Based on the true story of Australian war correspondent Peter Greste’s imprisonment in Egypt in 2013, The Correspondent is a gripping biographical thriller, a story about the brutal war on truth. Join special guests at the AFF 2024 Opening Night Gala to mark the world premiere.
Guests at AFF 2024
Actors attending the AFF include Richard Roxburgh, Marta Dusseldorp, Dacre Montgomery, Erik Thomson, Joel Jackson, Rebecca Breeds, Nicholas Hope, Sarah Roberts, Albert Mwangi and, via video link, Daisy Ridley.
Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs) from the legendary band Pavement is also an AFF guest.
Richard Roxburgh will attend the Opening Night presentation on October 23 of The Correspondent where he will be joined by the subject of the film, former Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, director Kriv Stenders, producer Carmel Travers and co-stars Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black) and Julian Maroun.
The following evening, acclaimed journalist Hamish McDonald will be joined by Roxburgh, Greste, Stenders, Travers and Maroun for an in-depth conversation about the film and the issues it raises for contemporary journalism (6pm, Thursday October 24, Capri Theatre).
One of Australia’s favourite screen stars Marta Dusseldorp will walk the red carpet for the World Premiere of With Or Without You, with her co-stars Melina Vidler and Albert Mwangi, director Kelly Schilling and producers Su Armstrong and Carolyn Johnson. The film screens on the opening weekend – Saturday October 26.
The Closing Night gala screening of Kangaroo Island will be a night to remember with the star of the film, Rebeeca Breeds, on the red carpet alongside co-stars Erik Thomson, Joel Jackson and Nicholas Hope. Adelaide’s own Teresa Palmer who will be attending with her husband Mark Webber (two of their children appear in the film). Kangaroo Island director Tim David, writer Sally Gifford and producer Peter Hanlon are also AFF guests.
Dacre Montgomery, the Australian star of the hit TV series Stranger Things, will join director Samuel Van Grinsven to present Went Up The Hill.
Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs) from the band Pavement will participate in a Q&A following a screening of Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements on Thursday October 31. Pavements premiered at Venice and the film was described by The Hollywood Reporter as ‘a…joyous…love letter to the band’ and by Indiewire as putting ‘ a Sweet, Meta Spin on the Rock Doc’.
International directors presenting their films at AFF include, from India, the director of In The Belly of the Tiger, Jatla Siddartha, and Indonesia’s Tumpal Tampubolon (Crocodile Tears), who will attend with producer Mandy Marahimin.
Australian directors attending AFF include Zak Hilditch (We Bury The Dead) Larissa Behrendt (One Mind, One Heart), Justin Kurzel (The Order), Ian Darling (The Pool), Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese (Lesbian Space Princess), Kate Blackmore (Make It Look Real), Wendy Champagne (Aquarius), Shalom Almond (Songs Inside) and Sally Aitken (Every Little Thing)
Jed Kurzel, composer for The Order, will join Justin Kurzel in a Q&A on Wednesday October 30.
Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) will join a Q&A via video link following the screening of We Bury The Dead, which will be attended by Zak Hilditch on Friday November 1.
Archie Moore, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, will present his ambitious new moving image work. Archie’s work is the thirteenth AFF & Samstag Art and the Moving Image Commission and is the fifth iteration of his installation series Dwelling.
The Festival also welcomes as its guest Yananymul Mununggurr who appears in One Mind, One Heart.
Legendary cinematographer Don McAlpine will be in Adelaide to receive the festival’s prestigious Don Dunstan Award honouring exceptional contribution to the Australian screen industry. McAlpine will be seen In Conversation with AFF’s newly announced patron, Sophie Hyde.
