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Cinematic smorgasbord to be served up in August

June 29, 2006

Movie theatreArranged marriages, mysterious videotapes and supernatural beings are just a taste of the cinematic smorgasbord to be served up at Armidale’s International Film Festival, August 4-6. The festival, now in its third year, will include 13 films from as many countries, including Italy, Japan, India and Senegal. Of particular interest to film buffs will be the French film Caché (Hidden), a thriller starring Juliette Binoche that has been hailed by critics as “the first great film of the twenty-first century”.

Also on the menu are Salaam Namaste, a Bollywood extravaganza set in Melbourne; Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch), a Russian science-fiction film; and Ada apa dengan Cinta? (What’s up with Love?), described as “an Indonesian chick flick with an upbeat soundtrack”.

The festival was started in 2004 by a group of foreign film fans in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at the University of New England, as part of the university’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The first festival was so successful that the organisers decided to make it an annual event. Andrea Schalley, the chair of the 2006 festival organising committee, said this year she expected to sell about 100 festival tickets and more than 500 tickets to individual screenings.

“People responded so positively to the first two festivals,” Dr Schalley said. “People said it was like being at (the world-famous film festival in) Cannes right here at home. It’s great to be able to bring films to Armidale that might not otherwise be shown here.”

The program includes one film in each of the languages taught at UNE, as well as other countries around the globe.

Each year a particular language is showcased on opening night. In 2006 that language will be Italian and the film shown will be Manuale d’amore (Manual of Love), nominated for 12 Italian Oscars.
The festival promises something for everyone, according to Dr Schalley.

“We have everything from science fiction to comedy to dramas,” she said. “The festival is intended to promote the expertise UNE has in the languages we teach, and to expose people to foreign-language films generally.”

Dr Schalley said the festival would not be possible without the support of a wide range of organisations, including the Armidale Regional Tourism Event Support Program and the Italian Institute of Culture.

Tickets for the festival, including the gala opening night, are available from the Belgrave Twin Cinema and cost just $50 for 13 films. Tickets to individual screenings are available at normal prices. For more information visit the website: http://www.une.edu.au/iff.

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at June 29, 2006 02:26 PM