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Sydney Underground Film Festival 2013 (SUFF)

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Welcome to Sydney’s film festival of the year –catering for all our lust, desire, fetish, humour, horror and fantastical urges from cinema –in this amazing visual and cultural experience. The Sydney Underground Film Festival 2013 (SUFF) took place from September 5-8 at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville, a central and suitable location to immerse in this screening adventure for film goers and makers.

Opening night featured the return of director, Alejandro Jodorowsky with his masterpiece, ‘The Dance of Reality’ (La Danza de la Realidad), an independent autobiographical film of his coming of age in Chile. After 23 years behind screen, Jodorowsky restores his cinematographic work through this surrealistic adaptation of his personal life; drawn from his memoir of the same name.

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There were a number of stand out features, special screenings, documentaries and short film sessions that drew in large audiences. To name a few, the documentary ‘Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton’, celebrates 85 years (1913-1999) of this amazing poet and his experimental filmmaking to discover his sexual orientation and be the voice for homosexuals. On the other hand, ‘Unhung Hero’ is a cockumentary of comedian, Patrick Moote and his mission to overcome his own shortcomings by determining the importance of size in manhood.

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As for the premiere features, ‘Magic Magic’ is an intensifying psychological thriller, exploring the depths of hypnosis and insomnia, driven by an all star cast; Michael Cera, Juno Temple and Emily Browning. In contrast, ‘Antisocial’ brings to screen a horror that challenges the ideal of social networks through an epidemic of violence on New Years Eve.

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The most impressive short films that received awards include:

  • Best film voted: The Hidden Gem (Namratha Thomas)
  • Best original animation: Auto Bambina (Rob Crowe)
  • Best comedy: Float (Nick Hunter)
  • Freak the Jury Out: FMK (Emma Varker)
  • Free Radicals: L’apparition de Courbes Aurorales (Samantha Gurry)
  • Lovesick: Blind Passenger (Shahane Bekarian)
  • LSD Factory: Auto Bambina
  • Ozploit: Catch of the Day (Patrick Feary)
  • Reality Bites: The Sandwich  Nazi (Lewis Bennett)

Closing night presented a thrilling ending with ‘The Canyons’, a suspenseful and erotic drama written by Bret Easton Ellis and directed by Paul Schrader. The neo-noir film, starring Lindsay Lohan and James Deen, explores the controversy of unconventional relationships, double-standards of privacy, trust and degrading oneself for money and fame.

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Outside the theatre rooms, entertainment arose in the form of guest music performances from Twilight of the Dogs, an enticing black culture cab booth for free photos, delicious jaffles, serendipity ice cream and limited merchandise; SUFF t-shirts and a collection of previous screenings on DVD. However, the main attraction of the event lies within the lively atmosphere, built on the exploration of film at its finest or worst.

There is no doubt that the seventh instalment of SUFF 2013 will not be forgotten anytime soon. Don’t miss out on next years festival!