From Australian classics, to Academy Award-nominated flicks and experimental gems, the Darwin International Film Festival (DIFF) returns with DIFF 2020: Take One this September 18—27.
Taking place at Darwin’s glorious outdoor venue, Deckchair Cinema, the DIFF 2020: Take One program is made up of 17 films, with 10 curated from the last decade of DIFF, a retrospective of 4 Australian cult classics, and 3 fresh local films from 2020. Each film will be accompanied by DIFF Sunsets; a line-up of pre-screening entertainment from the likes of DJ Kuya James, Amy Hetherington, Stevie Jean, Eric Avery, and many more!
For each night of the Festival, some of the best local chefs will bring flavours from around the world including the legendary Hanuman, classic BBQ grub from Café de la Plage and Organic AG, Middle Eastern flair with Flavours of Damascus, healthy home-style canapes with Dee Bee Catering, and many more.
Tickets are on sale now at www.diff.net.au.
“We’re incredibly lucky to be able to hold a physical Festival this year, and we don’t take that for granted,” said DIFF Festival Director Blandine Ruffo.
“During a year in which so few films have been made and released, we wanted to take this opportunity to look back and appreciate some of the films we’ve had the privilege of hosting at DIFF in years past. This is about more than just screening old favourites — this is about giving Territorians the escape they’ve been yearning for with new stories, old ones we know they’ll love, filling their bellies with the best local eats and enjoying quality Top End entertainment.”
The Festival will kick off with Exit Through the Gift Shop, an Academy Award-nominated documentary by the infamously mysterious British street artist, Banksy. Spanning almost a decade and several continents, the film follows the rise of artist Thierry Guetta, as he infiltrates the secretive world of street artists and becomes one of their own. Join ARIA-nominated producer, DJ Kuya James, and Emcille, before the film for a taste of the dynamic show that brought down the house at the recent Darwin Festival during its debut. There’s even more fun to be had during the pre-show, so don’t miss out on the colourful surprise in store for audiences!
Closing the Festival will be the in-cinema premiere of Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky, a brand-new musical documentary exploring an Indigenous perspective on Captain Cook’s arrival on Australian soil. Directed by Steven McGregor (Black Comedy) and presented by Steven Oliver (Black Comedy), the film features a diverse group of Indigenous artists performing original songs that speak directly to the past and future of Australia and asks whether we have a blurred history of Cook in 2020. Get in early to enjoy snags, songs, and a plate of laughs at BBQ Sessions by Foldback Magazine — and stay afterwards for a post-screening Q&A with director Steven McGregor.
The full DIFF 2020: Take One program also includes:
DIFF Vault
- The Illusionist (2010) — An animated and Academy Award-nominated film following a French illusionist as he finds himself out of work and travelling to Scotland, where he meets a young girl at the start of her life’s journey. Their ensuing adventure together changes both their lives forever. Pre-show entertainment from Serina Pech.
- On the Road (2012) — Featuring an all-start cast of Kristen Stewart (Twilight Saga), Amy Adams (Sharp Objects), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Kirsten Dunst (Hidden Figures), Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings), and Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy), a young writer has his life shaken up by the arrival of two free spirits as they travel across the United States. Pre-show entertainment from Serina Pech.
- Mystery Road (2013) — Starring Aaron Pederson (Goldstone) and Hugo Weaving (Hearts and Bones), an Indigenous detective returns to his rural hometown to investigate the brutal murder of a teenage girl. Pre-show entertainment from BBQ Sessions by Foldback Magazine, featuring Stevie Jean, Dave Garnham and the Reasons to Live, and comedic duo Amy Hetherington and Danielle Andrews.
- Still Our Country – Reflections on Culture (2014) — An experiential piece of cinema documenting the changing lives of the Yolngu people in Ramingining in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Pre-show entertainment from Eric Avery.
- The Wolfpack (2015) — Confined in a cramped apartment in one of New York’s housing projects, the six Angulo brothers have learned everything they know about the world through film. But when one of the brothers decides to leave and revisit the outside world, everything changes. Pre-show entertainment from Lena Kellie.
- Junction 48 (2016) — Set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two Palestinian hip-hop artists use love and music to fight against the oppression of Israeli society and the repression of their own. Pre-show entertainment from Kaotik.
- Ramen Shop (2018) — A young Ramen chef leaves his hometown in Japan to embark on a culinary journey to Singapore to find out the truth about his past, and along the way, uncovers more than family secrets and delicious recipes. Pre-show entertainment from Jocelyn Tribe.
- Loving Vincent (2017) — A young man arrives to the last hometown of painter Vincent van Gogh to deliver the troubled artist’s final letter and ends up investigating his mysterious final days there instead. As the world’s first fully-painted feature film, each frame is hand-drawn in Gogh’s own style. Pre-show entertainment from Septentriones.
- Monos (2019) — On a remote mountaintop in Latin America, a rebel group of teenage commandos performing military training exercises become compromised and must survive deep in the jungle. Pre-show entertainment from Jocelyn Tribe.
Fresh and Local
- Jimmy Shu’s Taste of the Territory (2020) — An eight-part series taking audiences on a culinary journey through the multicultural melting pot of Australia’s Northern Territory, hosted by celebrated chef Jimmy Shu. Followed by a Q&A with Shu and director Naina Sen, three episodes will be screened alongside a preview of the ICTV series, Our Bedtime Stories, Season 2. Pre-show entertainment from Alice Cotton.
- The Kneeling Devil (2020) — Made entirely by hand on a smart phone, the film follows a poor girl as she receives an engagement ring from her imaginary lover. Pre-show entertainment from Septentriones.
Mad Cults: Australians on the Edge (Presented by Mad Gnome Film Club)
- Mad Max 2 (1981) — In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter (Mel Gibson) agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of brutal bandits.
- Death in Brunswick (1990) — Starring Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) as a down-on-his-luck cook as he falls in love with a beautiful Greek barmaid. After accidentally killing a co-worker, he enlists the help of his unscrupulous best friend to dispose of the body.
- Chopper (2000) — Starring Eric Bana (Hulk), and based on the autobiographical books by legendary criminal-turned-author, Mark “Chopper” Read, the film follows Read’s time and life in prison.
- Animal Kingdom (2010) — Featuring an all-star Australian cast of Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook), Guy Pearce (Momento), Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One), and Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby), a teenage boy must navigate his own survival while living with his dysfunctional crime family.
DIFF will return in May 2021 with DIFF 2020: Take Two — a full, curated program of outstanding and award-winning films from around the world, as well as from the Capricornia Film Awards, the NT Screen Summit, and the Darwin Underground Film Festival.
The Darwin International Film Festival is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government and Screen Australia.
Darwin International Film Festival 2020 will run from Friday 18 September — Sunday 27 September 2020 at Deckchair Cinema, Jervois Rd, Darwin City NT 0800
You can find more information on https://diff.net.au/ and make sure to connect via facebook – https://www.facebook.com/darwinintfilmfestival/