day Paris; School Life, a comedy/drama set within a Saint Denis high school; Invisibles, which follows the unorthodox antics taken by an illegal women’s shelter to avoid closure; Oh Mercy!, a darkly compelling exposé of the human condition as observed by a police chief in Northern France; the poignant rural drama, In the Name of the Land, starring Guillaume Canet as a farmer battling to maintain his dignity in the face of incessant setbacks, and many more extraordinary films.

In times of social, environmental and political uncertainty, cinema also looks to heroic figures for inspiration, a trend which is echoed via themes ranging from space travel (Proxima and How to Become an Astronaut); fairytale princes (The Lost Prince and Donkey Skin),political leaders (Alice and the Mayor and Savages); submarine soldiers (The Wolf’s Call)and spirits (Zombi Child).

High on the list of 2020 highlights is the international premiere of director Martin Provost’sHow to Be a Good Wife. Set at a time when women were still expected to be largely subservient, this delicious comedy stars the luminous Juliette Binoche as the pristine head of a housekeeping school who, when faced with adversity, takes her first steps towards emancipation.

There’s also the hotly anticipated La Belle Époque, which tells the story of Victor (Daniel Auteuil) a disillusioned man who is given the opportunity to relive the great love-affair of his youth, and the whimsically romantic Notre-Dame – shot before last year’s horrific fire – about an architect who wins a competition to redesign the Notre-Dame esplanade – a movie which, given events of the past year, is now considered visionary.

Breathing life into this cinematic cornucopia will be a host of France’s most electrifying actors, including Fanny Ardant, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Emmanuelle Bercot, Bérénice Bejo, Jean Dujardin, Fabrice Luchini, Noémie Lvovsky, Eva Green, Jacques Perrin, Gaspard Ulliel, Roshdy Zem, Léa Seydoux, Yolande Moreau, Xavier Dolan, Virginie Efira, Sandrine Kiberlain, François Cluzet, Gilles Lellouche, Laurent Lafitte, Christophe Lambert, Mathieu Kassovitz, Virginie Ledoyen and Ludvine Sagnier, who will feature in films directed by, amongst others, Christophe Honoré, Zabou Breitman, Xavier Dolan, Martin Provost, Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano, Guillaume Canet, Erwan Le Duc, Rémi Bezançon, André Téchiné, Cédric Kahn, Dominik Moll, Arnaud Desplechin, Cédric Klapisch, Michel Hazanavicius, and Yvan Attal.

And in celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Festival will present a restored version of the aforementioned, Donkey Skin, a luscious fairy-tale musical from legendary New-Wave director Jacques Demy, featuring a soundtrack by Michel Legrand and starring the eternal Catherine Deneuve who headlines four films in this year’s programme.

National dates and venues for the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival are:

SYDNEY: 10 March – 8 April
Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central & Hayden Orpheum Cremorne

MELBOURNE: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas & The Astor Theatre

PERTH: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Raine Square, Cinema Paradiso, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema & Camelot Outdoor Cinema

CANBERRA: 12 March – 8 April
Palace Electric Cinema

ADELAIDE: 17 March – 14 April
Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinema

BRISBANE: 18 March – 14 April
Palace Barracks & Palace James Street

HOBART: 19 – 28 March
State Cinema

AVOCA BEACH: 19 March – 1 April
Avoca Beach Picture Theatre

PARRAMATTA: 26 – 29 March
Riverside Theatres Parramatta

BYRON BAY: 31 March – 12 April
Palace Byron Bay

BENDIGO: 17 – 19 April
Star Cinema

BALLARAT: 17 -19 April
Regent Cinemas
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

These will be Crooked Colours only headline shows for the year and will be the last chance to catch their much hyped live performance before they head back overseas to record their third album.

This is a rare opportunity to catch a full length set from one of the best live Australian acts at some of the most iconic venues in the country presented by the best promoters in the game.

