Guests announced: Adelaide Film Festival, 10-21 October - Jennifer Kent, Baykali Ganambarr, Clara Rugaard, Widad Shafakoj

Opening October 10 with Hotel Mumbai stars Armie Hammer, Dev Patel and Tilda Cobham-Hervey on the red carpet, the Adelaide Film Festival has now unveiled the full stunning line-up of guests for 2018. Australians Wayne Blair, Benjamin Law, Justine Clarke, Warwick Thornton, Tess Haubrich, Erica Glynn, Margaret Pomeranz, David Stratton and Venice prize winners Jennifer Kent and Baykali Ganambarr will be joined by international guests including Jordan’s Widad Shafakoj, Denmark’s Clara Rugaard and Indonesia’s Kamila Andini for the eleven day screen spectacular.

Jennifer Kent, director of Venice Special Jury Prize winner and ADL Film Fest FUND film The Nightingale will walk the red carpet at the Australian Premiere with Baykali Ganambarr, winner of the Venice Film Festival’s Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Talent and former member of the internationally acclaimed Djuki Mala dance group, Jim Everett, associate producer and aboriginal consultant and producer Kristina Ceyton (The Babadook, Cargo).

Exciting young star of I Am Mother, Danish actress Clara Rugaard, best known for playing Juliet in Still Star-Crossed with writer/director Grant Sputore and producer Timothy White.

Multi-award winning filmmaker and humanitarian activist from Jordan, Widad Shafakoj will present the Australian Premiere of her doco, 17, which follows the Jordanian team’s journey to the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup. Widad will also be part of a fascinating panel discussion on The Cinematic World of Arab Women with Arab Film Festival Australia Committee members Dr Mehal Krayem and Dr Paula Abood.

Recipients of the Don Dunstan Award, indigenous screen pioneer Freda Glynn, her children, Erica Glynn, Warwick Thornton, and grandchildren Tanith Glynn-Maloney and Dylan River will be celebrated with a suite of events including the World Premiere of She Who Must Be Loved (directed by Erica, produced by Tanith), the launch of KIN, a collection of essays which recognise the remarkable contribution to the industry of this talented family, and screenings of Warwick’s 2003 debut Samson & Delilah, and Dylan’s much-anticipated documentary Finke: There and Back.

The World Premiere of ABC/NETFLIX thriller Pine Gap will see stars Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant, Wolf Creek 2) and Sachin Joab (Lion) walk the red carpet with director Mat King and producers.

In Adelaide to present their films in the festival’s Feature Fiction Competition in partnership with University of South Australia’s School of Creative Industries is Australian mystery thriller Celeste director Ben Hackworth and Indonesian director Kamila Andini with her APSA and Berlinale Crystal Bear winning The Seen and Unseen. Also in competition, the festival welcomes the cast and crew of Australian feature Emu Runner including cast Wayne Blair, Rhae-Kye Waites, Mary Waites, Letisha Boney and Stella Carter with director/writer Imogen Thomas and producer Victor Evatt.

The Flinders University Feature Documentary Competition title Happy Sad Man will be presented by filmmaker Genevieve Bailey (I Am Eleven) and subjects from her compelling documentary.

Youtube sensation (10+ million subscribers) Ozzy Man will join filmmakers Jeremy Kelly-Bakker and Tom Phillips for the World Premiere of Lucy and DiC.

Comedian, writer and creator of The Family Law, Benjamin Law and showrunner Sophie Miller for the series 3 World Premiere on the big screen.

Star of Look Both Ways, Justine Clarke and producer Bridget Ikin will be in conversation with Margaret Pomeranz following a special screening of Sarah Watt’s remarkable debut. Bridget Ikin will also World Premiere The Woman and the Car alongside director Kate Blackmore.

World premiere of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia’s (NFSA) digital restoration of South Australian classic starring Jack Thompson NFSA Restores: Sunday Too Far Away, presented by star Max Cullen, producer Matt Carroll, DOP Geoff Burton, and former SAFC executive Penny Chapman.

Max Cullen will also join director Thomas M Wright and writer Erik Jensen for a special screening of Acute Misfortune, a dramatised portrait of the late Australian artist Adam Cullen.

World Premieres of Adelaide Film Festival FUND works will be presented by:

• Davi director Victoria Cocks and producer Anna Bardsley-Jones

• A Stone’s Throw director Luke Wissell and producer Ashleigh Knott

• Running 62: The Arrival VR director Madeleine Parry, producers Molly O’Connor and Anton Andreacchio and subject Zibeon Fielding

• Demonic producers Bonnie McBride and Anna Vincent

• The Art of the Game filmmakers Matthew Bate, Trent Parke and Narelle Autio whose ADLFF FUND VR The Summation of Force  is also screening in the Jumpgate VR Lounge

• The Waiting Room director Molly Reynolds and producer Rolf de Heer

Davi director Victoria Cocks and producer Anna Bardsley-Jones

A Stone’s Throw director Luke Wissell and producer Ashleigh Knott

Running 62: The Arrival VR director Madeleine Parry, producers Molly O’Connor and Anton Andreacchio and subject Zibeon Fielding

