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Sydney Film Festival launch

The 62nd Sydney Film Festival opened on Wednesday night at the State Theatre with the world premiere of Australian film Ruben Guthrie.

Festival Director Nashen Moodley was pleased to open his fourth Festival to a packed auditorium including; the film’s director Brendan Cowell; producer Kath Shelper; executive producer Jonathan Duncan; actors, Patrick Brammall, Alex Dimitriades, Harriet Dyer, Jeremy Sims, Aaron Bertram, Robyn Nevin, Jack Thompson, Laura Dundovic, Elly Oh and Leon Ford; and musicians Sarah Blasko and Art vs Science.

NSW Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant said Australian films are the strong flavour of this year’s festival. “The local film industry is firing on all cylinders with over 51 Australian productions screened over 12 days at this years’ festival including; six features, 10 feature-length documentaries, 12 short documentaries, and 22 short fiction films, together with some of the best cinema in the world,” he said.

“Sydney is already the film capital of Australia, we’re now setting our sights on the Southern Hemisphere. This will require a co-ordinated effort from Screen NSW, other government agencies and industry to lure more big productions to Sydney.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore invited audiences to come and experience all the Festival has to offer, including the Festival Hub at Sydney’s Town Hall. “Sydney is only the second city ever to be nominated as a UNESCO city of film. I encourage everyone to come to see the latest cinema from our own filmmakers and from filmmakers across the globe; to hear stories from different cultures, about different ideas and different ways of life; and with fresh eyes, take a look at who we are as Australians,” she said.

Ruben Guthrie is the directorial debut of award-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor Brendan Cowell, adapted from his own critically acclaimed Belvoir St Theatre production. The film, produced by Kath Shelper, was shot on location all over Sydney; and the cast is a gathering of some of the best Australian actors, including Patrick Brammall, Alex Dimitriades, Abbey Lee, Harriet Dyer, Jeremy Sims, Brenton Thwaites, Aaron Bertram, Robyn Nevin and Jack Thompson.

Also in attendance: SFF Patrons Jan Chapman AO, Gillian Armstrong AM; SFF Official Competition jury member Pen-ek Ratanaruang.

A long list of SFF 2015 filmmakers also attended including; Ewen Leslie, The Daughter actor; Simon Stone, The Daughter director; Jan Chapman and Nicole O’Donohue The Daughter producers; Jennifer Peedom, Sherpa director; Kim Farrant, Strangerland director; Partho Sen-Gupta, Sunrise director; Adil Hussain, Sunrise actor, Ramin Bahrani, 99 Homes director; Guido Gonzalez and Shakthi Sivanathan, Riz directors; Jeremy Sims, Last Cab to Darwin director; Fred Nicolas, Max & Lenny director.

Sydney Film Festival runs 3 – 14 June 2015.