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The 69th Sydney Film Festival (8 – 19 June) announces that the Festival Hub at Town Hall will be an immersive Festival experience, with filmmaker talks and panels, as well as themed parties – all but one of them FREE.
The Hub will be open to the public on all nights of the Festival (8-19 June), and from 11:30am on weekends and public holiday Monday (11-13 June, and 18-19 June). The Hub will feature a Happy Hour special at its pop-up bar between 4:30pm and 6:00pm on weekdays outside of talk sessions, with drinks from Brix Distillers, Château Tanunda and Mountain Goat Beer. Discount tickets to Festival films ($10) can also be snapped up for selected screenings at the Hub Box Office daily.
There will be dedicated talks after select screenings from Festival filmmaker guests to discuss their filmmaking process as well as talks illuminating the many diverse voices within the filmmaking industry including: two-time Archibald winning artist/filmmaker Del Kathryn Barton (Blaze), the entertaining Jemaine Clement (Nude Tuesday), members of the ground-breaking Back to Back Theatre Company (Shadow), and more.
The Hub will also host exciting special events paired with screenings including an explosive street dance showcase, as featured in the new Australian documentary Keep Stepping, and a live acoustic session inspired by the new Aussie music festival flick 6 Festivals, and more.
“The Hub is the cultural melting pot of the Festival, where film lovers and fans can relish in the wide range of knowledge, skills, talents and points of view of filmmakers and industry veterans,” said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “The Hub will also host fantastic parties that will keep the post-film buzz going and immerse you in the world of films featured at the Festival: from a party celebrating NYC’s early 2000s music scene after the screening of Meet Me in The Bathroom, to an after-screening party for Fire Island.”
Parties at the Festival Hub:
Fire Island: All Pride, No Prejudice
Thu 9 Jun| 10pm | Free
Bring your Pride and park your prejudice at the after-screening party of Fire Island, a new film inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Grab a partner and dance! Event co-hosted by Queer Screen.
Keep Stepping: Break Out
Fri 10 Jun | 8pm | Free
Experience some of the explosive dance action featured in the world premiere film Keep Stepping with a live street dance showcase, MC and DJ set.
6 Festivals: Acoustic Sessions
Fri 10 Jun | 10.30pm | Free
Putting the ‘Festival’ in Sydney Film Festival. Join us for a showcase of emerging Aussie music talent including Charbel, Kid Pharoah, Champion The Boy, Anna Therese and Yasmin Honeychurch, delivering acoustic delights in celebration of 6 Festivals.
Seriously Red: Afterparty
Sat 11 Jun | 9pm | $10
Tumble out of the film, and into the party, and pour yourself a cup of celebration at the Seriously Red Premiere After Party, hosted by Trevor Ashley! Includes Dolly Parton Tribute show featuring Donna Campbell and DJ set by Victoria Anthony.
Meet Me at The Hub
Sun 12 Jun | 8pm | Free
DJs will spin underground classics after the screening of Meet Me in the Bathroom, a celebration of the early 2000s NYC music scene that birthed The Strokes, Interpol, Karen O and more! Featuring performances by Azaria Byrne.
SFF Film Trivia Night
Wed 15 Jun | 8pm | Free
Know your Satyajit Ray from your Michael Bay? Gather a team and join us for a Film Trivia Night and win prizes! Hosted by comedian Marty Bright this is the grandest film trivia arena of the year!
Talks at the Festival Hub:
The FREE Festival Talks at the Festival Hub create a space for audiences, filmmakers and industry professionals to progress a dialogue about the important topics and issues of the year, addressed in Festival films.
Streaming Australian
Thu 9 June | 5pm | Free
Join a round table discussion on the need for more local content on streaming platforms with screen industry producers, actors, writers, directors and crew as a new “Make it Australian” campaign is launched.
First Nation Next Wave
Fri 10 Jun | 5pm | Free
The team of First Nation filmmakers from SFF’s Opening Night Film We Are Still Here feature in this discussion on how they went about creating a film with 10 directors in two countries during a global pandemic.
Meet the Filmmakers: Nude Tuesday
Fri 10 Jun | 1:40pm | Free
Join the team behind Nude Tuesday: Jemaine Clement, Jackie van Beek, Armagan Ballantyne and Damon Herriman in conversation with SMH’s Garry Maddox to understand how you make a film when no one understands what anyone else is saying. Fortunately, the talk will be in English.
Women’s Cinema in Colour
Sat 11 June | 12pm | Free
SFF’s Women’s Giving Collective is supporting a panel led by Director and producer Ana Tiwary (Rhapsody of Love), of savvy Australian women filmmakers in discussion about their experiences in the world of independent movie making.
Craft in Focus
Sun 12 Jun | 4:30pm | Free
AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood will moderate a conversation in celebration of the newly announced AFTRS Craft Award between the screen guild’s supporting writers, cinematographers, editors, screen composers and production designers. Let’s talk Australian Cinema – the good, bad and the ugly.
European Women in Film
Sun 12 Jun | 12pm | Free
An opportunity to meet the filmmakers from the Europe! Voices of Women in Film strand with Screen International’s Sandy George, who will discuss why a focus on women is still needed in 2022.
Australian Queer Screen Today
Mon 13 Jun | 5pm | Free
SFF Program Consultant and Tribeca Associate Programmer Paul Struthers will lead discussion on Australian Queer Cinema today with filmmakers from the festival.
Shadow: Talks at the Hub
Wed 15 Jun | 5:15pm | Free
After the screening of Shadow and in partnership with Accessible Arts, writer-director Johanna Garvin and members of the film team from the Ibsen Award-winning Back to Back Theatre Company will discuss their experiences.
Blaze: Talks at the Hub
Sat 18 Jun | 1:45pm | Free
Join Sandy George in conversation with Blaze director and Archibald prize-winning artist Del Kathryn Barton as they talk about her debut directorial feature.
Ian McPherson Memorial Lecture
Sun 19 Jun | 1pm | Free
A free public event presented every year, commemorating the contribution of the man who helped establish Sydney Film Festival in 1954. Writer Sandy George presents a Currency House New Platform essay and leads a discussion on whether the Australianness of our stories is being swept under the carpet.
The full Sydney Film Festival 2022 program can be found online at sff.org.au.
Sydney Film Festival runs in cinemas 8-19 June 2022. Tickets and flexipasses to Sydney Film Festival 2022 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information or to book.