10 Must-See Movies At This Year’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival

From July 4 to July 17 this year Perth is home to one of the world’s most celebrated and unique movie festivals – Revelation Perth International Film Festival. Over the past 22 years the fest has championed independent film from around the globe, including of course, our own backyard.

If you’re tired of scrolling through the same Adam Sandler movies on Netflix, we can’t implore you enough to get out of the house in a few weeks time and experience some exciting new cinema at Revelation. The program is huge and filled with something for everyone, and to try make things a little easier for you here’s 10(ish) we’re really looking forward to:

Anthropocene

A documentary for the more environmentally-minded (and if that’s not you, why not?!), Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is the third in an environmental trilogy from directors Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky. This time around the documentarians examine humanity’s destructive impact on the planet through a visually stunning (and at times, depressing) lens. Maybe one to take your climate change-denying boomer parents along to 😉

Hot Mess

The debut feature film from Sydney-based writer/director Lucy Coleman has been making waves in America after premiering at the Seattle International Film Festival, and makes its Aus’ debut at Revelation. Perhaps it’s the Aussie setting, but the story of 25-year-old Loz feels very relatable, like it could be anyone of our friends, and we can’t wait to check it out.

The Final Quarter

The Final Quarter deals in one of the darkest periods in AFL history, documenting the last three years of Sydney Swans legend Adam Goodes’ career. One of the most awarded footballers of all time, Goodes became the target of a large portion of the country after calling out racism on the footy field. While it’s centred on the AFL, we get the feeling this one’s going to pretty comfortably apply to all of Australia, and an uncomfortable – but essential – watch.

Black ‘47

We’re getting serious The Proposition but set in Ireland vibes from Black ’47, a revenge thriller set against the backdrop of the Great Famine. This bleak and hostile-looking tale stars Australian legend Hugo Weaving, who’s been tasked with chasing down protagonist Feeney (James Frecheville) seeking vengeance against a whole host of characters.

Maybe It’s Luck

How’s this for Perth pride? Maybe It’s Luck follows the story of 90s Perth punkers Kerb as their ever-optimistic frontman Steve Browne tries to engineer a comeback following their disbandment in 1999. It’s hard enough to get everyone together while a band is functioning normally, let alone 15 years after they’ve broken up, and this fly-on-the-wall documentation of that process promises to be a pearler.

Alien / Memory: The Origins Of Alien

Okay we’re cheating a bit here with the double-up, but it’s not often you get to see Ridley Scott’s Alien on the big screen (along with several other sci-fi classics to boot). And as a nice compliment to the film, why not check out Alexandre O. Phillipe’s Memory, a deep dive into the Scott’s landmark sci-fi/horror classic. More than just a simple making of, if you’ve seen his previous doco 78/52, about Alfred Hitchock’s Psycho, you’ll know it’s one not to be missed.

Chained For Life

A film within a film, Chained For Life stars British actor Adam Pearson whose character Rosenthal sets out to make his own movie while playing a stereotypical “freak” on the set of a B-grade horror movie. Pearson, who has a rare condition called neurofibromatosis, will be in attendance for the screenings, which promise to be something truly special.

Stuffed

Another one of several fantastic documentaries, Stuffed director Erin Derham turns the camera onto contemporary taxidermy and the people who practice it. Rather than just being a cliché look into what many deem a morbid world, Derham looks to be shattering many assumptions and misconceptions about taxidermy through the characters who live it.

Locusts

In the interest of further supporting Australia’s indie movie scene, Locusts feels like pure western-noir cinema, looking like our own take on Hell Or High Water. With an all star Aussie cast and award winning indie director Heath Davis at the healm, Locusts seems like a down and dirty piece of genre film-making and a rollicking good time we can get behind.

Meeting Gorbachev

If you’ve never allowed yourself the absolute pleasure of watching a Werner Herzog documentary, Meeting Gorbachev looks like the perfect place to start! Through a series of interviews with the last leader of the Soviet Union, directors Herzog and André Singer tell Gorbachev’s story in typically unique and engrossing fashion.

Along with a heap of fantastic films, Revelation Film Festival will also host speaking panels and a variety of different workshops – scope it all via their website:  https://www.revelationfilmfest.org.