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The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is
film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...
usually held for two weeks in mid-October in cinemas in
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. Originally presented biennially in March from 2003, since 2013 AFF has been held in October. Subject to funding, the festival has staged full or briefer events in alternating years; some form of event has taken place every year since 2015. From 2022 it takes place annually. It has a strong focus on local
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
n and
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...
produced content, with the
Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund The Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund was established in 2003 by the South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, to boost the local production of films. When the American festival director Peter Sellars was director of the 2002 Adelaide Festival o ...
(AFFIF) established to fund investment in Australian films. Established in 2003 as Adelaide International Film Festival, it dropped "International" from its title after the inaugural edition, as it dropped its
FIAPF The FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films; en, International Federation of Film Producers Associations), created in 1933, is an organization composed with 36 member associations from 30 of the leading audio ...
membership the following year. It was, however, the first film festival in Australia to introduce an international competition, as well as being the first to fund film production directly. The festival hosts a number of awards, including the Don Dunstan Awards (for lifetime contrtibution); Best Feature Fiction; Best Feature Documentary; Bettison & James Award; and others. In 2017 the International Virtual Reality Award was launched by AFF in partnership with the
Australian Film, Television and Radio School The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) formerly Australian Film and Television School, is Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school. The school is a Commonwealth Government statutory authority. History Establishe ...
(AFTRS), known as the AFTRS ADL Film Fest International VR Award. The 2020 Festival was scheduled to take place from 14 to 25 October, but owing to its high attendance figures and success, the season was extended for an extra five days. The 2022 festival runs from 19 to 31 October.


History


Overview

An independently financed Adelaide International Film Festival (AIFF) had been held from 1959 to 1980. The idea of a new film festival to stimulate the local film industry and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the South Australian Film Corporation was raised by Premier
Mike Rann Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...
in 2002, and a director and board were appointed. The
Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund The Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund was established in 2003 by the South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, to boost the local production of films. When the American festival director Peter Sellars was director of the 2002 Adelaide Festival o ...
was created to fund the Film Festival and other events. The inaugural Adelaide (International) Film Festival was held from 28 February to 3 March 2003. It ran a programme of screenings, special events and forums in a number of cinemas across Adelaide. It was the first film festival in Australia to introduce an international competition, and also the first to create an investment fund specifically for film production. After its first edition, the festival ceased to use "International" in its title, denoting a withdrawal from
FIAPF The FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films; en, International Federation of Film Producers Associations), created in 1933, is an organization composed with 36 member associations from 30 of the leading audio ...
membership. It was known as the BigPond Adelaide Film Festival, or BAFF, for a period until 2011, as its main sponsor had been
BigPond Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access, pay television and other products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 ...
. the festival had been held 11 times since, usually biennially but as an annual event from 2015 to 2018 (with occasional mini-events in intervening years). In 2022 it was announced that the full festival would be presented each year, instead of biennially, after the Malinauskas government pledged annually for the following four years.


Festival directors

Katrina Sedgwick Katrina Anne-Marie Sedgwick (born 27 December 1967) is the CEO and director of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. She had previously co-founded the 1995
Sydney Fringe Festival The Sydney Fringe is an alternative arts and culture festival held for the first time in September 2010 in the inner west of Sydney, Australia. The Fringe is an initiative of the Newtown Entertainment Precinct Association.
, was the Special Events Producer (1998, 2000) for the Adelaide Festival of Arts, and the artistic director for the 2002
Adelaide Fringe The Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between mid-February and mid-March each year, ...
. In 2007, Sedgwick introduced an international jury prize to the festival. At the time of her stepping down from the role of Festival director in 2013, Sedgwick said that the festival was the first in Australia to introduce an international competition, and a production fund, and that ticket sales had grown by 20 per cent each year. 2013 was
Amanda Duthie Amanda Duthie, Scottish-born
(6 July 2012) ''Interview with Amanda Duthie''. Retrieved ...
's first year as Festival Director, after spending eight years at the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
and eight years at the
Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from the Australian Government. SBS operates six TV channels ( SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World ...
during the 1990s. After running the Festival’s programming from 2015-2018, Mat Kesting was appointed as the new CEO in 2019. Named as one of Screen International’s Future Leaders in 2019, Mat’s passion for cinema and strong curatorial voice is well known in the Australian film industry. Prior to this he was Exhibition Manager at the
Mercury Cinema Mercury CX, formerly Media Resource Centre (MRC), is a not-for-profit film and television training organisation based in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street, Adelaide, Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide, South Austral ...
, programming special events including Cinémathèque, Silent ReMasters, and Seniors on Screen. He programmed six editions of the On Screen strand of
OzAsia Festival OzAsia Festival, or simply OzAsia, is an Asia-focused arts festival in South Australia, presented by the Adelaide Festival Centre for two weeks in late October to early November each year. It features theatre, dance, music, film and visual arts ...
, and was previously Program Manager at the Brisbane International Film Festival.


