Opening this year’s Brisbane International Film Festival and a must-watch mainstay throughout is Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground, a story of ugly conflict in Australia’s wilderness starring Simon Baker and Jacob Junior Nayinggul. The movie magic continues with other Australian-made standouts including the coming-of-age rom-com Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), comedy-horror Bloody Hell, and the festival’s closing night documentary gem Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra. Step back in time (and relive that glorious soundtrack) with a special screening of Romeo + Juliet, get a behind-the-scenes look into the New York’s drag scene in the 1950s in P.S. Burn This Letter Please or bear witness to a true masterpiece of Soviet cinema, Come and See.
BIFF will also showcase a vibrant selection of features from across the globe like the slickly made Japanese film from beloved director Sion Sono Red Post on Escher Street, Camilo Restrepo’s hypnotic tale of Colombia’s underclass Los Conductos and true-crime documentary Assassins. Zoé Wittock’s stylish debut feature Jumbo brings talented actress Noémie Merlant back onto the big screen after her award-winning turn in Portrait of a Lady on Fire in 2019, and British psychological horror film Saint Maud will thrill audiences with a story that centres on faith, madness and salvation.
If you’re still not sure what film will float your boat, roll the dice and try out BIFF’s film chooser, which will ask you a bunch of questions, chew up your answers and magically spit out a bunch of recommended movies that you are sure to love. Technology never ceases to amaze.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2020 Brisbane International Film Festival. Check out the full calendar of films here.
