2025 Sydney Underground Film Festival Program by Sydney Underground Film Festival

DENDY NEWTOWN 19th

11-14 SEPT 2025

SUF F . C O M . AU

WELCOME

Welcome loveable weirdos and misfits!

We’re back and ready to rattle the foundations of respectable cinema once again! From September 11th to 14th, join us for four nights of fearless, filthy, and fiercely independent filmmaking from all around the world.

We’re opening with the gloriously unholy QUEENS OF THE DEAD by Tina Romero - a drag-zom-com that sets the tone for a festival packed with excess, rebellion, and radical joy. And we close with FUCKTOYS by Annapurna Sriram, a scorching 16mm feminist knockout making its Australian Premiere.

In between? Buckle up. We’ve got BUTTHOLE SURFERS: THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUTT, a doc that’s as chaotic as the band itself, a

one-off screening of UHF with custom STINK-O-VISION cards, CHEECH & CHONG’S LAST MOVIE on the big screen where it belongs, and a delirious revival of XANADU like you’ve never seen it before.

We’re also thrilled to showcase a stack of bold Aussie indies - SKELETON GIRLS - A KIDNAPPED CITY, SNATCHERS, and YELLOW HOUSE AFGHANISTAN and STELARC: SUSPENDING DISBELIEF. Plus we've got more celluloid chaos shot on film with the mind-melting I LIVE HERE NOW, JIMMY AND STIGGS and ANYTHING THAT MOVES.

The short films are wild, the vibes are unhinged, and the only rule is: expect the unexpected.

Let’s make this one count. Number 19!

THURSDAY 11 SEPT l

FRom

6.15pm

CINEMA OPENs

7.00 pm

DIR. TINA ROMERO

2025 | USA | 99 mins

Strap in your eyeballs as we kick off festival #19 with Tina Romero’s fierce, funny, and gloriously unhinged QUEENS OF THE DEAD.

Complimentary drink on arrival thanks to WAYWARD BREWERY and INDIGO VINEYARD, plus nibbles, a sizzling sideshow drag performance, and killer tunes from the one and only DJ Jay Katz.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

$2.10 booking fee per ticket applies to online purchases. All ticketing terms and conditions are found on the Dendy website. All sessions are unclassified 15+ unless noted otherwise.

/ $15 each )

*Festival passes are for separate sessions for one person. Passes cannot be used for Opening, Closing or Special Events.

GROUP BOOKINGS

For bookings of 20+, please email: sydneyevents@dendy.com.au

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS?

Online at suff.com.au/tickets or via the Dendy Box Office in-person or online. Limited tickets available at the door, if not sold out prior.

FRI 12 SEPT l PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

5.45 PM | FRIDAY LSD FACTORY [SHORTS]

6.00 PM | FRIDAY TOKYO EVIL HOTEL

Dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura

2025 | JAPAN | HORROR AUS PREMIERE

Surreal, subversive, and profoundly unhinged - who needs drugs? 6.15 PM | FRIDAY PAULINE BLACK: A 2-TONE STORY

Dir. Jane Mingay & Pauline Black 2024 | UK | MUSIC DOC NSW PREMIERE

7.00 PM | FRIDAY BUTTHOLE SURFERS: THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUTT

Dir. Tom Stern

2024 | USA | MUSIC DOC

AUS PREMIERE

7.45 PM | FRIDAY LOVE/SICK [SHORTS]

Dive head first into the freaky, filthy side of desire.

7.15 PM | FRIDAY

EBONY & IVORY

Dir. Jim Hosking

7.30 PM | FRIDAY PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT

Dir. Christopher Bickel 2024 | USA | HORROR NSW PREMIERE

2024 | UK | COMEDY AUS PREMIERE 9.15 PM | FRIDAY THE PEE PEE POO POO MAN

9.00 PM | FRIDAY UHF [SCENTED CINEMA]

Dir. Jay Levey 1989 | USA | COMEDY

Dir. Braden Sitter Sr. 2024 | CANADA | COMEDY NSW PREMIERE

Dir.

Dir. George Schwarz with Charis Schwarz 1973 | AUS EXPERIMENTAL EROTIC DRAMA 1.00 PM | SAT OCCUPY CANNES

Dir.

8.15 PM | SAT CHEECH & CHONG'S LAST MOVIE

Dir. David L. Bushell 2024 | USA FREE GUMMIES FOR EVERY GUEST! AUS PREMIERE

8.30 PM | SAT XANADU

Dir. Robert Greenwald 1980 | USA | CULT/MUSICAL + XANADU AFTER-PARTY AT BOOTLEGGERS WITH DJ MAYNARD

8.45 PM | SAT JIMMY AND STIGGS

Dir. Joe Begos

SUNDAY 14 SEPT l PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

12.00 NOON | SUNDAY FOOD DELIVERY: FRESH FROM THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

Dir. Baby Ruth Villarama 2025 | PHILIPPINES | DOC AUS PREMIERE

2.00 PM | SUN SKELETON GIRLS: A KIDNAPPED SOCIETY

Dir. Richard Eames

2025 | AUS | THRILLER NSW PREMIERE 2.15 PM | SUN ANYTHING THAT MOVES

Dir. Alex Phillips

12.15 PM | SUNDAY WTF! [SHORTS] A riotous celebration of chaos, shock, and pure cinematic insanity. WTF! 4.30 PM | SUN LIVING IN OBLIVION (MOVIE BINGO)

1.30 PM | SUNDAY YELLOW HOUSE AFGHANISTAN (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

Dir. George Gittoes

2025 | AUSTRALIA | DOC

2025 | USA | COMEDY AUS PREMIERE 4.00 PM | SUN HOMEBAKED [AUSSIE SHORTS]

Bold Aussie shortsprovocative, offbeat, and unmissable!

