Armidale International Film Festival

Have your say - Up the Yangtze

2009-07-30T04:25:00.001-07:00

Canada 2007, directed by Yung Chang, 93 mins, rated M

Life aboard a luxury cruise boat travelling up the Yangtze is a microcosm of life in contemporary China. This multi-award-winning documentary is directed with insight, flair and compassion as many facets of the modern Chinese experience are depicted.

Have your say - Låt den rätte komma in

2009-06-22T04:03:00.001-07:00

Sweden 2008, directed by Tomas Alfredson, 115 mins, rated MA.

This teen vampire movie is both creepy and extraordinarily resonant. Alongside the grisly, bloody murders, a sweet, non-sexual relationship develops hesitantly between two young social outcasts (one of whom is the vampire!), which is treated with emotional delicacy and originality. A hit on the international film festival circuit.

Have your say - DER BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX

2009-06-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

Germany 2008, directed by Uli Edel, 150 mins, rated MA 15+

This Bavarian Film Award winner (Best Production, 2009) portrays the activities of the most famous revolutionary group in post-war Germany, the Red Army Faction, aka the Baader-Meinhof Group, as they set out to battle society’s perceived slide toward fascism. But is RAF’s alleged fight for democracy really justified? A worthy 2009 Oscar Nominee.

Have your say - GIORNO E NUVOLE

2009-06-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

Italy 2007, directed by Silvio Soldini, 115 mins, rated M

The latest film by Silvio (Bread and Tulips) Soldini explores what can happen when the bottom drops out of a respectable, middle-aged couple's world and they enter a downward spiral, occasioned by unemployment and the loss of their home.. Will their marriage survive the collapse of their affluent lifestyle? Won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress: David Di Donatello (2008)

Have your say - TAARE ZAMEEN PAR

2009-06-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

India 2007, directed by Aamir Khan, 165 mins, rated PG.

Bollywood superstar, Aamir Khan, turns director and also appears in this moving cinematic experience about an 8-year-old dyslexic boy who, against all odds, manages to overcome his learning difficulties with the help of an understanding teacher. Should be seen by all teachers and parents! Another Bollywood plus triumph!

Have your say - STELLET LICHT

2009-06-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

Mexico 2007, directed by Carlos Reygadas, 135 mins, rated M

A husband and father of seven is faced with a personal and religious crisis when he falls for another woman in Northern Mexico's Mennonite community. The film contains stunning cinematography in the massive spaces of Chihuahua, including one of the most talked-about and beautiful opening long shots ever filmed, as dawn breaks on the family farm.

Have your say - OKURIBITO

2009-06-22T03:58:00.001-07:00

Japan 2007, directed by Yôjirô Takita, 130 mins, rated M

As Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) loses his job as a professional Tokyo cellist, he returns to his rural hometown to seek employment. Hoping to become a travel agent, he responds to an ad which seeks someone to assist with ‘departures’, but what awaits him is a position as an undertaker. Winner of 30 international awards, incl. the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Have your say - VALS IM BASHIR

2009-06-22T03:57:00.001-07:00

Israel 2008, directed by Ari Folman, 90 mins, rated MA 15+

This animated film explores the horrors of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon through the eyes of the director who, at the tender age of 19, served in the conflict and then blotted it from his mind and repressed his guilt until he and other veterans faced their demons through innovative artistic creation. One of the most extraordinary films of all time, it has won 22 prizes world-wide and was nominated for an Oscar, 2008.

Have your say - DIE STILLE VOR BACH

2009-06-22T03:56:00.001-07:00

Spain 2007, directed by Pere Portabella, 102 mins, rated TBA

Adventurous Spanish director, Pere Portabella, invites us on a beautiful journey to discover the legacy of one of the greatest classical composers of all times, Johann Sebastian Bach. Winner of a 2007 Barcelona Film Award, this film is a true celebration of the profound impact of Bach’s music on various aspects of life in contemporary Europe.

Have your say - Mýrin

2009-06-22T03:55:00.000-07:00

Iceland 2006, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, 93 mins, rated MA 15+

An unnerving, sublimely directed police thriller to put a chill in your bones to match the desolate Icelandic landscape. A detective follows a trail of well-buried secrets and small town corruption, whilst trying to cope with his problematic relationship with his daughter. Iceland's highest-grossing film, whose rights have now been sold for an American remake, transposed to Louisana!

Have your say - Entre Les Murs

2009-06-22T03:53:00.000-07:00

France 2008, directed by Laurent Cantet, 128 mins, rated M

A year in the life of a racially-diverse class of 14 and 15 year olds unfolds in a tough Parisian neighbourhood, with the successes and failures of its charismatic teacher, whose good intentions are sometimes not enough and even challenged in surprising ways. Nominated for an Oscar and sensational winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, 2008.

Have your say - TULPAN

2009-06-22T03:42:00.000-07:00

Kazakhstan 2008, directed by Sergei Dvortsevoy 100 mins, rated M

Graceful, funny and heart-warming, this multi-award winning film follows Asa who dreams of establishing a life of his own as a herdman. Determined to fulfil his destiny and marry Tulpan, he ventures on a journey to prove his worthiness as a future husband. A story set in the flat and arid remote regions of Kazakhstan.

Have your say - REVANCHE

2009-06-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

Austria 2008, directed by Götz Spielmann, 121 mins, rated M

A revenge thriller and gritty drama. Ex-con, Alex, and his Ukrainian prostitute girlfriend, Tamara, desperately long for a life away from the Vienna brothel where they both work. In need of money, Alex robs a bank, but things go terribly wrong. Edgy and compelling, this film was nominated for a 2009 Oscar.