AFF events

Since the first event in 2003, the Festival has been held (originally in odd-numbered years) in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011,
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
, 2015, 2016 (a one-off "Rogue" event), 2017, 2018, and a "pop-up" weekend festival in March 2019. Audiences have grown year on year, with an audience of more than 64,000 people in 2018, and estimated to have had an impact of on the state's economy. The 2022 festival's audience and box office broke all previous records. ;Locations From 2017 to 2020, festival events took place mainly at the GU Filmhouse in
Hindley Street Hindley Street is located in the north-west quarter of the Adelaide city centre, centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street, Adelaide, King William Street and West Terrace, Adelaide, West Terrace. Th ...
(defunct as of 1 October 2020), with some sessions at the smaller
Mercury Cinema Mercury CX, formerly Media Resource Centre (MRC), is a not-for-profit film and television training organisation based in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street, Adelaide, Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide, South Austral ...
in
Morphett Street Morphett Street is a main street in the west of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia, parallel to King William Street and numbered from north to south. At its northern end it is part of the West End of Adelaide, a thriving cultural and ...
. In 2020, most screenings were hosted by Palace Nova at their
Eastend Eastend is a town in south-west part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, situated approximately north of the Montana border and east of the Alberta border. The town is best known for the nearby discovery of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ...
and Prospect locations, with some showings at Mitcham Wallis Cinemas at Mitcham Square Shopping Centre,
Odeon Star The Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas, usually referred to as the Odeon Star, is an independent multiplex cinema in the beachside Adelaide suburb of Semaphore, South Australia. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in Adelaide, opened on 22 May 1920 a ...
in Semaphore,
Tandanya The Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, usually referred to as Tandanya, is an art museum located on Grenfell Street in Adelaide, South Australia. It specialises in promoting Indigenous Australian art, including visual art, music an ...
, the Warriparinga Wetlands, and at
Alberton Oval Alberton Oval is located in Alberton, a north-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. The ground is a public park and is exclusively leased to the Port Adelaide Football Club for Australian rules football. History With the nearby Queens ...
. In 2022, For the first time, screenings also took place at the
Capri Theatre The Capri Theatre is a heritage-listed cinema in Goodwood, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, built in the Art Deco style in 1941. It was formerly called the New Star Theatre, Goodwood Star, New Curzon, and Cinema Capri. It is owned by a ...
in Goodwood,
Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...
, and Event Cinemas Marion, in addition to the two Palace Nova locations, Wallis Mitcham, and Odeon Semaphore.


2022: 19−30 October

The 2022 edition of the festival is held from 19–30 October. Films selected for screening include
Todd Field William Todd Field (born February 24, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for directing three feature films: '' In the Bedroom'' (2001), '' Little Children'' (2006), and '' Tár'' (2022). He has received three Academy Award no ...
's '' TÁR'' (starring Cate Blanchett, who appeared in a Q&A session after its first showing); '' My Policeman'', with Harry Styles; South Australian horror thriller '' Carnifex'', with Alexandra Park;
Ruben Östlund Ruben Östlund (born 13 April 1974) is a Swedish filmmaker best known for his black comedic and satirical films ''Force Majeure'' (2014), '' The Square'' (2017) and '' Triangle of Sadness'' (2022), all of which received largely positive reviews an ...
's ''
Triangle of Sadness ''Triangle of Sadness'' (french: Sans filtre, lit=Without Filter) is a 2022 satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ruben Östlund in his English-language feature film debut. The film stars Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de ...
'';
Stolen Generations The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian federal and state government agencies and church mis ...
story ''The Last Daughter''; and '' Aftersun'', a debut from Scottish director Charlotte Wells.
RackaRacka RackaRacka is an Australian YouTube channel created and run by twin filmmaker brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, based in Los Angeles, California (originally from Adelaide, South Australia). The channel is known for its intense live action h ...
's debut, '' Talk to Me'' closed the festival. The new South Australian film ''
Monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often ma ...
'' had its world premiere at the festival on 27 October 2022. It was announced after the opening weekend that several films would get a second outing in the week following the festival, including ''TÁR'', ''Monolith'', ''Talk to Me'', ''The Last Daughter'', and ''Triangle of Sadness''.


2020: 14−30 October

In 2020 the Adelaide Film Festival was scheduled to run from 14 to 25 October, one of the few events of its type during the worldwide
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, but due to the success of the festival, an extended run of selected films was scheduled as part of the ''Best of the Fest'' programme, re-showing ten of the programmed films from 26 to 30 October. To open the festival, the locally filmed sci-fi thriller ''
2067 In contemporary history, the third millennium of the anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 (21st to 30th centuries). Ongoing futures studies seek to understand what is li ...
'' played in seven cinemas simultaneously, with extra screenings added due to demand. One of the headlining films was
I Am Woman "I Am Woman" is a song written by Australian musicians Helen Reddy and Ray Burton. Performed by Reddy, the first recording of "I Am Woman" appeared on her debut album ''I Don't Know How to Love Him'', released in May 1971, and was heard durin ...
, starring Adelaide actor
Tilda Cobham-Hervey Tilda Cobham-Hervey (born 1994) is an Australian actress from Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in circus and physical theatre. In 2014 Cobham-Hervey made her film debut at the age of 19 in ''52 Tuesdays'', a critically acclaimed ind ...
, who returned from
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in September. Other films included the documentary ''The Painter and the Thief'', and ''
High Ground High ground is an area of elevated terrain, which can be useful in combat. The military importance of the high ground has been recognized for over 2,000 years, citing early examples from China and other early-dynastic cultures who regularly engag ...
'', and the films include 22 world premieres, 27 Australian premieres and a total of 54
feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
s from many countries. The competition jury comprises playwright and screenwriter
Andrew Bovell Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television. Life Bovell was born on 23 November 1962 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and completed his secondary school education in Perth. He graduated from t ...
, actor
Natasha Wanganeen Natasha Wanganeen is an Aboriginal Australian actress. She is known for her starring role in the 2002 feature film ''Rabbit Proof Fence'', aged 15, and numerous television roles. Her debut film as co-writer and co-producer is the 2022 short fil ...
, filmmaker
Khoa Do Khoa Do (Vietnamese: ''Đỗ Khoa'', ), is a film director, screenwriter, and philanthropist. He received the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2005. Early life and family The Do family left Vietnam in 1980 as Vietnamese refugees, fleein ...
, producer
Rebecca Summerton Closer Productions is a film and television production company founded by filmmakers Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason in Adelaide, South Australia, in January 2004. It is known for award-winning feature films such as ''52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and ''An ...
of Closer Productions and film critic Zak Hepburn. The earliest screening at the festival took place on 22 August, with several early showings of ''I Am Woman''; the final event, a documentary about Port Adelaide Football Club called ''This is Port Adelaide'', premiered at Odeon Star Semaphore from 5–7 February 2021.