2024 | UK | HORROR/SCI-FI AUS PREMIERE 6 | PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Dir. Tom DiCillo 1995 | USA | COMEDY

pm > DIR. ANNAPURNA SRIRAM > 2025 | USA | COMEDY > AUS PREMIERE

Join AP on a bubblegum grindhouse adventure through sunny and romantic Trashtown, USA.

COMPLIMENTARY SERENDIPITY ICE CREAM FOR EVERY GUEST! CINEMA

261-263 KING ST, NEWTOWN, NSW www.dendy.com.au

Then head to BOOTLEGGERS at KELLY’S ON KING for the SUFF AFTER-PARTY : a night of dirty dancefloor catharsis, courtesy of JACK SHIT. 7 | PROGRAM AT A GLANCE SUNDAY 14 SEPT l

INSTAGAM.COM/SydneyUndergroundFilmFest FACEBOOK.COM/SydneyUndergroundFilmFest LETTERBOXD.COM/SydUnderground YOUTUBE.COM/SYDNEYUNDERGROUND SCAN HERE TO SEE THE PROGRAM ONLINE

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Visit transportnsw.info or phone 131 500 for information about Sydney’s bus, ferry, train and light rail networks. NEWTOWN STATION is just a 3 minute walk to Dendy Cinemas, Newtown. For bike parking refer to cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

ACCESSIBILITY

All cinemas are wheelchair accessible and has allocated wheelchair locations. Please use the lift on the Ground Floor. Cinemas 1-4 are located on Level 1 and Cinemas 5-10 are located on Level 3. Accessible bathrooms are located on the Ground Floor and on Level 3. The lift can be selfoperated or you can ask staff for assistance.

We are Producible, by name and by nature. When creativity, quality and reliability are non-negotiable, experienced marketing professionals have trusted in our proven results for decades. That’s the power of creative producibility.

Proud supporters of Sydney Underground Film Festival since 2017.

Producible.com.au

QUEENS OF THE DEAD

Dir. Tina Romero HORROR/COMEDY ...... 10

FUCKTOYS

Dir. Annapurna Sriram COMEDY ........................ 12

LIVING IN OBLIVION

Dir. Tom DiCillo COMEDY ........................ 16

UHF [SCENTED CINEMA]

Dir. Jay Levey COMEDY ........................ 17

YELLOW HOUSE

Dir. George Gittoes

................................ 18

Robert Greenwald

THE DEGENERATE - THE LIFE AND FILMS OF ANDY MILLIGAN

Dir. Josh Johnson & Grayson Tyler Johnson DOC ............................... 20

THE DEGENERATES

Dir. Andy Milligan CULT/HORROR ............. 21

ANYTHING THAT MOVES

Dir. Alex Phillips COMEDY/THRILLER .... 22

EBONY AND IVORY

Dir. Jim Hosking COMEDY ........................23

I LIVE HERE NOW

Dir. Julie Pacino MYSTERY/THRILLER ....24

JIMMY AND STIGGS

Dir. Joe Begos HORROR/SCI-FI ........... 25

PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT Dir. Christopher Bickel GRINDHOUSE/HORROR .... 26

SKELETON GIRLS: A KIDNAPPED SOCIETY

Dir. Richard Eames THRILLER ....................... 27

SNATCHERS

Dir. Craig Alexander & Shelly Higgs HORROR/COMEDY ..... 28

THE PEE PEE POO POO MAN

Dir. Braden Sitter Sr. COMEDY ....................... 29

TOKYO EVIL HOTEL

Dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura HORROR ....................... 30

BUTTHOLE SURFERS: THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUTT Dir. Tom Stern ................32

CHEECH & CHONG'S LAST MOVIE

Dir. David L. Bushell .... 33

COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!

