Editor

The 59th Sydney Film Festival program was officially launched today by The Hon Barry O’Farrell, MP, Premier of NSW.
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome the new Sydney Film Festival Director, Nashen Moodley, to present the 2012 Sydney Film Festival program,” said NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell. “The Sydney Film Festival is a much-loved part of the arts calendar providing film-makers with a wonderful opportunity to showcase their work, as well as providing an injection into the State economy.”

SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley said, “I’m excited to present my first Sydney Film Festival program, opening with the world premiere of the uplifting Australian comedy Not Suitable for Children, a quintessentially Sydney film. The joy of a film festival is the breadth and diversity of program, and this year’s will span music documentaries, horror flicks and Bertolucci classics; and the Official Competition films made by exciting new talents and masters of the form, will continue to provoke, court controversy and broaden our understanding of the world.”

“The NSW Government, through Destination NSW, is proud to support the Sydney Film Festival, one of Australia’s oldest films festivals and one of the most internationally recognised as well as a key event on the NSW Events Calendar,” said NSW Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, George Souris. “The NSW Government is committed to supporting creative industries, and the Sydney Film Festival firmly positions Sydney as Australia’s creative capital and global city for film.”
This year SFF is proud to announce Blackfella Films as a new programming partner to jointly curate and present the best and newest Indigenous work from Australia and around the world. Included in this new joint program will be a World Premiere screening of Mabo on Thursday 7 June - celebrating the 20th anniversary of the High Court decision recognising the rights of Indigenous people to their traditional lands.
SFF screens in eight venues across the city including the State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Opera Quays, Art Gallery of NSW, Apple Store, Grasshopper Lounge and SFFTV@Martin Place. Also new this year is Sydney Film Festival Hub @ Lower Town Hall a few minutes’ walk from the Festival's major venues. The Festival Hub will feature FREE exhibitions, talks, panels, parties, live music, performances, DJs and screenings in the Mitsubishi Theatrette throughout the Festival.
Under the curatorial helm of new SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, the 12-day Sydney Film Festival will showcase 156 titles: 67 features, 43 documentaries, 33 short films, 13 retrospective titles, including 18 world premieres (11 features, 7 shorts), 106 Australian premieres, 31 Australian productions (5 features, 7 documentaries, 19 short films) and films from 51 countries in 49 languages.