Press release from Revelation Film Festival
With an audience increase of close to 40% from 2009, and no lack of sold out sessions, this year’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival closed on a high note last night after proving itself to be an increasingly relevant and important part of Western Australia’s screen cultural landscape.
Revelation’s 2010 program of independent films and special events was it’s boldest yet, and featured a balanced selection of both challenging and simply entertaining films. The great variety amongst the audience favourites reflects the widening appeal of the event and indicate that Perth’s premier film festival is right on the money with its range of feature films, documentaries, short films and animation from around the world.
With 30 national premieres to offer, and ready accessibility to its world class list of film industry guests from Australia and around the world, the jump in audience numbers can also be partly attributed to Revelation tapping into a fresh new audience alongside its regular supporters by engaging with users of social media for an on-going dialogue about the festival in real time.
“We’re over the moon with the response from both the industry and the Perth community this year,” says festival Chairperson Richard Sowada, “I can actively see the WA film scene maturing, and being able to connect it to the international community in such a direct and immediate way is incredibly rewarding. The audience reaction this year demonstrates they’re finding the same pay-off!”
Program Director Jack Sargeant said “This has been a very exciting year for Rev. Both guests and audiences have come together to make a truly unique cinematic event, one we are all extremely proud of."
Some of Revelation 2010’s most popular films included American, a documentary about the late renowned American comedian Bill Hicks; Perth-made psychological thriller The Sculptor; winner of Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2009, Dogtooth; plus documentaries about cat ladies, real-life bogeymen, and the absorption of western culture behind the iron curtain during the Cold War.