Showcasing ten Bergman titles hand-picked by Australia’s renowned film critic and broadcaster, the program features some of cinema’s most important and iconic titles, including The Seventh Seal, Persona, Wild Strawberries and Cries and Whispers.

“Ingmar Bergman changed my life,” wrote Stratton in his introduction to the program. “When I saw Smiles of a Summer Night on October 31, 1957, at the Birmingham (UK) Film Society, my concept of cinema altered forever… I found in Bergman’s film aspects of cinema I’d never experienced before – emotion, truth, pain, lust – all presented in the most elegant of wrappings.”

Commenting on Essential Bergman, ACMI Director & CEO Katrina Sedgwick said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Sydney Film Festival and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. It’s wonderful to have David Stratton’s exceptional eye curating this program of films from one of the world’s greatest auteurs, and to be able to support the tour of stunning 35mm prints that will travel around the country through this partnership.”

Essential Bergman: Selected by David Stratton features:
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
The Virgin Spring (1959)
The Silence (1963)
Persona (1966)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Saraband (2003)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (19570
The Face (1958)

The recently retired co-host of ABC TV’s long-running At the Movies will discuss the seminal works of Bergman in a special event, Stratton on Bergman at ACMI on Thursday 18 June 2015. Stratton will survey the Swedish filmmaker’s catalogue of films and examine the impact of one of cinema’s most influential creators.

ACMI will also offer aspiring young filmmakers the chance to spend a remarkable hour with Stratton discussing the art of film criticism. Reviewing Bergman: Masterclass with David Stratton is presented as part of Intermix, ACMI’s program for young people aged 15 – 25 proudly supported by Naomi Milgrom AO.

Essential Bergman: Selected by David Stratton
Thursday 11 June – Sunday 28 June 2015
Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne
www.acmi.net.au/essential-bergman

The announcement of these four films—spanning three continents and a range of styles, traditions, and subject matter—signals QFF’s commitment to quality and variety in cinema, according to Festival co-director John Edmond.

“There’s Jealousy, the latest work by a French master director; the highly anticipated The Duke of Burgundy; and Eight, a claustrophobic local effort shot in one bravura take.”

“We’re also thrilled to screen the The Forbidden Room, which imagines a delirious alternative history for early cinema as it jumps from lurid tale to lurid tale,” says Edmond.

The QFF has also announce that Australia’s best known film critic, David Stratton, will be its patron this year.

As QFF patron Stratton lends the Festival his strong endorsement. Festival-goers will also benefit from his critical acumen upon release of the Festival’s full program in June. Here Stratton will offer his personal recommendations and help put QFF’s contribution in context.

While he is a household name for his film criticism in print (The Australian) and especially on television with partner Margaret Pomeranz (The Movie Show 1986–2004; At the Movies 2004–2014), Stratton strongly identifies with another aspect of his professional life: his work as a curator and historian.

It was in this capacity that Stratton first influenced film culture in Queensland. In 1966—his first year as director of the Sydney Film Festival—he played an important part in helping to establish the Brisbane Film Festival.

“In some way, Brisbane’s international film festival has been a part of my year ever since. I always looked forward to travelling up for BIFF,” Stratton says.

“Unbelievably, next year it will be 50 years since that first Brisbane Film Festival, and I’m very pleased to support QFF in reintroducing this kind of film festival for local audiences”, he adds.

Stratton was the director of the Sydney Film Festival from 1966–1983. Stratton made SFF Australia’s premiere film festival during his tenure and took a strong stand against film censorship. He currently teaches—over the span of 10 years—the course “A History of World Cinema” at Sydney University. The second of these 10-year courses began in 2009 and is scheduled to conclude in 2018.

With a half-century relationship to Brisbane’s film culture and an unparalleled commitment to curating the world’s most important cinema, QFF could have no more appropriate patron than David Stratton.

QFF’s full program of around a dozen feature films, as well as supporting shorts, will be released in June. Tickets will be available through the New Farm Cinemas website, and in person at the box office.

The Queensland Film Festival 2015
24-26 July 2015
New Farm Cinemas
www.qldff.com

The annual Alliance Française French Film Festival is a collaboration between the Embassy of France in Australia and six Alliances Françaises across Australia. It is not only the biggest film festival in Australia; it is also the biggest festival of French films outside of France.

Each year, it curates a selection of the best contemporary French films, including comedies, dramas, documentaries and much more. Blockbusters and independent films alike screen over six weeks in eight cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Perth and, for the first time this year, Hobart. The Festival also includes glamorous opening nights, Q&As and special events with renowned figures of French cinema.

There is beautiful, ongoing romance between French culture and Australia, never more in evidence than with Australians’ love of French cinema. The Alliance Française French Film Festival is the central celebration of this romance.

The 2015 Patrons, Margaret and David, have kindly decided to honour the Festival with their expertise by selecting 7 films from the line-up. Here are their picks:

MARGARET’S PICKS
3 Hearts by Benoît Jacquot
Far From Men by David Oelhoffen
The Last Hammer Blow by Alix Delaporte
DAVID’S PICKS
Diplomacy by Volker Schlöndorff
The Blue Room by Mathieu Amalric
Tokyo Fiancée by Stefan Liberski
Grand Illusion by Jean Renoir

There will be many more fantastic movies at the 2015 Festival, check out the official website for more information!

Alliance Française French Film Festival 2015
SYDNEY 3-22 March 2015
MELBOURNE 4-22 March 2015
ADELAIDE 5-24 March 2015
CANBERRA 6-25 March 2015
BRISBANE 13 March – 1 April 2015
PERTH 19 March – 7 April 2015
BYRON BAY 9-14 April 2015
HOBART 16-21 April 2015
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org