Crooked Colours Australian 2020 Tour
25 April – The Fortitude Music Hall, BRISBANE
02 May – Hordern Pavilion, SYDNEY
08 May – Red Square Hobart & The Goods Shed, HOBART
16 May – Claremont Showground, PERTH
www.facebook.com/CrookedColours

The tour kicks off on Thursday 19 September in Brisbane, before hitting Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart. Throughout the run, Ruel will treat fans to a completely new stage production and brand new music from the new EP.

FREE TIME was written in between Ruel’s rigorous global touring schedule and sees the young songwriter teaming up once again with Grammy winning producer M-Phazes, plus an all star cast of collaborators including Sarah Aarons (Zedd, Alessia Cara), Tobias Jesso Jr. (Adele, Sia), Joseph Angel (Rihanna), Nick Long (King Princess, K. Flay) and Wrabel (Ellie Goulding).

The EP’s first single Painkiller has already gathered over 20 million streams in just two months, adding to Ruel’s overall 300 million+ global streams. The new body of work is the next step in the evolution of an artist who began playing guitar and writing songs at only 8 years of age. It demonstrates Ruel’s maturity as a songwriter able take on any genre and unsatisfied staying in the lanes of Pop and RnB.

At just 16 years of age, Ruel has received public praise from the likes of Khalid, Zane Lowe and Sir Elton John for his songwriting craft well beyond his years and his commanding live performances. Last year, he received recognition back home by becoming the youngest recipient of an ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Ruel’s videos for singles ‘Younger’ and ‘Not Thinkin’ Bout You’ have caught fire, each surpassing over 8 million views, and the videos for ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me’ have each enjoyed over 5 million views, with his latest single ‘Painkiller’ fast approaching 8 million views. Additionally ‘Younger’ and ‘Dazed & Confused’ are both ARIA certified Platinum with over 73 million and 62 million streams respectively, and ‘Painkiller’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me’ are both ARIA certified Gold.

2019 saw the star collaborating with Australian legends Hilltop Hoods for their track ‘Fire & Grace’ and later performing with them on the main stage at this year’s Splendour in the Grass Festival. He also recently performed at California’s legendary Coachella festival with British producer SG Lewis on their electro collaboration ‘Flames’.

Secret Sounds, triple j, Flagrant Artists & WME Presents
Ruel Free Time Tour 2019
19 September FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL, BRISBANE
22 September THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE
24 September FESTIVAL HALL, MELBOURNE
28 September SHED 10, AUCKLAND
01 October ODEON, HOBART
03 October HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY
www.facebook.com/oneruel

The 20th edition of the festival will showcase 26 of the best new Italian films from the last year as well as classic cinematic gems, Special Presentations, aperitivo nights, receptions and galas across screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Byron Bay from 17 September.

Festival Director Elysia Zeccola said, “For 20 years we have shared our love of cinema and Italian culture striving to present the best new films from Italy for film-lovers and Italophiles around the country. The best critically acclaimed and award-winning films share the spotlight with the biggest box office hits, creating an entertaining programme for audiences young and old.”

The first highlights offer a glimpse into the programme which celebrates Italian cinema, filmmakers and personalities at their very best:

The Australian premiere of Ron Howard’s highly anticipated biopic PAVAROTTI will close the festival nationally. Howard’s access-all-areas documentary looks back at the life, relationships and the remarkable performing career of the world’s most famous tenor who became an international superstar, from the early 1960s until his death.

Following his acclaimed drama Indivisible, director Edoardo De Angelis’ powerful and award-winning new film THE VICE OF HOPE (Il vizio della speranza) has been revealed this year’s Special Presentation selection. Starring Pina Turco (Gomorrah series) as a woman desperately striving to escape a life of vice and criminality, De Angelis’ masterfully creates another gritty tale from the Camorra-infested northern Neapolitan neighbourhood made famous by Dogman.

Italy’s best contemporary thrillers, dramas and a documentary will feature in the New Italian Cinema section featuring a star-studded who’s who of Italian talent:

Director Stefano Mordi’s taut thriller THE INVISIBLE WITNESS (Il testimone invisible) sees a slick businessman (Riccardo Scamarcio) employ an undefeated veteran attorney to prove his innocence after he wakes up next to his murdered mistress.

