bury me in this dress

Six critically-acclaimed films will be shown in Manila and Cebu during the 7th Australian Film Festival. The Manila leg will be held at the Greenbelt Cinema from November 5 to 8, 2009. The featured films are the following:

The Black Balloon
Follows the story of 15-year old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) who tries to fit in his new life as his family moves to a new home while taking care of his autistic older brother Charlie (Luke Ford, The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) and nurturing a budding romance with new girlfriend Jackie (Australian supermodel and actress Gemma Ward). Charlie takes Thomas on an emotional journey in a story that is funny, confronting and ultimately heart-warming. This film also stars Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Toni Collette (Sixth Sense, About A Boy).  The Black Balloon was awarded the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival Crystal Bear for Best Feature-Length film in the Generation 14plus category and Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing.

Unfinished Sky

When Tahmeena stumbles onto John’s isolated farm, he has no choice but to take her in. An illegal refugee, she’s been badly beaten and speaks no English. While John’s not inclined to welcome visitors, he’s even less inclined to involve the police. As they communicate through signs, pictures and a gradual understanding of each other’s language, John and Tahmeena both begin to recover their faith in themselves and their trust in humanity. Tahmeena brings the homestead back to life, reopening John’s eyes to the beauty of his land. In return, John tries to track down the daughter Tahmeena sent ahead from war-ravaged Afghanistan. With renewed confidence they step out of the sanctuary of the farm, but in doing so, reveal themselves to the violent criminals who’ve been looking for Tahmeena. Unfinished Sky is a powerful, poetic and sensual love story that peels away layers of hurt and mistrust to reveal the beauty of freedom, hope and choice.
The Bank

A political thriller set in the world of high finance.

Danny Deckchair

Based on a true story, the tale of a cement truck driver named Danny, whose long awaited vacation is cancelled thanks to his scheming girlfriend, Trudy. Danny escapes his grim life in suburban Australia and blasts into the skies in a chair tied with helium balloons. A mighty thunderstorm blows him clean off the map, and spits him out far away over the lush green town of Clarence. In this new town, he rockets into the world of Glenda, the town’s only parking cop. While the media back home becomes obsessed with the story of his disappearance, Danny gets to reinvent himself in this new town, and in his great adventure, he discovers a true soulmate in Glenda. Fate catches up with him eventually, as Danny’s true identity is revealed and Trudy–now a tabloid celebrity–comes to the idyllic town to claim Danny and drag him back to Sydney. Danny, however, is a changed man; he’s discovered what it means to be happy and has found a new self-worth. Saying farewell to Trudy, Danny makes a dynamic re-entry to the town of Clarence–determined to win Glenda back again and embrace his newfound zest for life.

Garage Days
A coming-of-age comedy about a young Sydney band trying to get a foothold in the competitive world of rock n’ roll. After the band’s first gig is a colossal failure, the lead singer takes it upon himself to go out and pursue the most successful rock manager in the country. Meanwhile the other members of the band continue to deal with the kind of every day life issues that can ultimately tear a band apart. It may be the dawn of a new millennium but it’s still a long way to the top if you want to rock n’ roll.
The Hard Word
Three prisoners are about to be released on bail. Hard experience and an unspoken bond of family have made them masters of their craft – armed robbery. It’s a job and they do it because they’re good at it. Their only rule is, no one gets hurt. The film stars Guy Pearce (Memento, The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, LA Confidential ) and Golden Globe winner Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under, Brothers and Sisters).

SCHEDULE
Greenbelt 3, Cinema 3 – Makati City – admission is P65

November 5 (Thursday)
04:00PM The Bank
06:00PM The Black Balloon
08:00PM Danny Deckhair

November 6 (Friday)
04:00PM The Hard Wood
06:00PM Unfinished Sky
08:00PM Garage Days

November 7 (Saturday)
04:00PM Danny Deckhair
06:00PM The Bank
08:00PM The Black Balloon

November 8 (Sunday)
04:00PM Garage Days
06:00PM The Hard Wood
08:00PM Unfinished Sky
Ayala Center Cebu, Cinema 4 – Cebu City – free admission

November 9 (Monday)
06:00PM Danny Deckhair
08:00PM Garage Days

November 10 (Tuesday)
07:00PM The Black Balloon
09:00PM The Bank

November 11 (Wednesday)
04:00PM The Hard Wood
06:00PM Unfinished Sky
08:00PM Danny Deckhair

November 12 (Thursday)
04:00PM Garage Days
06:00PM The Black Balloon
08:00PM Unfinished Sky

November 13 (Friday)
10:30AM The Bank

November 14 (Saturday)
10:30AM The Hard Wood

Tags: australian, film festival

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.