SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL SELECTS

This year's Sydney Film Festival is an unprecedented event - proceeding virtually, there's a smattering of films available now at www.sff.org.au to take in at your own leisure.

As a spinoff, Festival Director Nashen Moodley has selected 40 of his favourite SFF features to stream for free on SBS On Demand. Check out our reviews below for the films showcased there from now until the 10th July 2020.

STRANGERLAND

Kidman still fails to inspire

From the outset - even just the first few seconds - we know ‘Strangerland’ not going to be a fun film, or entertaining.

A FANTASTIC WOMAN

An extraordinary landmark in queer cinema

This is a thrilling, strangely magical and deeply moving portrait of a trans woman defining herself within a tragedy, a family and a society that does not accomodate for her.

ALI'S WEDDING

A multicultural Aussie comedy

Taking place within the Muslim community, 'Ali'a Wedding' is significant for a local film, presenting audiences with a slice of Australian life that many will be unfamiliar with (or even fearful of).

AMOUR

Another masterwork from a true master

This is an exquisite film building towards a shattering yet understated climax. Everything about it feels personal and considered, and executed with every detail calibrated perfectly.

FRANCES HA

Look out, Woody Allen

We're drawn into one woman's first world problems, where life is hard but "life" is even harder. 'Frances Ha' is a film that will definitely put Greta Gerwig on the map.

LEAVE NO TRACE

Overflowing with hope and compassion

Simultaneously haunting and yet overflowing with hope, this is a beautiful film, telling a story of a daughter and her father that speaks truths.

MUSTANG

Turkey's answer to 'The Virgin Suicides'

While the story is harrowing at times, it’s also inspiring and it leads to some serious thought provocation.

MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI

A refreshing animation

'My Life as Zucchini' never sacrifices what's true for what's trite and easier to sell. This truly is animation as art.

RAFIKI

A future LGBT classic

The film was banned in its home country of Kenya, where homosexuality is a criminal offence that can result in a lengthy prison sentence. It just makes 'Rafiki' feel like even more of a triumph.

SPOOR

A dark thriller with bite

It’s a particularly twisted film, growing from a defenceless wolf cub into a vicious, vengeant creature. Back an animal in a corner, and it will fight back. ‘Spoor’ strikes with all its might.

TANGERINE

Sweet and juicy surprise

Films don’t often come around that change the landscape, but this is one of the rare few that could - a triumph in what can be achieved, even from the most humble of means.

THAT'S NOT ME

A marvel of indie ingenuity

‘That’s Not Me’ is a marvel of indie ingenuity, with dollops of charm and confident direction. Shot over nine months for $60k, this film looks and sounds like a million bucks.

THE BREAKER UPPERERS

Another soon-to-be New Zealand comedy classic

This is the low-budget indie darling you hope and expect it to be, and will surely become an instant classic, all while showing off New Zealand’s wickedly dry sense of humour and originality.

THE GUILTY

The call of a lifetime

This is Swedish director Gustav Möller's first feature film, but from the expert control of tone and shot composition, one would be forgiven for mistaking his career as a long and successful one.

THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE

Charming and poetic

While 'The Other Side Of Hope' is unapologetically moral and political in its message and agenda, it also comes across as a good piece of cinema with poetry all of its own.

THE RED TURTLE

A remarkable debut & collaboration

Without dialogue to drive the narrative, the film relies upon its careful and considered visual storytelling, both beautifully simple and consistently daring.

THE SQUARE

A dazzling piece of cinematic invention

'The Square' is a masterful piece of cinema, preposterously funny and endlessly strange, culminating in moments of genuine awe.

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

A meandering stroll

The film is a forgettable and uninspiring experience. There are flashes of something in there, but the result left me cold and frustrated.

WADJDA

Pushing boundaries

This enjoyable and excellently made film ends with a sense of hope, and the feeling that Wadjda’s story is just beginning. It is a film about women, and one girl’s determination to follow her dreams.