2019: 5–7 April "pop-up"

In April 2019, a weekend "pop-up" event was held, to showcase Wayne Blair's romcom, ''
Top End Wedding ''Top End Wedding'' is a 2019 Australian romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Blair, starring Miranda Tapsell and Gwilym Lee. Tapsell also co-wrote the film and served as the executive producer. The film tells the story of Lauren, a lawyer pl ...
'', and Adelaide filmmaker Sophie Hyde's Australian/Irish co-production ''
Animals Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...
.''


2018: 10–21 October

In April 2017, the Premier
Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian politician who was the 45th Premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the House of Assembly seat of Cheltenham as a member of ...
announced that a full festival, including new funding of A$1m for the ADL Film Fest Fund, would run again in October 2018. ''
Hotel Mumbai ''Hotel Mumbai'' is a 2018 action thriller film directed by Anthony Maras and co-written by Maras and John Collee. An Indian-Australian-American co-production, it is inspired by the 2009 documentary ''Surviving Mumbai'' about the 2008 Mumbai ...
'', ''
Can You Ever Forgive Me? ''Can You Ever Forgive Me?'' is a 2018 American biographical film directed by Marielle Heller and with a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, based on the 2008 confessional memoir of the same name by Lee Israel. Melissa McCarthy sta ...
'', rock documentary '' Bad Reputation'' (about
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...
) and '' The Nightingale'' (directed by '' Babadook'' director
Jennifer Kent Jennifer Kent (born 5 March 1969) is an Australian actress, writer and director, best known for her directorial debut, the horror film ''The Babadook'' (2014). Her second film, '' The Nightingale'' (2018), premiered at the 75th Venice Internati ...
) were some of the films shown.


2017: 5–15 October

At the 2017 festival, the theme "Vive le Punk" celebrated the
punk movement The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature, and film. Largely characterised by anti-establishment views, the promotion of individual freedo ...
's 40th anniversary. It featured ''
A Fantastic Woman ''A Fantastic Woman'' ( es, Una mujer fantástica) is a 2017 drama film directed by Sebastián Lelio, written by Lelio and Gonzalo Maza, produced by Juan de Dios and Pablo Larraín and starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes. It was selected ...
'', ''
Call Me By Your Name Call Me by Your Name may refer to: * ''Call Me by Your Name'' (novel), a 2007 novel by André Aciman * ''Call Me by Your Name'' (film), a 2017 film based on the novel, directed by Luca Guadagnino ** '' Call Me by Your Name: Original Motion Pictur ...
'', a set by Adelaide punk band
Exploding White Mice Exploding White Mice were an Australian punk-pop band from Adelaide which formed in 1983 with Paul Gilchrist on vocals, Andy MacQueen on bass guitar, Gerry Barrett on guitar, Craig Rodda on drums and Giles Barrow on rhythm guitar. In 1984 Barre ...
and
Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly c ...
's documentary about migration, '' Human Flow''.


2016: 27–30 October

Having previously been held biennially, the highlight of "AFF Goes Rogue" in October 2016 was a 4-day "mini-festival" in the in-between year. The first of the works commissioned by the Adelaide Film Festival Fund in that month was the Australian premiere season of
Lynette Wallworth Lynette Wallworth is an Australian artist and filmmaker, known for her use of emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), and interactive installations. She is known for her 2016 VR project ''Collisions'', which tells of the "collision" ...
's ''Collisions'' (5–30 October). Then there was a free talk by
Greg Mackie Gregory Alan Mackie is a South Australian cultural advocate and entrepreneur who has worked to promote the arts and culture in Australia. He was an elected Councillor at the Adelaide City Council (2000-2003, May 2020 - June 2022). He was co ...
at the
Adelaide Festival of Ideas The Adelaide Festival of Ideas (AFOI) is a festival held in Adelaide, South Australia since 1999, usually biennially. It aims to foster the public promulgation, discussion and critique of culturally and socially relevant ideas from around the wo ...
on 23 October, and the events culminated in a 4-day mini-festival (27–30 October) featuring world premiere screenings of two films – Australia's first Muslim rom-com ''
Ali's Wedding ''Ali's Wedding'' is a 2017 Cinema of Australia, Australian romantic comedy feature film from Matchbox Pictures. It is directed by Jeffrey Walker (actor), Jeffrey Walker and written by Osamah Sami and stars Sami, Helana Sawires, Don Hany and Rya ...
'', based on the life of actor, writer and comedian
Osamah Sami Osamah Sami (born 10 March 1983 in Qom, Iran) is an Australian stage and screen actor, writer, spoken-word artist, and stand-up comedian of Iraqi origin. His critically acclaimed book ''Good Muslim Boy'', was the winner of the 2016 NSW Premie ...
, and a special "work in progress" screening of ''
David Stratton David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer. Life and career Born in Trowbridge, ...
's Stories of Australian Cinema'', directed by Sally Aitken (later released as ''David Stratton: A Cinematic Life''). Other films shown were '' Gimme Danger'', a documentary film about
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
, and a retrospective screening of ''
Lucky Miles ''Lucky Miles'' is a 2007 Australian drama feature film based on several true stories involving people entering Western Australia by boat in order to seek asylum. Its director was Michael James Rowland and its producers were Jo Dyer and Lesley D ...
'' (2007).


