Film in Revolt chatted with Clare Sawyer, the family/youth film programmer at Sydney Film Festival which kicks off next month.
Do you have any guests coming out for the youth program that you can reveal?
We are really excited to have the Sydney premiere of The Secret Life of Pets 2 and joining us on the Red Carpet on June 6th will be actors Kevin Hart (Snowball) and Tiffany Haddish (Daisy). It will be so fun to have them here to meet their youngest Sydney fans.
I’m a fan too, what’s not to love about the cute white bunny Snowball and his “ground breaking evil behaviour”? Or maybe the audience will love him in his new incarnation as Captain Snowball, check both Kevin and Tiffany’s characters out here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OkX3NomGQc).
We also have a host of other guests joining us during the festival including the team from the Australian debut feature from Imogen Thomas The Emu Runner. This film appealed to me because of its great empathy for the young girl at the centre of the story. When it screened at Toronto Film Festival the programmer summarised it beautifully: ’ The film’s theme of respecting differences while treasuring community has never felt more contemporary, compelling, or universal.” We really look forward to celebrating this film with the filmmaking team here in Sydney.
Another International guest joining us is UK co-director Victoria Stone who is bringing us the wonderful documentary The Elephant Queen. I’m looking forward to having a Q & A with Victoria about the recent UN global assessment highlighting the accelerating decline of Earth’s natural life-support systems. It’s a pressing issue for us all and Victoria will be able to offer great insights.
You went to the Berlin International film festival and caught some of the films you have programmed. What was that festival experience like?
This was my second time in Berlin and it is an amazing festival with a brilliant section Generation that is specifically aimed at young people. Often the films in Generation are edgier and grittier than we are used to in Australia but they always deliver a programme with fascinating insights into other cultures. I chose Ringside and Stupid Young Heart from over 40 films I saw there. What’s great about Berlinale is that the filmmakers and cast are generally in attendance and after the screening, they join the audience for a Q&A. For me, this is the essence of the film festival experience.
What film do you recommend to catch with a big group of friends?
With a group of teens I’d really suggest that Ringside is the one to watch. It shows the tough side of Chicago’s Southside but it is a really heartwarming story about two young men and how they are striving for success in their lives. It was filmed over 8 years and the story is so unexpected that it is more like a drama than a documentary. You wouldn’t expect such a moving experience from a film about boxing but ironically the violence is in everyday life not in the ring. The young men’s bonds to their families get them through some hard times. I’m sure any group of friends would have a lot to talk about afterwards.
For a younger audience, I don’t think you can go past Tito and the Birds, a luminous animation from Brazil. This is such a beautiful film, which was created using oil paintings, digital drawings, and graphic animation. It also has a powerful message about how the limiting influence of fear.
The red carpet event for The Secret Lives of Pets 2 looks exciting. What can we audiences expect from the red carpet experience?
All I can say is this is going to be a blast and certainly the most fun young audiences can have in Sydney that week! Anything more would spoil the experience.
Can you give us three words to describe the feature films in the program?
Emu Runner Compelling, empathetic and gentle
The Elephant Queen Epic, moving and wondrous
Minuscule – Mandibles from Far Away Enchanting, delightful and funny
Ringside Affecting, powerful and inspiring
Stupid Young Heart Insightful, warm and vital.
Tito and the Birds Extraordinary, unique and vibrant
Secret Life of Pets 2 Kooky, energetic and fun!
What advice would you give to youth who are interested in film programming?
Programming is about picking up on what is happening in the world around you right now. It’s about seeing the exciting stories from cultures across the world and bringing them to Australian audiences. My advice is to be as open as you can and think about what appeals to a range of people. I also believe it is important to show independent work as so often there aren’t many platforms for those individual cinematic visions.
Sydney Film Festival
3 June – 16 June 2019