SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES RETURN OF EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN IN FILM

Published by: Sydney Film Festival | 13-May-2019
The 66th Sydney Film Festival (5-16 June), in partnership with European Film Promotion, and media partners Screen International and Fade to Her announces Europe! Voices of Women in Film: a program of 10 new films from vital European women filmmakers.
Filmmaker guests from across the continent will introduce their films and take part in a public talk: In Conversation: Europe! Voices of Women in Film at The Hub (Sunday, 9 June, 3:00pm), examining what steps towards gender parity have been made in recent years with Screen International's Sarah Ward

In attendance to present their films at the Festival will be: German filmmaker Carolina Hellsgård (Endzeit - Ever After), Greek director Marianna Economou (When Tomatoes Met Wagner), Icelandic director Asthildur Kjartansdóttir (The Deposit), Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali (Pause), Dutch director Esther Rots (Retrospekt), and Austrian director Elina Tikhonova (Caviar).

"The Europe! Voices of Women in Film program is just one of many ways the Festival stands proudly with talented women filmmakers, in an industry still struggling with equality," said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley.

"The Festival continues to provide a platform for the incredible stories of talented European women filmmakers: from one of the year's most controversial films about a successful lawyer's affair with her teenage stepson, to an engaging documentary on finding hope in organic tomato farming amidst financial crisis," he said.

"Sydney Film Festival has made a thrilling selection of works by women directors based on the wonderfully diverse nominations of our EFP member organisations from the whole of Europe," said EFP Managing Director Sonja Heinen.

"From a psychological-drama-turned-narrative-experiment by award-winning Dutch writer and director Esther Rots, to an extraordinary zombie film interpretation by Swedish filmmaker Carolina HellsgÃ¥rd, they bring an exciting new perspective to cinematic storytelling."

"But even though the awareness for gender equality in film has increased in the past four years since we started our programme, there is still a long way to go and we are proud to be able to support and promote such outstanding filmmakers at the Festival," she said.

"In an industry still struggling to achieve gender parity and inclusivity, still reluctant to champion female filmmakers in general, but overflowing with pioneering talents worthy of attention, it remains crucial to showcase women directors," said Sarah Ward, Screen International film critic.

"Partnering with European Film Promotion and the Sydney Film Festival for the third consecutive year, Screen International is proud to co-present the Europe: Voices of Women in Film program "” helping to shine a spotlight on important and essential stories both on- and off-screen," she said.

Europe! Voices of Women in film screenings and talks include:

Films:

THE BEST OF DORIEN B. | Belgium, Netherlands | 2019 | Australian Premiere | Director, Screenwriter: Anke Blondé

CAVIAR l Austria | 2019 l Australian Premiere l Director: Elena Tikhonova

THE DEPOSIT | Iceland | 2019 |Australian Premiere | Director, Screenwriter: Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir

ENDZEIT - EVER AFTER | Germany |2018 | Australian Premiere | Director: Carolina Hellsgård

ONLY YOU | UK | 2018 | Australian Premiere | Director, Screenwriter: Harry Wootliff

PAUSE | Cyprus, Greece | 2018 | Australian Premiere |Director, Screenwriter: Tonia Mishiali

QUEEN OF HEARTS | Denmark, Sweden | 2019 | Australian Premiere | Director: May el-Toukhy

RETROSPEKT | The Netherlands, Belgium | 2018 | Australian Premiere | Director, Screenwriter: Esther Rots

SCHEME BIRDS | Sweden, UK | 2019 | Australian Premiere | Directors, Screenwriters: Ellen Fiske, Ellinor Hallin

WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER | Greece | 2019 | Australian Premiere | Director: Marianna Economou

Talks at The Hub:

In Conversation: Europe! Voices of Women in Film

Sunday 9 June, 3:00pm

While gender parity has proven an important topic of discussion in the film industry in recent years, has anything really changed? Filmmakers from Sydney Film Festival's Europe! Voices of Women in Film program discuss their experiences.

The full Sydney Film Festival 2019 program can be found online at sff.org.au.

Sydney Film Festival runs 5 - 16 June 2019. Tickets for Sydney Film Festival 2019 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up

Join Our Growing Community

ART NEWS PORTAL is a global crowd sourced art news feed.
Everyone is welcome to share their art and culture related news.