My Sydney Film Festival Experience

I will be honest with you, I had no idea you could just buy tickets to the Sydney Film Festival and just go and see a movie if you wanted to. It is not in fact some exclusive club only elite filmmakers and critics are invited to. You can just go and see some cool movies in Sydney! I thought this would be a great idea for my sister and I to explore some cool cinemas in Sydney and experience some epic (technically) unreleased films. And we did! We only saw two movies but it was tiring! Because Sydney is an hour away, and takes about 2 hours to get to using public transport. Then maybe 30-45 minutes longer to get to the actual cinema we needed to get to. So, it was a trek and it really tired us out (and that was for only two movies lol). I am still so grateful for the experience because it got us out of the house AND it got us exploring and interacting with some cool new movies. Here were the days and what happened:

Half of The Bikeriders at the Hayden Orpheum

Regrettably, this was NOT the screening Austin Butler was at which probably would have made the midway-cancellation a little less heartbreaking. If you know me, you probably heard about the movie being stopped halfway through, and the subsequent cancellation of the rest of the viewing. I do hope the person who had a medical issue is ok though!

The Journey: The day began with two trains and a bus (across the Harbour Bridge mind you) to the Hayden Orpheum. Wow! That is a beautiful cinema! And then we went straight back to the McDonald's down the road....for an hour and a half. Whoops, we got there a little too early! It was eventually time to go into the Hayden Orpheum which was even more gorgeous inside (nothing on United Cinemas Narellan though obviously). We were able to get great seats because we got there so early.

The Movie: The Bikeriders is really fun. If you like Tom Hardy, you will love this. If you like Austin Butler, you will love this. Also something for us few Michael Shannon fans! Jodie Comer is the real star here (well, at least from what I saw). She narrates her experience with the Chicago Vandals in a stylish and witty manner. I liked that the film pokes fun at the seriousness of that kind of scene (which may be offensive to some people). It seems to understand the odd duality of running a gang and also being a family man. Maybe it is poking fun at masculinity in general. The movie was stopped halfway on a lovely still of Tom Hardy sitting in a chair which I took a photo of when we were leaving (I won't put it here because I am genuinely scared someone will find it and sue me). It was lovely while it lasted and I am sure I will enjoy watching the rest of it at United Cinemas Narellan, my favourite liminal space hang out area, on the 4th of July (thanks for that refund Chris@Sydney Film Festival).

He Ain't Heavy at Dendy Cinemas Newtown

I legally had to choose to see an Australian film for Sydney Film Festival so after looking around on their website (amazing website btw), I found one that had an interesting premise...and also a familiar face: Sam Corlett who played Caliban in iconic Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (look him up).

The Journey: Ok, we've actually been here before. It is a little out of the way but mostly familiar territory. Newtown is very busy (and cold) at the moment. We had dinner at the restaurant next door and absolutely scoffed down a mint choc top (we had less time this time!). I do enjoy the convenience and ease of access to Dendy. Not so much getting home at night but there are a lot of people on the trains at this time so it was pretty chill.

The Movie: This was a harrowing portrait of what drug addiction can do to a family. It was difficult to watch a lot of the time but there were some uplifting moments throughout. It showcased three really strong performances (I had no idea Leila George was actually Greta Scacchi's daughter for some reason, I should know this stuff) that really make the family dynamic believable, and the house and its stories lived in. There was a bit of a surprise Q&A with cast and crew. Director David Vincent Smith was able to answer a few questions about his personal experience and how much the movie came from the heart. They mentioned how this film was developed from their short film, and was produced with a small budget. This is particularly amazing to me seeing as this film looks and sounds amazing. This is one to look out for when it officially releases in October.

(PS. I walked past Sam Corlett on his way to the exit?? toilet?? and I couldn't not say anything after I just watched him pour his heart out into that performance so I said 'great movie'. Great movie? That's really all I could think to say as I was star struck. He simply smiled ie. he didn't hear what I said. My sister was laughing at me as I walked back, she witnessed everything. Good way to end the festival).

Update: the director commented on my review.