2015: 15–25 October

The 7th Adelaide Film Festival was held from 15 to 25 October 2015.
Amanda Duthie Amanda Duthie, Scottish-born
(6 July 2012) ''Interview with Amanda Duthie''. Retrieved ...
was again the Festival Director. On the opening night of the festival, director and screenwriter
Andrew Bovell Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television. Life Bovell was born on 23 November 1962 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and completed his secondary school education in Perth. He graduated from t ...
received the 2015 Don Dunstan Award for his contribution to the Australian film industry. The festival opened with Scott Hicks's documentary film ''Highly Strung'', and closed with
Paolo Sorrentino Paolo Sorrentino (; born 31 May 1970) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. His 2013 film ''The Great Beauty'' won the Academy Awards, Academy Award, the Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe, and the British Academy of Film and Te ...
's drama film ''Youth''. More than 180 feature films were screened at the festival, 40 of which were Australian films, 24 South Australian films and total of 51 countries were represented at the Festival. As part of the 2015 Adelaide Film Festival, a public art installation was presented, incorporating a Laneway Cinema in Cinema Place, showing moving image artworks, and a 'Reactive Wall', where six artists created 2D visual artworks live in response to content within the festival.


2013: 10–20 October

The 6th Adelaide Film Festival took place from 10 to 20 October 2013. This was
Amanda Duthie Amanda Duthie, Scottish-born
(6 July 2012) ''Interview with Amanda Duthie''. Retrieved ...
's first year as Festival Director (after eight years at the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
and eight years at the
Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from the Australian Government. SBS operates six TV channels ( SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World ...
during the 1990s), having taken over from
Katrina Sedgwick Katrina Anne-Marie Sedgwick (born 27 December 1967) is the CEO and director of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.Margaret Pomeranz Margaret Pomeranz (born 14 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer and television personality. Early life Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 14 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney. She was educated at the P ...
and
David Stratton David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer. Life and career Born in Trowbridge, ...
served as the festival's patrons. Scott Hicks received the 2013 Don Dunstan Award for his contribution to the Australian film industry. The poster in 2013 depicted Screen Worship, which celebrates work for all screens—cinema, television, phone and computer.


Patrons and board

Well-known film critics
Margaret Pomeranz Margaret Pomeranz (born 14 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer and television personality. Early life Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 14 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney. She was educated at the P ...
and
David Stratton David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer. Life and career Born in Trowbridge, ...
are patrons of the AFF. The board of the Adelaide Film Festival consisted of: * Chair Anton Andreacchio, producer and entrepreneur, board member of the South Australian Film Corporation and Entrepreneurship Advisory Board *
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts ...
, actor * Martha Coleman,SA Film Corporation
(17 November 2014) ''Adelaide Film Festival Announces 2015 Dates and Two New Board Members''
a producer of film and television, a former head of development at Screen Australia, and as of 2020 heading production company Revlover *Joshua Fanning, an experienced company director and entrepreneur. Founder of CityMag, currently the Group Creative Director for KWP! *Marianna Panopoulos, a certified practising accountant and a graduate of the
Australian Institute of Company Directors The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI). History The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...
*
Beck Cole Beck Cole is an Australian filmmaker of the Warramungu and Luritja nations. She is known for her work on numerous TV series, including '' First Australians'', '' Grace Beside Me'', ''Black Comedy'' and '' Wentworth'', as well as documentaries ...
, a prominent Aboriginal screen writer and director of drama and documentaries Former Board members include Cheryl Bart,
Andrew Bovell Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television. Life Bovell was born on 23 November 1962 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and completed his secondary school education in Perth. He graduated from t ...
, Judith Crombie, Mojgan Khadem, Gabrielle Kelly, Wayne Lewis, Barry Loane, Sue Maslin, Jacinta Thompson, Leanne Thomas Sam White, Greg Knagge and Jamie Restas.Adelaide Film Festival official website
''Board''. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
Adelaide Film Festival
(29 October 2013) ''Annual Report 2012/13''. Retrieved 14 February 2015.


Recognition

In 2007, the AFF featured in Variety Magazine's Top 50 unmissable film festivals, around the world. saying: "Of the planet’s 1,000-plus film fests, only a select few pack industry impact. A few dozen more, by virtue of vision, originality, striking setting, audience zest and/or their ability to mine a unique niche, also rank as must-attends". The Adelaide Film Festival's 2020 event was awarded "Best Festival" at the 2021
South Australian Ruby Awards The South Australian Ruby Awards, also known as the Ruby Awards, are annual awards which recognise outstanding achievement in South Australia’s arts and culture sector. They were named in honour of arts champion Dame Ruby Litchfield (1912–2001 ...
, an annual ceremony which recognises outstanding achievement in
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
’s arts and culture sector.