Marco Giallini and Valerio Mastandrea star in TOMORROW’S A NEW DAY (Domani è un altro giorno) – an exceptional remake of the award-winning Spanish-Argentinian favourite Truman, which follows a bittersweet reunion of two friends as they wander the streets of Rome to examine their lives and ponder the future.

From director Andrea Zaccariello comes the super stylish and absorbing murder mystery I’M NOT A KILLER (Non sono un assassino). Again, we see Italian cinema heavyweight Riccardo Scamarcio star alongside Alessio Boni (The Tourist, 2010) and Edoardo Pesce (Dogman, LIFF18).

Now, there wouldn’t be an Italian Film Festival without Comedy, Italian-Style! And these box office hits, won’t disappoint:

Winner of Best Comedy Film at the Nastri d’Argento Awards 2019, BANGLA, is a romantic comedy with a huge heart. Director Phaim Bhuiyan’s debut is a fresh and spirited portrait of the complications of young love caught between very different beliefs. With a script based on the director’s own experiences and a central character played by the director himself this is a cross-cultural rom-com set in Rome.

In LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO SOFIA (Ti presento Sofia) a frazzled father finds himself in hot water as he tries to hide his daughter from his new girlfriend in this hilarious comedy-of-errors starring Fabio De Luigi and Micaela Ramazzotti.

ORDINARY HAPPINESS (Momenti di trascurabile felicità) is a humorous contemplation on life, in which director Daniele Luchetti (Those Happy Years) transforms the short stories of Francesco Piccolo into a charming metaphysical comedy starring Pierfrancesco “Pif” Diliberto (The Mafia Kills Only in Summer).

This year, the festival spotlights the greatest artists of Italian history with Films on Art: The Italian Masters, including: MICHELANGELO – ENDLESS, about the life and works of the incomparable genius Michelangelo Buonarroti, played by Enrico Lo Verso; and AMAZING LEONARDO, directed by Mexican helmer Jesus Garces Lambert, the high-end biopic marks the 500thanniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death. The film stars Italian A-lister Luca Argentero (Eat Pray Love) as the artist, scientist and inventor.

And what more could a 20th festival edition be punctuated with other than a tribute to the great Bernardo Bertolucci following his passing last November. The Retrospective includes 1900(Novecento), the 1976 historical drama featuring an international ensemble cast including Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda and Donald Sutherland. The five-hour epic will screen with an intermission. The programme also showcases Bertolucci’s political thriller THE CONFORMIST (Il conformista) the visually intoxicating adaptation of Alberto Moravia’s novel about an upper-class follower of Mussolini which returns to the big screen in a restoration supervised by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

The Lavazza Italian Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations:
Sydney: 17 Sept – 16 Oct, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinemas, Palace Central
Melbourne: 19 Sept – 16 Oct, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas, The Astor Theatre
Canberra: 24 Sept – 16 Oct, Palace Electric Cinemas
Brisbane: 25 Sept – 16 Oct, Palace Barracks and Palace James Street
Adelaide: 1 Oct – 23 Oct, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: 2 Oct – 16 Oct, Palace Cinema Paradiso and Luna on SX
Hobart: 17 Oct – 23 Oct, The State Cinema
Byron Bay: 26 Sept – 13 Oct, Palace Byron Bay

The full programme will be announced in August.
www.italianfilmfestival.com.au

Showcasing a 3 hours program of the most heartfelt, inspiring and entertaining films celebrating adventurous women from independent film makers around the globe.

Featuring a unique selection of films of varying lengths and styles, covering topics relevant to women in the outdoors the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour will connect with both the avid adventurer and the armchair adventurer alike.

The 2019 tour showcases Samantha Gash on her quest to run across India, a committed paddler who doesn’t let size get in the way of her passions, big wave surfing champion Paige Alms, rock climber Hazel Findlay, a crew of rad Alaskan fat tyre snow bikers who know how to dream big and more.

