At long last, Sydney Film Festival 2021 is almost upon us. After rescheduling festivities (you can thank the Delta variant for that) earlier in the year, organisers of the event have pinned down November 3 – 14 as the revised dates for 2021. Below, we've outlined what you can expect from this years festivities.
Is Sydney Film Festival 2021 online?
Last year, those who participated in the festival will remember that it took place solely online. But considering that Sydney is set to emerge from a three-month lockdown on October 11, the plan is for Sydney Film Festival 2021 to return to theatres for in-person screenings. A blessing, we're sure, for those among us missing the buttery scent and plush armchairs of our favourite cinemas.
Can you still get involved with the festival even if you don't live in Sydney? The more the merrier, we say! And thankfully, the organisers behind the festival feel the same way. Following the initial two weeks of the event, Sydney Film Festival have scheduled a fortnight of 'On Demand' screenings that will of course take place virtually. The On Demand program will run between November 12 – 21 and you can find the timetable on Sydney Film Festival's website, along with tickets to each session.
What films should I watch at Sydney Film Festival 2021?
Naturally, there are plenty of films to immerse yourself in this year. Our picks? Well, for the musically-minded, there's a tribute to The Smiths aptly titled Shoplifters of the World and Wash My Soul in the Rivers Flow - a homage to musician Archie Roach and the late Ruby Hunter. Anyone that harbours a soft spot for the gritty, cult 90s film Kids will want to tune into The Kids, a documentary that revisits the OG by Australian director, Eddie Martin.
Other titles you might want to consider are Incarceration Nation - a documentary about the over-policing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities - along with Will Smith's touching role as Serena and Venus Williams' father in King Richard. There's also short film Deafying Gravity - a looking into the life of groundbreaking Deaf, queer aerial performer Katia Schwartz.
Also, great news for those among us questioning whether The French Dispatch was merely a hallucination, Sydney Film Festival have announced the film as its closing night screening. Although, you'll need to be quick to snatch up tickets, last time we checked they were almost sold out. The same rule applies for the screening of Dune, for anyone looking for a double dose of Timothee Chalamet.
As for venue details and the event calendar, you can find all these details on the Sydney Film Festival website.
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