Arts and Entertainment Archive

Lady Sings the Blues

Lady Sings the Blues

Ex-boyfriends of Emma Pask beware. Her favourite party trick at shows is to publicly condemn her “doozy” exes. Whenever she performs at jazz venue 505 in Sydney’s Surry Hills, Pask stirs the sleepy club from its slumbers with her sheer effervescence and …
Debut film wins global acclaim

Debut film wins global acclaim

When Brazilian film maker Kleber Mendonca Filho started filming the middle class street he lives in, he could not have imagined his first feature film would bring so much international acclaim. Now at the Sydney Film Festival, Neighbouring Sounds has already been …

A Night at the Ballet

What a night of rich juxtapositions. A new venue; a colonial celebration; a first rate ballet company; second rate speeches; all the glamour of opening night; the cringe-worthy embarrassment of a ranting monarchist; and an English company made up of Cuban, Brazilian, …

Gallery – 2012 Sydney Film Festival

The paparazzi went wild when the Mabo family descended on the State Theatre last Thursday June 7 for the Sydney Film Festival premiere of the film Mabo, directed by Rachel Perkins.  Centre stage was Eddie Mabo’s widow, Bonita Mabo, surrounded by a …
Review: Mabo

Review: Mabo

As I watched the film Mabo at its premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on Thursday June 7, I felt both ashamed and proud. Ashamed at how white Australians had treated the Aboriginal people after expropriating their land and claiming it was …
Review: Maori Boy Genius

Review: Maori Boy Genius

The documentary Maori Boy Genius from director Pietra Brettkelly (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins), tells the true story of 16-year-old Ngaa Rauuira Pumanawawhiti, an intelligent and handsome Maori boy who carries the hopes and aspirations of his family, friends and …
Review: The World Before Her

Review: The World Before Her

The World Before Her is a documentary written and directed by Nisha Pahuja, a Canadian filmmaker born in India. It was four years in the making which allowed Pahuja to gain trust with the women she interviewed and gain a very personal …
Sydney Film Festival 2012 Highlights

Sydney Film Festival 2012 Highlights

The 2012 Sydney Film Festival will bring an eclectic mix of international and local films to our screens this month. From June6-17, the festival showcases the works of more than 150 directors, including many world premieres. Opening Night will feature the world …
Film Review: Despite the Gods

Film Review: Despite the Gods

Penny Vozniak’s compelling documentary Despite the God’s captures the literal blood, sweat and tears involved in the process of making a film. The documentary follows director Jennifer Lynch, daughter of eccentric filmmaker extraordinaire David Lynch, as she shoots her third feature film …

Festival director loves his new gig

When the Sydney Film Festival opened with the world premiere of Australian comedy Not Suitable for Children, it was with a new director at the helm. Nashen Moodley, born in South Africa in 1978, comes to Sydney with a distinguished portfolio in film programming …