By celebrating the female adventurous spirit, we aim to make women in the outdoors more visible. But Gutsy Girls screenings are not just for women – they are for all of us to celebrate diversity and inclusion and the rad ladies of the adventure world.

Gutsy Girls Adventure Australian Film Tour 
ACT:
Canberra, National Film & Sound Archives: Saturday 17 August 2019

NSW:
Albury, Albury Entertainment Centre: Friday 23 August 2019
Avoca Beach, Avoca Beach Picture Theatre: Friday 2 August 2019
Byron Bay, Byron Bay Theatre: Sunday 28 July 2019
Katoomba, United Cinemas: Thursday 1 August 2019
Newcastle: Event Cinemas Kotara Saturday 3 August 2019
Sydney East, Ritz Cinema: Thursday 25 July 2019
Sydney North, Hayden Orpheum: Wednesday 24 July 2019
Wagga Wagga, Forum 6 Cinemas, Wednesday 21 August 2019
Wollongong, Anita’s Theatre: Wednesday 31 July 2019

NT:
Alice Springs, Araluen Arts Centre: Saturday 24 August 2019
Darwin, Deckchair Cinema Wednesday 14 August 2019

QLD:
Brisbane, Schonell Cinema: Thursday 18 July 2019
Cairns, Cairns Performing Arts Centre: Friday 26 July 2019
Gold Coast, Home of the Arts: Saturday 27 July 2019
Noosa, The J : Saturday 10 August 2019
Townsville, TBC

SA:
Adelaide, Capri Theatre: Saturday 3 August 2019

TAS:
Hobart, UTAS Stanley Burbury Theatre: Saturday 17 August 2019
Launceston, The Tramsheds: Thursday 15 August 2019

VIC:
Ballarat, Regent Cinemas: Thursday 22 August 2019
Geelong, Village Cinemas: Friday 9 August 2019
Melbourne City, Village Crown Cinemas: Tuesday 6 August 2019
Melbourne, Astor Theatre: Thursday 8 August 2019
Warrnambool, Capitol Cinema: Tuesday 20 August 2019

WA:
Perth, State Theatre Centre of WA: Friday 26 July 2019
www.GutsyGirlsAdventureFilmTour.com.au

Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour – 2019 full trailer from Adventure Reels on Vimeo.

The Festival will open with the cheeky, star-studded Danish comedy HAPPY ENDING from actress-turned-director Hella Joof (2015 Scandi FF smash hit All Inclusive). Top Danish actors Birthe Neumann (five Robert Awards from the Danish Film Academy, two Bodils from the Danish Film Critics) and Kurt Ravn (two Bodils) head up the cast, which also includes Mette Munk Plum (Borgen), Tammi Øst (The Killing) and Scandi FF 2017 guest Charlotte Sieling (The Man, Borgen, Homeland).

The centerpiece selection is Iceland’s breathtaking A WHITE, WHITE DAY (Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur). Fresh from its praised premiere in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, award-winning director Hlynur Palmason confirms the considerable promise of his multi award-winning debut Winter Brothers with this spellbinding and darkly humorous new drama about a stoic man whose emotional reserves are pushed to their limits.

The festival offers two Special Presentations: Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear-winner OUT STEALING HORSES (Ut og stjæle hester), a loving adaptation of Norwegian novelist Per Petterson’s international bestseller starring Stellan Skarsgård, praised for its powerful evocation of the inner lives of men tormented by their past; and Klaus Härö’s (The Fencer, 2015), bittersweet and moving Finnish drama ONE LAST DEAL (Tuntematon mestari), which follows an aging art dealer as he is presented with one final opportunity to fix his broken life and reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson.

Spotlighting Nordic Noir, the highly anticipated fourth and final instalment of the Department Q series is here: THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE (Journal 64) which reunites actors Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares to achieve nothing short of an engrossing finale which has been widely heralded as the best of the series and has broken all box office records to become the highest-grossing Danish film ever.
In accompaniment, the festival will present the previous three cinematic renderings of Jussi Adler Olsen’s blockbuster novels: THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES (2013), THE ABSENT ONE (2014) and A CONSPIRACY OF FAITH (2016).