Awards


Don Dunstan Award

The Don Dunstan Award was established in honour of
Don Dunstan Donald Allan Dunstan (21 September 1926 – 6 February 1999) was an Australian politician who served as the 35th premier of South Australia from 1967 to 1968, and again from 1970 to 1979. He was a member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for th ...
,
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
through most of the 1970s, and is presented in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the
Australian film industry The cinema of Australia had its beginnings with the 1906 production of '' The Story of the Kelly Gang'', arguably the world's first feature film. Since then, Australian crews have produced many films, a number of which have received internat ...
by an individual. Past recipients have included: *2003 -
David Gulpilil David Dhalatnghu Gulpilil (1 July 1953 – 29 November 2021), known professionally as David Gulpilil and posthumously (at his family's request, to avoid naming the dead) as David Dalaithngu for three days, was an Indigenous Australian actor ...
, actor *2005 -
Dennis O'Rourke Dennis O'Rourke (14 August 1945 – 15 June 2013) was an Australian cinematographer and documentary filmmaker. Early life and education Dennis O'Rourke was born on 14 August 1945 in Brisbane. For most of his childhood, Dennis O'Rourke lived i ...
, cinematographer and documentary filmmakerCameraWork
(21 January 2005) ''Dennis O'Rourke to Receive Don Dunstan Award at AFF 2005''. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
*2007 – Rolf de Heer, director *2009 –
Jan Chapman Jan Chapman (born 28 March 1950) is an Australian film producer. Films produced by Chapman include '' The Last Days of Chez Nous'' (1992), ''The Piano'' (1993), '' Love Serenade'' (1996), '' Holy Smoke!'' (1999), and ''Lantana'' (2001). While ...
, producerIF.com
(10 February 2009) ''Jan Chapman to receive Don Dunstan Award''. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
*2011 –
Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress in film, television, and on stage. With a career spanning over 40 years, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Frequen ...
, actorAdelaide Film Festival
(30 August 2013) ''Don Dunstan Award Recipient Announced''. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

(25 February 2011) ''Judy Davis accepts 2011 Don Dunstan Award''
*2013 – Scott Hicks, director *2015 –
Andrew Bovell Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television. Life Bovell was born on 23 November 1962 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and completed his secondary school education in Perth. He graduated from t ...
, screenwriter and playwright *2017 –
Margaret Pomeranz Margaret Pomeranz (born 14 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer and television personality. Early life Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 14 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney. She was educated at the P ...
&
David Stratton David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer. Life and career Born in Trowbridge, ...
,
film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outl ...
s *2018 –
Freda Glynn Alfreda "Freda" Glynn (born 24 August 1939), also known as Freda Thornton, is a Kaytetye photographer and media specialist. She is known as co-founder of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association Group of Companies, which incorporate ...
, pioneering
Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
filmmaker, and her family members involved in the film industry: offspring
Erica Glynn Erica Glynn (born 1964) is an Indigenous Australian filmmaker, known for directing, producing and writing documentaries and other films. Early life, education and family Glynn was born in 1964. She is the daughter of photographer Freda Glynn, ...
and
Warwick Thornton Warwick Thornton (born 1970) is an Australian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His debut feature film '' Samson and Delilah'' won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific ...
, and grandchildren Tanith Glynn-Maloney and
Dylan River Dylan River is an Australian film director, writer, and cinematographer. Early life and family River was born in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. His father, Warwick Thornton, is a filmmaker and his mother, Penelope McDonald, is a produc ...
*2020 –
Bruna Papandrea Bruna Papandrea (born 1971) is an Australian film and television producer and the founder of production company Made Up Stories. Prior to Made Up Stories, Papandrea co-founded the production company Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon. E ...
, producer *2022 –
David Jowsey David Jowsey is an Australian film producer, co-founder of Bunya Productions. He is known for producing many films made by Indigenous Australian filmmakers. Bunya Productions' co-owners are Indigenous filmmaker Ivan Sen, and Jowsey's wife Gre ...
, producer, of Bunya Productions


Feature Fiction Award

ADL Film Fest was the first Australian film festival to create a juried prize for best feature film. Winners have included: *2006 '' Still Life'' (
Jia Zhangke Jia Zhangke ( zh, c=贾樟柯, p=Jiǎ Zhāngkē, born 24 May 1970) .He is a Chinese-language film and television director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and writer. He is the dean of the Shanxi Film Academy of Shanxi Media College and the dea ...
, China) *2009 '' Treeless Mountain'' (
So Yong Kim So Yong Kim (born 1968) is a Korean American independent filmmaker. She has made four feature films: ''In Between Days'', '' Treeless Mountain'', '' For Ellen'', and '' Lovesong''. So Yong Kim is a recipient of the New York Foundation’s Video A ...
(USA/South Korea) *2011 '' Incendies'' ( Denis Villeneuve, Canada/France) *2013 ''
Jîn Jîn (Kurdish for "life") is a 2013 Turkish-German movie directed by Reha Erdem. The movie is about a Kurdish guerilla fighter who deserted her military unit aiming at leaving the conflict region (Eastern Turkey) for the city of Izmir. Plot T ...
'' (
Reha Erdem Reha Erdem (born 1960 in Istanbul) is a Turkish film director and screenwriter. Biography He attended Galatasaray High School and studied history at Boğaziçi University before leaving to study film in 1983. He obtained a B.A. in Cinema Studi ...
, Turkey) *2015 ''
Neon Bull ''Neon Bull'' ( pt, Boi neon) is a 2015 Brazilian drama film directed by Gabriel Mascaro. The film premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and won the Horizons (Orizzonti) - Special Jury Prize. It was also shown in the Platform ...
'' (
Gabriel Mascaro Gabriel Mascaro (born September 24, 1983) is a Brazilian visual artist and film director. Biography Gabriel Mascaro is a Brazilian filmmaker and visual artist. He started his career as a documentary-maker in 2008, with KFZ-1348 (co-directed by ...
, Brazil) *2017 ''
I Am Not a Witch ''I Am Not a Witch'' is a 2017 internationally co-produced drama film written and directed by Rungano Nyoni in her feature debut film. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and won the BAFTA Awar ...
'' ( Rungano Nyoni, France/United Kingdom) *2019 ''
The Seen and Unseen ''The Seen and Unseen'' ( id, Sekala Niskala) is a 2017 drama film directed and written by Kamila Andini. Cast *Ni Kadek Thaly Titi Kasih as Tantri *Ida Bagus Putu Radithya Mahijasena as Tantra *Ayu Laksmi as Mother *I Ketut Rina as Father *Hap ...
'' (
Kamila Andini Kamila Andini (born 6 May 1986) is an Indonesian film director known for her critically acclaimed debut '' The Mirror Never Lies''. Biography Andini was born on 6 May 1986 and is the eldest daughter of filmmaker Garin Nugroho. Although uninterest ...
, Indonesia/Netherlands/Australia) *2020 ''
Beginning Beginning may refer to: * ''Beginning'' (album), by Pakho Chau * ''Beginning'' (play), a 2017 play by David Eldridge * ''Beginning'' (film), a Georgian-French drama film *"Beginning", a song by heavy metal band Kotipelto *"Beginning", a 2018 trac ...
'' (
Déa Kulumbegashvili Déa Kulumbegashvili is a Georgian film director and writer, of Ossetian origin. She is known for her 2020 film ''Beginning'', which won and was nominated for numerous awards. Kulumbegashvili was born in Oriol, Russia (Oryol), and raised in a ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
) *2022 '' Autobiography'' (, Indonesia)


