10 days of film, performances and conversations that celebrate truth, wisdom and change.
a nod to the individual, social and systemic changes we are witnessing or working toward at this moment in time - Shaped by the generous storytelling of the many artists, activists and advocates in our lineup.
Thursday 22 April
FAREWELL AMOR (2020)
6:30PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING PERFORMANCE BY NIASHA
“There are three sides to every story in Ekwa Msangi's vivid and carefully observed feature debut.” - Observer UK
NARRATIVE | INTERNATIONAL | DANCE
Friday 23 April
Underplayed (2020)
6:15PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING PERFORMANCE BY JACKI TUT
“A celebration of past achievements and of those breaking the sound barrier today, Underplayed is an important piece of work.”
- Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film
DOCUMENTARY | PREMIERE | MUSIC
Feminist Shorts
9:00PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
6 short films encapsulating a range of voices and stories. This program celebrates the victories, exposes the struggles and highlights the everyday trivialities of women and gender-non-conforming people.
Saturday 24 April
Cowboys (2020)
2:00PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING A POST-FILM PANEL DISCUSSION
“There’s not very many roles for trans kids, even small roles, especially transmasculine roles. It's cool to be a part of something that's breaking barriers.” - Sasha Knight
NARRATIVE | GENDER | MENTAL HEALTH
Kuessipan (2019)
6:30PM | VILLAGE CINEMAS CENTURY CITY
"Kuessipan is quiet and mesmerizing and tragic and full of hope. It is a triumph, and a privilege to spend time with." - Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail
NARRATIVE | YOUTH | INDIGENOUS
MLK/FBI (2020)
6:30PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING A POST-FILM PANEL DISCUSSION
“By the film’s end, Martin Luther King Jr. and J. Edgar Hoover — who met face-to-face only once — emerge as an inseparable American pair.” - K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone
DOCUMENTARY | POLITICS | ACTIVISM
Sunday 25 April
Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly (2019)
1:15PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING PERFORMANCE BY MALAIKA MFALME
“It is your duty as an artist to fight for freedom of speech. That is the soul of any creativity.” - Ai Weiwei
DOCUMENTARY | ART-IVISM | PREMIERe
Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (2020)
4:15PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING PERFORMANCE BY KULULU WARIA
“Bangarra has, time and time again, stepped up to the challenge of sharing stories through dance to create moments of access for all Australians who hold a relationship with this land’s First Nations’ peoples, its living colonial history and Country itself.” - Brooke Collins-Gearing, The Conversation
AUSTRALiAN | INDIGENOUS | DANCE
Monday 26 April
Australian Shorts
6:30PM | ACMI CINEMA 2
FEATURING A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH LOCAL FILMMAKERS
Giving voice to uniquely compelling perspectives, these exceptional stories shed light on the many sides of the Australian experience.
Tuesday 27 April
Ophir (2020)
6:15PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING A POST-FILM PANEL DISCUSSION
“The story of Bougainville and its people who are hoping for peace, working for freedom and protecting their Indigenous culture.” - ABC Radio Australia
Premiere | INDIGENOUS | ENVIRONMENT
Wednesday 28 April
The Forum (2019)
6:15PM | ACMI CINEMA 2
FEATURING A POST-FILM PANEL DISCUSSION
“An unprecedented view of the event and a who’s who of world politics, economy and science.”
- Vladan Petković, Cineuropa
DOCUMENTARY | PREMIERe | EXPOSé
Blaxcellence: Film in Focus
6:30PM | LOOP BAR
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLAXCELLENCE, JOIN US FOR AN INVIGORATING NIGHT OF FILM, TALKS AND MUSIC AT LOOP BAR.
With a performance by local artist Tébir, a talk by local artist Awak Kongor and two short films plus post-event drinks with the artists.
Thursday 29 April
Feminist Shorts (Encore)
6:00PM | ACMI CINEMA 2
6 short films encapsulating a range of voices and stories. This program celebrates the victories, exposes the struggles and highlights the everyday trivialities of women and gender-non-conforming people.
International Shorts
8:30PM | ACMI CINEMA 2
This collection of exceptional global cinema reveals the awe-inspiring strength of the human spirit in confronting an increasingly complex world.
Midnight Traveler (2019)
6:45PM | SUN THEATRE
“It was this film that gave me hope. It was this film that gave me the feeling of being alive. Shooting this film gave me the feeling that one day I'd succeed. One day, the problems will end. One day, we'll arrive at last” - Hassan Fazili
DOCUMENTARY | PREMIERe | MIGRATION
Friday 30 April
Body of Truth (2019)
6:30PM | ACMI CINEMA 1
FEATURING PRE-FILM ARTIST PERFORMANCE AND A POST-FILM PANEL DISCUSSION
“The mind can lie, the mind can mostly lie, but the body never can lie.” - Marina Abramović
DOCUMENTARY | ART-IVISM | PREMIERe
Saturday 1 MAY
Westside Event
2:00PM | FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE
JOIN US AT FCAC FOR AN AFTERNOON INCLUDING A TRADITIONAL ETHIOPIAN COFFEE CEREMONY AND MUSIC BY DANIEL ATLAW SEIFU (JAZMARIS - ETHIO-JAZZ TRIO)
The event also includes a discussion with Melbourne-based Ethiopian director Helen Kassa, actor Ras-Samuel Welda’Abzgi and a screening of Helen Kassa’s film, Found In A Dream.
The Last Tree (2019)
6:30PM | ACMI CINEMA 2
FEATURING PERFORMANCE BY WESTERN EDGE YOUTH ARTS
"Powerful performances, tactile visuals and an elegantly fluid score add to the impact of this impressively understated yet profoundly moving tale." - Mark Kermode, The Guardian
NARRATIVE | PREMIERE | IDENTITY