DISCOVERIES AND WINDOWS TO WORLD CINEMA PLEASE PATRONSDiscoveries at this year’s Sydney Film Festival included the Urban Cinefile Audience Award winning low budget Australian drama, Blacktown and as a window on world cinema, the program boasted the likes of the award winning drama Brothers (Denmark) and the animated short Journey to Mars (Argentina), plus Kontroll (Hungary), Moolaade (Senegal), Life Is A Miracle (Serbia) and Howl’s Moving Castle (Japan, Closing Night Film). But there was st...

Opening Night last Friday for the Sydney Film Festival was a sparkling affair Sparkle was the official theme, and Pink Diamond specialist Mondial Neuman the sponsor) with the Festival's first ever Red Carpet reception (thanks to Premier Technologies and hosted by this publication's Andrew L.Urban) described by Jane Campion as "a bit too Hollywood" for her liking, but she recalled with pleasure the high drama and big response to the festival screening of her highly acclaimed, Angel At My Table.Th...

Sydney Film Festival runs from Friday June 10 – Saturday June 25, 2005. Sydney Film Festival (SFF) Artistic Director Lynden Barber today heralded a new era for the Festival when he presented his inaugural program with the announcement of new venues, new red carpet events, new ticketing options and interactive filmmaker forums.Joined by NSW Minister for Tourism, Sandra Nori and SFF President Cathy Robinson, Lynden said his first program was all about diversity, not only reflected in the selecti...

Sydney Film Festival launches new Audience Awards with Urban Cinefile52nd SFF, June 10 – 25, 2005: Sydney Film Festival President Cathy Robinson has welcomed the establishment of the Sydney Film Festival Urban Cinefile Audience Awards - a new awards program that will further enhance the profile of Australia’s premiere film event internationally. The Urban Cinefile Audience Awards comprises six categories across the two main Festival streams – World Cinema and the Sidebar Programs.“The Ur...