Feature Documentary Award

The Feature Documentary Award, also known as the Flinders University International Documentary Award, was first awarded in 2013, with the inaugural prize goingto '' Blush of Fruit'' (Australia, Vietnam), directed by Jakeb Anhvu. Since then it has been won by: *2015 ''
Speed Sisters ''Speed Sisters'' is a 2015 documentary film by Amber Fares that follows the all-female Palestinian racing team the Speed Sisters and explores the social issues surrounding their career. It was pitched at the 2011 MeetMarket part of Sheffield Do ...
'' ( Amber Fares) *2017 '' Taste of Cement'' (
Ziad Kalthoum Ziad (also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as Ziyad, Zyad, Zeyad, or Zijad ar, زياد) is an Arabic given name and surname. Given name Actors * Zeyad Errafae'ie, Syrian television actor and voice actor Athletes * Zeyad Abdulrazak, Kuwa ...
) *2018 ''
Island of the Hungry Ghosts ''Island of the Hungry Ghosts'' is a hybrid documentary film by director Gabrielle Brady that explores the conflict faced by trauma therapist Poh Lin Lee, who works in the Australian Detention Centre for Asylum Seekers on Christmas Island. It prem ...
'' ( Gabrielle Brady) *2020 '' Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra'' (Nel Minchin and Wayne Blair; about the
Bangarra Dance Theatre Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance. It was founded by African American dancer and choreographer Carole Y. Johnson, Gumbaynggirr man Rob Bryant, and South African-born C ...
) *2022 ''
The Hamlet Syndrome ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (set shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine)


Bettison & James Award

The Bettison & James Award, formerly Jim Bettison and Helen James Award, presented in collaboration with the Jim Bettison and Helen James Foundation, was established to recognise Australians who "have contributed exemplary and inspiring lifelong body of work of high achievement and benefit; and that the completion, extension, recording and/or dissemination of such work would have benefits for both the individual concerned and for the wider Australian community". The annual award of is made to an individual who has contributed significantly in whatever their area of expertise is, be it
arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
,
humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...
,
social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...
,
science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
,
the environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally, meaning in this case not artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. This environment encompasses t ...
or something else. The foundation was established by the estates of the Jim Bettison and his partner
Helen James Helen Frances James (born May 22, 1956) is an American paleontologist and paleornithologist who has published extensively on the fossil birds of the Hawaiian Islands. She is the curator in charge of birds in the Department of Vertebrate Zool ...
. Bettison created the Developed Image Photographic Gallery, co-founded communications company
Codan Codan Limited is a manufacturer and supplier of communications, metal detection, and mining technology, headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia with revenue of A$348.0 million (2020). Codan Limited is the communications business unit a ...
and served as
Deputy Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the
University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
, his alma mater (an honorary position). Helen was an exhibiting studio artist, who served on a number of arts committees and was one of the founding members of the
National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
’s Foundation Board. *2015:
Greg Mackie Gregory Alan Mackie is a South Australian cultural advocate and entrepreneur who has worked to promote the arts and culture in Australia. He was an elected Councillor at the Adelaide City Council (2000-2003, May 2020 - June 2022). He was co ...
, founder of the
Adelaide Festival of Ideas The Adelaide Festival of Ideas (AFOI) is a festival held in Adelaide, South Australia since 1999, usually biennially. It aims to foster the public promulgation, discussion and critique of culturally and socially relevant ideas from around the wo ...
*2016:
Meryl Tankard Meryl Tankard is an Australian dancer and choreographer who has a wide national and international reputation. Early life and education Tankard's father served in the Royal Australian Air Force and the family moved to various bases during her ea ...
, dancer, choreographer and director; and ::
Tim Jarvis Tim Jarvis AM (born May 1966) is a British-Australian environmental explorer, adventurer, climber, author and documentary filmmaker, with Masters qualifications in environmental science and environmental law. Due to his 2013 expedition recreatin ...
, adventurer and environmental scientist *2017:
Robert McFarlane Robert Carl "Bud" McFarlane (July 12, 1937 – May 12, 2022) was an American Marine Corps officer who served as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1985. Within the Reagan administration, McFarlane was a leading ar ...
, social documentary and arts photographer *2018:
Jackie Huggins Jacqueline Gail "Jackie" Huggins (born 19 August 1956) is an Aboriginal Australian author, historian, academic and advocate for the rights of Indigenous Australians. She is a Bidjara/Pitjara, Birri Gubba and Juru woman from Queensland. she ...
, author, historian and Indigenous rights advocate, for researching the social impacts of Aboriginal soldiers going to fight in both World Wars. *2019: John Long, paleontologist, academic and author of popular science non-fiction and fiction. *2020:
David Vaux David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, scientist and expert on
cell death Cell death is the event of a biological cell ceasing to carry out its functions. This may be the result of the natural process of old cells dying and being replaced by new ones, as in programmed cell death, or may result from factors such as d ...
, 2019 co-recipient of the Florey Medal for Lifetime Achievement *2021:
Bob Brown Robert James Brown (born 27 December 1944) is a former Australian politician, medical doctor and environmentalist. He was a senator and the parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens. Brown was elected to the Australian Senate on the Tasma ...
, environmentalist, human rights campaigner and former political leader of the Australian Greens party. *2022: Pat Rix, artistic director


