The second Adelaide Film Festival, a pet initiative of South Australian Premier Mike Rann and helmed by Festival Director Katrina Sedgwick, was launched on Friday evening with the world premiere of Sarah Watt’s debut feature Look Both Ways.

At a time when the Australian film industry is undergoing a period of intense self-analysis and recession in the face of damning box office statistics and strident critical vitriol, Look Both Ways engaged the gala audience with a moving combination of emotional live-action drama and striking animation. Preceding the screening was the presentation of the Don Dunstan award to seminal documentary filmmaker Dennis O’Rourke, and afterwards an opening night party was enthusiastically attended by international guests, local filmmakers and film investment officials.

Despite its fledgling status in the international scheme of film festivals, the Adelaide event is already carving itself a niche as a significant national screen cultural event. Notably it is one of three global festivals to commission its own films, with the role of minority investor in Look Both Ways as well as numerous short films and documentaries. It is also running in conjunction with and close proximity to the high profile marketplace of the Australian International Documentary Conference. The Adelaide Film Festival itself will screen over 300 features, documentaries, New Media works and seminars, with particular spotlights on Hong Kong, South American cinema and Music, Dance and Architecture on film. Amongst the many guests and speakers are legendary composer Lalo Schifrin, Canadian documentarian Peter Wintonick, American scholar David Bordwell and South Korean director Song Il-Gon. The festival runs until March 3.

Sandy Cameron