The popularity of modern Scandinavian mysteries that have swept the globe have been led by author Stieg Larsson. To commemorate the man who brought noir to the masses, this edition of the festival will present STIEG LARSSON: THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE an insight into the author’s meticulously researched and politically charged archives. The documentary reveals a man who was determined to protect the endangered principles of democracy and freedom at any cost. In accompaniment, the festival presents a retrospective of the tremendously successful Millennium Trilogy Swedish films: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2009), THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (2009) and THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS’ NEST (2010).

Other unmissable Scandinavian highlights include:
From Norway – in addition to OUT STEALING HORSES, the festival also screens the new biopic SONJA – THE WHITE SWAN (Sonja) in which Sundance award-winning director Anne Sewitsky reunites with a stunning Ine Marie Wilmann for this engaging portrayal of Norwegian Olympic figure skating champion-turned Hollywood movie star Sonja Henie.

From Sweden – edgy Sci-fi ANIARA is a starkly beautiful piece of cinema wrought with emotion. Aboard a luxury spaceship named Aniara, a colony of materialistic and consumption-obsessed humans flee the now destroyed Earth; and in SWOON (Eld & lågor) directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein (The Bridge TV series) bring an epic and magical tale of love to life, starring Albin Grenholm (Midnight Sun, 2018) and Swedish top model Frida Gustavsson and Robert Gustafsson (Four Shades of Brown).

From Denmark – rising talent Ulaa Salim’s first feature SONS OF DENMARK (Danmarks sønner) was nominated for best Nordic film at the 2019 Göteborg Film Festival for its compelling prediction for a dangerous future where different forms of extremism collide; and at the other end of the spectrum, laughs can be had with THAT TIME OF YEAR (Den tid på året), in which multi- faceted actor/director Paprika Steen illuminates identifiable Christmas Day family catastrophes with hilarious results; and the experimental X&Y in which Venice Film Festival award-winning artist and filmmaker Anna Odell presents a stimulating exploration of hidden female/male identities featuring a stellar cast hailing from Sweden and Denmark.

The festival also represents the Nordic countries Iceland and Finland with these additional cinematic gems:
From Iceland – the essential and harrowing addiction drama LET ME FALL (Lof mér að falla) enjoyed a hugely successful world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival where it was celebrated by critics and audiences alike for the stellar performances and enthralling direction by Baldvin Z (Life in a Fishbowl, 2014).

From Finland – THE VIOLIN PLAYER (Viulisti) is the impressive directorial debut from award-winning Finnish playwright Paavo Westerberg, who creates a glossy character study of a famous violinist and her young student; and proving Nordic cinema is far more than just noir, from official selection at SXSW Film Festival and a nominee for Best Nordic Film at the Göteborg Film Festival comes the wicked and tender rom-com AURORA in which commitment-phobic party girl Aurora and Iranian refugee Darian agree to help each other in unconventional but vital ways.

The festival will take place nationally from 9 July in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Byron Bay and Hobart.

2019 Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival
NSW 9 – 31 Jul Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street & Palace Central
ACT 10 – 31 Jul Palace Electric
VIC 11 – 31 Jul Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn
& Palace Westgarth
SA 16 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas & Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
WA 17 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Cinema Paradiso and Luna on SX
QLD 18 Jul – 7 Aug Palace James Street and Palace Barracks
BYRON 17 – 31 Jul. Palace Byron Bay
TAS 25 – 31 Jul State Cinema
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com

The 2019 Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival will open around Australia with the cheeky, star-studded comedy HAPPY ENDING from actress-turned-director Hella Joof (2015 Scandi FF smash hit All Inclusive).

Top Danish actors Birthe Neumann (five Robert Awards from the Danish Film Academy, two Bodils from the Danish Film Critics) and Kurt Ravn (two Bodils) head up the cast, which also includes Mette Munk Plum (Borgen), Tammi Øst (The Killing) and Scandi FF 2017 festival guest Charlotte Sieling (The Man, Borgen, Homeland).