Demonic producers Bonnie McBride and Anna Vincent

The Art of the Game filmmakers Matthew Bate, Trent Parke and Narelle Autio whose ADLFF FUND VR The Summation of Force  is also screening in the Jumpgate VR Lounge

The Waiting Room director Molly Reynolds and producer Rolf de Heer

Guests presenting their Australian Showcase screenings include:

• Dying to Live activist-documentarian Richard Todd (Frackman)

• Love in the Time of Antidepressants filmmaker Paul Gallasch and producer Katrina Lucas

• Melodrama/Random/Melbourne! director Matthew Victor Pastor and Senses of Cinema’s Bill Mousoulis

• Two-person artist collective Soda_Jerk will present their political revenge fable Terror Nullius

• Producer Rita Walsh will present I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story

• Producer/director Janine Hosking with producers Trish Lake and Katey Grusovin for The Eulogy

Dying to Live activist-documentarian Richard Todd (Frackman)

Love in the Time of Antidepressants filmmaker Paul Gallasch and producer Katrina Lucas

Melodrama/Random/Melbourne! director Matthew Victor Pastor and Senses of Cinema’s Bill Mousoulis

Two-person artist collective Soda_Jerk will present their political revenge fable Terror Nullius

Producer Rita Walsh will present I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story

Producer/director Janine Hosking with producers Trish Lake and Katey Grusovin for The Eulogy

Short film and Made in SA filmmakers presenting their films include Lucy Campbell and Peter Ninos (The Big Nothing), Sara West (Mutt), David Muggleton (Freedom), Lucy Knox (An Act of Love), Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen (Small Town P.D.), Kiara Milera (Wild) and Steve Bakala Warramurra (Bakala). Also in Adelaide for the festival are filmmakers from the 2018 Sit Down Shutup and Watch Film & New Media Festival

The International Feature Fiction Jury filmmaker and selector for Venice and selection committee for Cannes Directors Fortnights, Paolo Bertolin; Renowned South Australian director, Emmy, Peabody and multiple AFI award-winner Scott Hicks; and Sarah Perks writer, curator, film producer and Artistic Director of HOME in Manchester where she enables the investment and presentation of films created by artists.

The Flinders University Feature Documentary Competition will be determined by an all female, all award-winning Jury of filmmakers: lawyer, writer and filmmaker and Larissa Behrendt (After the Apology), multi-award winning editor Tania Nehme  (Tanna, Ten Canoes) and award-winning writer, producer and director Madeleine Parry (Nanette).

The AFTRS Virtual Reality Competition jury consists of industry professionals at the forefront of screen making with emerging technologies, AFTRS Head of Cinematography Kim Batterham and Google Creative Lab’s Mathew Tizard. The final VR Jury member is internationally acclaimed artist and VR creative Sue Austin, who will present her underwater live art event ‘Creating the Spectacle!’ in a Southern Hemisphere premiere in two shows only at North Adelaide Aquatic Centre.

Festival "faces" Natasha Wanganeen and Rashidi Edward will be rubbing shoulders with the industry including Hotel Mumbai director/writer Anthony Maras, writer John Collee and producers Julie Ryan and Joe Thomas, plus Gillian Armstrong, in Adelaide for the SAFC's inaugural Lottie Lyell Award, WIFT Australia's Megan Riakos and Tracey Corbin-Matchett to launch the Raising Films Australia Survey, SPA's Matt Deaner and The Wheeler Centre's Sophie Black among many others!

Plus the artists featured at the Reactive Wall.

Since 2013 ADL Film Fest has showcased the work of artists as they respond to premieres of the festival. In 2018 we welcome Alex Beckinsale, Cameron Smith, Cassie Thring, Christina Peek and Sarah Tickle who cover everything from mixed media and digital art to painting. Joining these artists is local legend Roy Ananda, known for his work inspired by film and pop culture. Roy will be working with these artists, all graduates of the Adelaide Central School of Art, to realise the most ambitious iteration of the Reactive Wall to date.

• Sarah Tickle on TERROR NULLIUS

• Alex Beckinsale on I AM MOTHER

• Cameron Smith on THE NIGHTINGALE

• Cassie Thring on THE SEEN AND UNSEEN

• Roy Ananda on THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES

• Christina Peek on ART ON SCREEN

Sarah Tickle on TERROR NULLIUS

Alex Beckinsale on I AM MOTHER

Cameron Smith on THE NIGHTINGALE

Cassie Thring on THE SEEN AND UNSEEN

Roy Ananda on THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES

Christina Peek on ART ON SCREEN

Come and explore the Reactive Wall projects in the GU Film House Courtyard on your way to the box office as these works come to life in response to the festival’s biggest films.

MATERIALS FOR MEDIA

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wvgww22vaflith5/AACXX_T9eq_9RXVmKvMz5W7Ua?dl=0

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Alicia Brescianini 0400 225 603 alicia@abcgfilm.com

Claire Fromm 0414 935 840 frommclaire@gmail.com

Cathy Gallagher 0416 22 72 82 cathy@abcgfilm.com