Change Award

The Change Award was established in 2020. Worth and sponsored by
Zambrero Zambrero is an Australian multinational fast food restaurant franchise serving Mexican cuisine. It was founded in Canberra by then-medical student Sam Prince with the idea of using the profits to support humanitarian causes. The chain donate ...
, it is awarded "for positive social or environmental impact and cinema expressing new directions for humanity", selected by audience vote. *2020: *2022: ''Luku Ngarra'', directed by Sinem Saban and produced by Djiniyini Gondarra and Saban, about the history and culture of Arnhem Land


Flinders University Short Film Prize

Established in 2022, this award is determined by audience vote. *2022: ''Are You Really the Universe'', directed by Tamara Hardman and starring
Tilda Cobham-Hervey Tilda Cobham-Hervey (born 1994) is an Australian actress from Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in circus and physical theatre. In 2014 Cobham-Hervey made her film debut at the age of 19 in ''52 Tuesdays'', a critically acclaimed ind ...


INSITE Award

The Adelaide Film Festival teamed up with the Australian Writers' Guild to present the INSITE Award at the 2013 Festival. The Award celebrates and acknowledges outstanding work produced by AWG
screenwriters A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...
and provides an important development opportunity for both writers and the industry. The winner gets to meet industry directors and producers, with a view to moving the project onto the screen. It has not been awarded since 2017 and is not mentioned on the 2020 list of awards. Past winners have included: * 2003 ''
Cut Snake ''Cut Snake'' is a 2014 Australian thriller film written by Blake Ayshford and directed by Tony Ayres. The title comes from the Australian idiom "mad as a cut snake" which describes either insanity or anger so extreme you don't want to get near ...
'', by Blake Ayshford, was filmed by director
Tony Ayres Tony Ayres (born 16 July 1961) is an Australian showrunner, screenwriter, director in television and feature film. He is most notable for his films '' Walking on Water'' and '' The Home Song Stories'', as well his work in television, includi ...
. * 2005 ''Moving South'', by Cath Moore. * 2007 ''
Salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
'', by Priscilla Cameron and Heather Phillips, was directed by Michael Angus in 2009. The film played at the Adelaide Film Festival that same year. * 2009 ''Writing Rain'', written by Ben Chessell. * 2011 The Unlikeliest Hero, by Barbara Connell, was planned to be filmed by New Zealand director James Cunningham in an official Australia/New Zealand co-production, with completion of the film timed to coincide with the 100-year commemorations of Anzac Day. (However, it was last reported as being pitched as an animated film at the
Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...
in 2015.) *2013 ''Tigress'', written by Jane Hampson. *2015 ''Martingale'', written by Harry Aletras. *2017 ''Petrova'', written by Bec Peniston-Bird.


AFTRS International VR Award

In 2017, ADL Film Fest introduced the AFTRS ADL Film Fest International VR Award, the first competition of its kind in Australia, in collaboration with the
Australian Film, Television and Radio School The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) formerly Australian Film and Television School, is Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school. The school is a Commonwealth Government statutory authority. History Establishe ...
(AFTRS). ''Nothing Happens'', by Michelle and Uri Kranot, won the inaugural award, while ''The Other Dakar'' by Selly Raby, based on
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
ese mythology, received a Special Mention. In 2018, ''The Unknown Patient'', by Australian director
Michael Beets Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
won the award.


