Reviews Straight From Sundance
The Adelaide Film Festival will present a Pop Up event from Fri 5 to Sun 7 of April. This is an exciting opportunity to attend the Australian Premieres of two highly anticipated AFF FUND Films, Animals (dir. Sophie Hyde) and Top End Wedding (dir. Wayne Blair), direct from their World Premieres at Sundance Film Festival.
Animals, based on Emma Jane Unsworth's novel of the same name, follows best friends Laura and Tyler, whose hard-drinking lifestyle comes under scrutiny when Laura becomes engaged to a teetotaler. Relentlessly funny, and utterly genuine, this film already has critics raving. Don’t just take our word for it; here are some of the best reviews fresh out of Sundance Film Festival:
“Elliptically plotted and not at all interested in setting either of its leading ladies on predictable paths, “Animals” eschews easy answers. Instead, it revels in the messiness of life, and the many love stories it can contain.” – Kate Erbland, Indiewire.
"A highly effective and satisfying journey of self-discovery not because it offers up easy answers or even a perfect happy ending, but rather because it so thoroughly taps into the chaos of reality." - Perri Nemiroff, Collider
"Hyde has forged a wonderful, utterly lived-in film about two women at a crossroads, one that attendees should be breathlessly, excitedly discussing around town, urging everyone else to see immediately." - Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
[caption id="attachment_7912" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Animals[/caption]
Wayne Blair and Miranda Tapsell’s Top End Wedding is a fun-loving, audience pleaser which starts its journey in Adelaide and concludes in the Tiwi Islands. It tells the story of Lauren and Ned, who have just ten days to find Lauren's mother, who has gone AWOL somewhere in NT, and reunite her parents to pull off their dream Top End wedding. Much like Animals, this is a passionate and intimate comedy about family and returning to one's home. Attendees at Sundance Film Festival could not contain their excitement about the film:
“An affecting sense of place takes hold toward the end — of past and present coming together in harmony, and for Lauren, of a spiritual connection she didn't know she was missing. There's also a lovely nod to the inclusiveness of the Tiwi Islands, home to Australia's largest community of gay and transgender indigenous people.” - David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
"With a lovely mix of laughter and tears - shifting from the former to the latter, and then back again, as the film progresses - Blair ... moves things along at a brisk clip." - Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Hammer To Nail
"Top End Wedding is the most refreshing romantic comedy I have seen in years. Not only does it rely on hilarious physical and situational comedy — there is no punching down humor here at all — its snappy writing is witty and intersectional. But what’s even better: This is a story about an Indigenous woman and her family that does not rely on horrific trauma and violence to drive their backstory." - Sezín Koehler, Black Girl Nerds
[caption id="attachment_7913" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Top End Wedding[/caption]
Tickets are on sale now to this special Pop Up event! Purchase a Gala Deluxe pass to attend both Australian Premiere red carpet events and after parties at a discounted price.
BUY TICKETS NOW.