FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA 2020

Dystopian zombie mutants, reality-bending psychological terror, dreamlike animations, and a healthy dose of gore - the inaugural Fantastic Film Festival Australia (20th February - 4th March 2020) has announced its full program of strange and surreal, boundary-pushing and bizarre cinema screening at Lido Cinemas, Hawthorn (VIC) and Ritz Cinemas, Randwick (NSW).

Offering up its own distinct perspective on genre and alternative cinema, FFFA marries (un)guilty pictorial pleasures with subversive storytelling that hacks away at conventions, unearthing core truths that are typically shied away from: from hard-hitting sociocultural commentary, to unique perspectives on what's widely taken for granted.

The SWITCH team have delved into this year's line-up, so check out our reviews below, and check back throughout the festival as we add more.

CHAINED FOR LIFE

The aesthetics of acting

An amusing, cunningly structured meta-commentary on filmmaking and cinematic ideals of beauty, the film is also an inside joke with a generosity of heart and humour.

AWAY

A minimalist and evocative animated adventure

With such an impressive and often stunning debut, I can't wait to see what Gints Zilbalodis produces nex - this Latvian animator is certainly one to watch.

S HE

A stop-motion animation with sole

It's imaginative, it's vivid, it's creative, and it's unbelievably bonkers. If you can look past the shoes, there are lessons being taught by a visionary director who's willing to take risks.

HORROR NOIRE: A HISTORY OF BLACK HORROR

Essential for genre fans and film buffs

There's been a growing interest in black-led horror films since 'Get Out' shattered minds and expectations. If you're a fan of horror or film history, you'll get a lot from this documentary.

THE GOLDEN GLOVE

Repellent and pointless

The film's settings, the events that occur and the way that everything plays out will fill you with the urge to bleach your eyeballs.

ZOMBI CHILD

A subtle riff on the zombie genre

An absorbing, often perplexing story in which a religion with a healthy respect for death crosses paths with a lovesick French schoolgirl.

A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE

A gory and funny road trip of self-discovery

Contrary to its small budget, the gore and violence are at the forefront, and the quirky characters we meet along the way are fun.

THE MUTE

A violent look at faith and religion

A magnificently filmed and subtly political view of the conflict between church and state, good and evil, hate and love.

JALLIKATTU

Visually stunning and absurdly funny sociopolitical critique

A clever, handsomely shot and frequently laugh-aloud sociopolitical critique that asks whether humanity has really evolved. Are humans still basically Neanderthal hunter-gatherers?

SAINT MAUD

Religious fervour and psychological horror

An insight into a lonely and very modern existence that is sadly recognisable. Rose Glass delivers on so many levels as a writer/director that it's hard to believe that this is her debut feature.