Indigenous Feature Documentary Initiative

In partnership with
Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
,
KOJO Kojo may refer to: * ''King Kojo'', a novel by Ruth Plumly Thompson * KOJO (company), Australian entertainment company which supported the Adelaide Film Festival#Indigenous Feature Documentary Initiative * KOJO (FM), a radio station (91.1 FM) li ...
and the National Film and Sound Archive, this initiative, the first of its kind, was created in 2015 to support an "innovative, observational and/or social justice documentary" with a funding package of up to . The award provided funding for an established
Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
film-maker to make a feature-length documentary, providing funding for the director and a producer. Eualeyai/ Kamillaroi writer and academic
Larissa Behrendt Larissa Yasmin Behrendt (born 1969) is an Australian legal academic, writer, filmmaker and Indigenous rights advocate. she is a professor of law and director of research and academic programs at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education ...
, along with Michaela Perske, writer and producer, were awarded the funding in 2016 to work on their feature documentary project, '' After the Apology''. On 9 October 2017, AFF held the world première of the resulting film, and it was sold out at the Winda Film Festival in Sydney in November of that year. The film focuses on a group of grandmothers (Grandmothers Against Removals) taking on the system over the increase in Indigenous child removal in the years following
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
's
Apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples Apology, The Apology, apologize/apologise, apologist, apologetics, or apologetic may refer to: Common uses * Apology (act), an expression of remorse or regret * Apologia, a formal defense of an opinion, position, or action Arts, entertainment ...
, in which he offered an apology on behalf of the
Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
to the
Stolen Generations The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian federal and state government agencies and church mis ...
resulting from historic child removal policies in Australia. It won Best Direction of a Documentary Feature Film from the
Australian Directors Guild The Australian Directors' Guild (ADG) is an industry guild representing the interests of film, television, commercials and digital media directors, including documentary makers and animators, throughout Australia. With its headquarters in Sydney ...
in 2018, and was nominated in three categories in the 2018
AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industr ...
: Best Direction in Nonfiction Television (Larissa Behrendt); Best Documentary or Factual Program (Michaela Perske); and Best Original Music Score in A Documentary (Caitlin Yeo).


Juries

Jury members for the International Feature Film Prize have included Afghani actor
Leena Alam Leena Alam (Persian Language, Persian: , born in Kabul, Afghanistan) is an Afghans, Afghan film, television, and theater actress. She has appeared in films such as ''Kabuli Kid'', ''Black Kite (film), Black Kite'', ''Loori'', ''A Letter to the P ...
and
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
filmmaker
João Pedro Rodrigues João Pedro Rodrigues (born 24 August 1966) is a Portuguese film director. He is considered to be part of ''The School of Reis'' film family. Career Having studied at the School of Theatre and Cinema of Portugal, Rodrigues started his career as a ...
(2017);
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
filmmaker
Annemarie Jacir Annemarie Jacir ( ar, آن ماري جاسر) is a Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and producer. Career Filmmaker She has been working in independent cinema since 1998 and has written, directed and produced a number of award-winning films. Two o ...
and Adelaide filmmaker Sophie Hyde (2015); actor/filmmaker Wayne Blair and writer
Lawrence Weschler Lawrence Weschler (born 1952) is an author of works of creative nonfiction. A graduate of Cowell College of the University of California, Santa Cruz (1974), Weschler was for over twenty years (1981–2002) a staff writer at ''The New Yorker'', w ...
( 2013); Hossein Valamanesh (2011); JM Coetzee (2007 & 2009),
Naomi Kawase is a Japanese film director. She was also known as , with her former husband's surname. Many of her works have been documentaries, including ''Embracing'', about her search for the father who abandoned her as a child, and ''Katatsumori'', about ...
and
David Stratton David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer. Life and career Born in Trowbridge, ...
(2009);
Margaret Pomeranz Margaret Pomeranz (born 14 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer and television personality. Early life Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 14 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney. She was educated at the P ...
and
Ana Kokkinos Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film and television director and screenwriter of Greek descent. She is known for her breakthrough feature film, '' Head On'' (1998), and has also directed television shows such as ''The Secret Life of Us'' and '' ...
(2007). Jury members for the Flinders University Documentary Prize have included Eva Orner (2017);
Beck Cole Beck Cole is an Australian filmmaker of the Warramungu and Luritja nations. She is known for her work on numerous TV series, including '' First Australians'', '' Grace Beside Me'', ''Black Comedy'' and '' Wentworth'', as well as documentaries ...
(2015) and Michael Loebenstein (2015).
Amanda Duthie Amanda Duthie, Scottish-born
(6 July 2012) ''Interview with Amanda Duthie''. Retrieved ...
, AFF artistic director and
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
champion, sat on the jury for the inaugural AFTRS International VR Award in 2017. The jury for the 2020 Feature Fiction and Documentary awards were
Andrew Bovell Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television. Life Bovell was born on 23 November 1962 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and completed his secondary school education in Perth. He graduated from t ...
,
Khoa Do Khoa Do (Vietnamese: ''Đỗ Khoa'', ), is a film director, screenwriter, and philanthropist. He received the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2005. Early life and family The Do family left Vietnam in 1980 as Vietnamese refugees, fleein ...
, Zak Hepburn,
Rebecca Summerton Closer Productions is a film and television production company founded by filmmakers Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason in Adelaide, South Australia, in January 2004. It is known for award-winning feature films such as ''52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and ''An ...
(of Closer Productions), and
Natasha Wanganeen Natasha Wanganeen is an Aboriginal Australian actress. She is known for her starring role in the 2002 feature film ''Rabbit Proof Fence'', aged 15, and numerous television roles. Her debut film as co-writer and co-producer is the 2022 short fil ...
.


Film Lab: New Voices

In 2021 the Film Lab: New Voices initiative was launched by the South Australian Film Corporation and the AFF, in collaboration with
Mercury CX Mercury CX, formerly Media Resource Centre (MRC), is a not-for-profit film and television training organisation based in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, which aims to give scr ...
. This program supports emerging filmmakers, with three teams selected for mentoring over an 11-month development period and one team then selected for funding to complete a low-budget
feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
which is premiered at the next AFF.


References


External links

* * {{Adelaide Film Festival 2002 establishments in Australia Film festivals established in 2002 October events Australian film awards Annual events in Australia Film festivals in Adelaide