Flickerfest

This programme contains mature themes and is not recommended for children under 15 (children under 15 must be accompanied by adult).

Friday, Best of International Shorts

Loop – In this society each human being repeats the same action over and over again, in this society each human being repeats the same action over and over again, in this society each human being repeats the same action over and over again, in this society each human being repeats the same over and over again. Australian Premiere – Director: Pablo Polledri; Writer: Pablo Polledri; Producer: Iván Miñambres; Runtime: 8min; Year: 2021; Country: Spain

Space Invader – Max is a small boy with a big imagination. Him and his Dad form a tight knit crew. But when Dad gets a new girlfriend, Max must find a way to confront this new menace before she steals his dad forever. Australian Premiere – Director: Issac Bell; Writer: Matt Kelleher; Producer: Lissandra Leite; Runtime: 16min; Year: 2021;Country: New Zealand

Close Ties to Home Country – While dog-sitting Timothee, the baby Frenchie of influencers India and Harry, millennial immigrant Akanksha waits for her sister’s visit—they haven’t seen each other in nine years!—and enjoys the spoils of white money, musing over why she stays away from her home country. Australian Premiere – Director: Akanksha Cruczynski; Writer: Akanksha Cruczynski; Producer: Felicia Ferrara; Runtime: 15min; Year: 2021; Country: United States

Silence – A young man wanders around the city, where people wearing masks come and go. One day, he finds a girl dancing ballet in an abandoned building. Australian Premiere – Director: TJ O’Grady Peyton; Writer: Ivan Cush, TJ O’Grady Peyton; Producer: Yuka Nakamura, James Chamberlain; Runtime: 14min; Year: 2021; Country: Japan, United Kingdom

Wall Unit – A ramshackle wall unit is a symbol of the monotonous life of a certain 40-year-old man living in a grey, dirty post-communist block of flats district. Right after his birthday, suffering from the midlife crisis, the man decides to change his dull and routine-based existence. Alas, his wife stands in the way. Australian Premiere – Director: Joanna Polak; Writer: Joanna Polak; Producer: Joanna Polak; Runtime: 10min; Year: 2021; Country: Poland

Like The Ones I Used To Know (Les Grandes Claques) – Christmas 1983. Julie and her cousins ate too much sugar, Santa is late. Denis is anxious at the idea of picking up his children at his ex-in-law’s. Australian Premiere – Director: Annie St-Pierre; Writer: Annie St-Pierre; Producer: Fanny Drew, Sarah Mannering; Runtime: 18min; Year: 2021; Country: Canada

Guadalupe – An undocumented Mexican house cleaner finds something unexpected and controversial in the homeowners’ closet and leaves an unmistakable message. Australian Premiere – Director: David Barba; Writer: David Barba, James Pellerito; Producer: David Barba, Emilio Santoyo, Valeria Ariñez, James Pellerito; Runtime: 7min; Year: 2021; Country: Mexico, US

Roy – Trapped in a lonely existence, reclusive widower Roy (BAFTA Winner David Bradley) passes the days by cold calling strangers from the phone book, looking for brief moments of companionship. But when he accidentally calls adult hotline worker Cara (Oscar® winner Rachel Shenton), an unlikely friendship is born that will help them both rediscover the joy of life. Australian Premiere – Director: Tom Berkeley, Ross White; Writer: Tom Berkeley, Ross White; Producer: Bryony Pulizzi, Floodlight Pictures; Runtime: 15min; Year: 2021; Country: United Kingdom

Friday, Best of Australian Shorts

Object of Life is a playful critique of our life long love of things, giving a new take on an old Greek Myth wrapped in some serious Balkan Brass. World Premiere – Director: Jack Parry; Writer: Jack Parry; Producer: Marianna Parry; Runtime: 3min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

Good Night – A busy sound engineer (Clarence Ryan) accepts a last-minute recording job from a stranger (Caroline Brazier) instead of heading home to his family and is deeply affected by the song he’s recording. Australian Premiere – Director: David Vincent Smith; Wr45 iter: David Vincent Smith; Producer: Kate Separovich; Runtime: 8min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

You and Me, Before and After – Two adult sisters who love each other learn to like each other while getting their first tattoos. NSW Premiere – Director: Madeleine Gottlieb; Writer: Madeleine Gottlieb; Producer: Cyna Strachan, Liam Heyen; Runtime: 11min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

Stonefish – A black comedy about an anxious young poet who accidentally sparks a war with his criminal neighbour when he tries to silence the relentless barking of his dog. World Premiere – Director: Megan Smart; Writer: George Pullar; Producer: Nonny Klalie, Megan Smart, George Pullar; Runtime: 16min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

The Quirky Best Friend – A classic rom-com takes an unexpected turn when the leading lady’s sardonic best friend is called out for hiding behind the ‘quirky sidekick’ role and is encouraged to pursue her own epic everlasting love story. NSW Premiere – Director: Alex Thomson; Writer: Nicole Gulasekharam; Producer: Nicole Gulasekharam; Runtime: 12min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

Giants – Intermittently filmed on the same farm over a period of 18 months, Giants plays out amongst the changing landscape of the worst drought in Australia’s history. NSW Premiere – Director: Eddy Bell; Writer: Eddy Bell; Producer: Nonny Klaile, Steven Rees, Luke Mulquiney; Runtime: 15min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

The Home Team – A romantic plumber and his unblinking wife are the only survivors of a suicide space cult. Two decades after the others went Next Level, they’re still wearing capes, still trying to recruit members, and still not having sex. When a cancer scare forces them to face involuntary mortality, they rediscover the transcendent things down here on The Human Level. (starring Paul McDermott & Tara Morice). Australian Premiere – Director: Luke Cartwright; Writer: Luke Cartwright; Producer: William Besly, Jake Brennan, Katherine Shearer, Luke Cartwright; Runtime: 25min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

Shark – Completing the trilogy of wickedly dark comedy shorts that began with Spider and Bear, Nash Edgerton’s Jack finds a perfect match in Rose Byrne as Sofie. Director: Nash Edgerton; Writer: Nash Edgerton; Producer: Michelle Bennett; Runtime: 14min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia

Wanmari – A Ngalakgan woman from Ngukurr, NT, just wants to catch a nailfish at her favourite fishing spot, Wanmari. But her family are thwarting her plans. When she sees an eagle, her grandfather’s dreaming, she remembers to use the knowledge she has of Country and soon, good luck comes her way. Australian Premiere – Director: Jake Duczynski; Writer: Karen Rogers; Producer: Courtney Collins; Runtime: 4min; Year: 2021; Country: Australia