The programme includes a number of international festival favourites and award-winners. Here is a sneak-peak into the 2019 Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival program:

Fresh from its praised premiere in Critics’ Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is award-winning director Hlynur Palmason’s (Winter Brothers, Scandi FF 2018) disquieting yet spellbinding A WHITE, WHITE DAY (Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur) – a powerful exploration of a man overcome with grief who is losing control.

Based on an epic and prophetic poem by Swedish Nobel Prize winner Harry Martinson, directors Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s astounding and apocalyptic ANIARA is a starkly beautiful piece of cinema wrought with emotion. Aboard a luxury Noah’s Ark spaceship named Aniara, a colony of materialistic and consumption-obsessed humans flee the now-destroyed Earth.

From official selection at SXSW Film Festival and a nominee for Best Nordic Film at the Göteborg Film Festival comes the wicked and tender rom-com AURORA in which commitment-phobic party girl Aurora and Iranian refugee Darian agree to help each other in unconventional but vital ways.

Praised at its world premiere at Toronto Film Festival, LET ME FALL is an essential and harrowing look at addiction which has been celebrated by critics and audiences alike for the stellar performances and enthralling direction by Baldvin Z (Life in a Fishbowl, 2014).

Oscar nominee Klaus Härö’s (The Fencer, 2015) bittersweet and moving drama ONE LAST DEAL (Tuntematon mestari), follows an aging art dealer as he is presented with one final opportunity to fix his broken life and reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson.

The full program will be announced mid June.

The festival will take place nationally from 9 July in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Byron Bay and Hobart.

Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival 2019
NSW 9 – 31 Jul Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street & Palace Central
ACT 10 – 31 Jul Palace Electric
VIC 11 – 31 Jul Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn
& Palace Westgarth
SA 16 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Nova Eastend & Palace Nova Prospect
WA 17 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Cinema Paradiso, Palace Raine Square and Luna on SX.
QLD 18 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Centro and Palace Barracks
BYRON 17 – 31 Jul. Palace Byron Bay
TAS 25 – 31 Jul State Cinema
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com

Exploring freedom, identity and gender with an approach that has become uniquely her own, Hunter arrived in mid-2018 to rapturous critical acclaim.

Pitchfork fawned over it’s “remarkable evolution” which “pushes her artistry to another level” while the Guardian could only sit back and pronounce it as “glorious and triumphant”.

Calvi’s signature vocals, so bold and striking, permeate the record as they dart and weave around her dazzling guitar playing and synchronize perfectly with world class accompaniment supplied by Portishead’s Adrian Utley (keys) and The Bad Seeds’ Martyn Casey (bass).

The third chapter of Calvi’s sparkling career to date, Hunter, joins 2011’s Anna Calvi and 2013’s One Breath as evidence of a generational talent.

A student of the guitar and violin, Calvi first came to prominence after catching the attention of legendary UK label Domino Records at an early gig. Her debut album followed, with the arresting first single Desire providing the perfect bedrock for an ascending career.

Legends like Brian Eno and David Byrne started taking note and it wasn’t long before she could start calling herself a multiple Mercury Prize nominated artist.

Hunter, with it’s singles ‘Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy’, ‘Hunter’ and’ ‘As A Man’ truly allows Calvi the opportunity to explore her myriad gifts. Working with famed producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Midnight Oil), Calvi lets loose something wild and passionate that brings the listener closer to her renowned on-stage energy than ever before.

“Being on stage is the one time I feel permitted to be the person I can’t be in my everyday life”, she says. “Onstage I want to test how far I can take the extremes of strength and vulnerability.”

Anna Calvi Australian Tour 2019
15 JUNE, DARK MOFO – HOBART
16 JUNE, FACTORY THEATRE – SYDNEY
18 JUNE, CORNER HOTEL – MELBOURNE
19 JUNE, THE TRIFFID – BRISBANE
www.facebook.com/annacalvi