Dir. Amber Fares ..........34

EXORCISMO: THE TRANSGRESSIVE LEGACY OF CLASIFICADA ‘S’

Dir. Alberto Sedano .....35

FOOD DELIVERY: FRESH FROM THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

Dir. Richard Moore & John Doggett-Williams ......... 40

HOMEBAKED AUSSIE SHORTS

Bold Aussie shortsprovocative, offbeat, and unmissable! ....................42

LOVE/SICK [SHORTS]

Dive headfirst into the freaky, filthy side of desire. .............................44 LSD FACTORY

Surreal, subversive, and profoundly unhingedwho needs drugs? ........ 46

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Short bite-sized docs turning real life into cinematic revelation .... 48 WTF! A riotous celebration of chaos, shock, and pure cinematic insanity!........ 50 TAKE 48 SCREENING 48 Hour Filmmaking

Dir. Baby Ruth Villarama ..36 OCCUPY CANNES Dir. Lily-Hayes Kaufman .... 37 PAULINE BLACK: A 2-TONE STORY Dir. Jane Mingay & Pauline Black .................38 SECRET MALL APARTMENT Dir. Jeremy Workman ...39 STELARC: SUSPENDING DISBELIEF

QUEENS OF THE DEAD

"A bloody, queer blast, complete with charming performances and a smart script.”

- DREAD CENTRAL

> DIR. TINA ROMERO

> 2025 | USA | 99 mins | HORROR/COMEDY

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

From breakout director Tina Romero (daughter of zombie cinema royalty George A. Romero) comes QUEENS OF THE DEAD, a riotous, blood-splattered horror-comedy that slays with equal parts camp, carnage, and community.

When a Brooklyn warehouse drag party spirals into chaos with canceled acts and flaring egos, the night takes a darker turn: a zombie outbreak crashes the party. As the undead close in, a hot-headed promoter (Katy O’Brian, LOVE LIES BLEEDING) and an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies must swap shade for solidarity to survive. With stilettos flying and zombies biting, it’ll take every ounce of glitter, guts, and glam to fight off a dance floor full of scrolling flesh-eaters and make it to sunrise.

With a scene-stealing ensemble including Jaquel Spivey, Nina West, Tomás Matos, Margaret Cho, Jack Haven, Cheyenne Jackson, and Riki Lindhome, and a cameo from none other than Tom Savini.

Don't miss this outrageously fun glitter-soaked gorefest to kick off the 19th Annual Sydney Underground Film Festival!

“One of my favorite horror comedies of the year… an absolute blast that surprised the hell out of me.”

- SCREENANARCHY (J. HURTADO)

THURSDAY | 11 SEPT | from 6.15 pm

OPENING NIGHT FILM & AFTER PARTY

Strap in your eyeballs as we kick off festival #19 with Tina Romero’s fierce, funny, and gloriously unhinged

QUEENS OF THE DEAD.

Join us before the film for a complimentary beer or wine thanks to WAYWARD BREWERY and INDIGO VINEYARD, plus nibbles, a sizzling sideshow drag performance, and killer tunes from the one and only DJ Jay Katz. And don’t even think about heading home - the SUFF Afterparty kicks off right after the film!

Beer from WAYWARD BREWERY

Wine from INDIGO VINEYARD

6.15pm DENDY LOUNGE BAR + DJ Jay Katz + grab a drink on arrival + mingle and nibbles

7.00pm CINEMA DOORS open

7.15pm

WELCOME + Australian Premiere: QUEENS OF THE DEAD

9.15pm OPENING NIGHT AFTER-PARTY at Dendy Lounge Bar

CO-PRESENTED BY WITH COMPLIMENTARY

OPENING NIGHT | 11

> DIR. ANNAPURNA SRIRAM

> 2025 | USA | 106 mins | COMEDY > AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Join AP on a bubblegum grindhouse adventure through sunny and romantic Trashtown, USA.

Shot on lush 16mm and soaked in pastel grit, FUCKTOYS is a delirious, sex-soaked fever dream that reimagines the Tarot’s Major Arcana through the cursed journey of AP - a sweetly naïve hustler in search of salvation. Told she must sacrifice a baby lamb and cough up $1000 to lift a spiritual hex, AP hits the streets of ‘Trashtown’ on her scooter, diving headfirst into a surreal

underworld of neon-lit debauchery and spiritual desperation.

Darkly funny, deeply irreverent, and wildly stylish, Annapurna Sriram’s debut is a riot of camp, class critique, intimacy, and absurdity - equal parts sexy, sad, and sidesplitting. Think PINK FLAMINGOS by way of HOLY MOUNTAIN, but cuter. Q&A with Writer/Director & Lead Actor Annapurna Sriram

“A Filth-filled Odyssey Though A Punk Rock Wonderland"

- SCREEN ANARCHY

“For viewers tired of the metallic beige-ness of streaming series, this movie will hit like dopamine.”

- ROGEREBERT.COM

SUNDAY | 14 SEPT | from 6.00 pm

CLOSING NIGHT FILM & AFTER PARTY

We’re closing out SUFF 2025 with a bang - Annapurna Sriram’s fearless, ferocious debut: FUCKTOYS - the ultimate finale for a festival that revels in cinema at its rawest and most relentless.

As a bonus sugar hit, free Serendipity Ice Cream is back by popular demand. And we’re beyond excited to welcome Annapurna Sriramdirector and star of the film - live and in person for an unfiltered Q&A on risk, rebellion, and what it takes to make a film this audacious.

Then follow the trail of blood, sweat and eyeliner to BOOTLEGGERS at Kelly’s on King for the OFFICIAL SUFF AFTER-PARTY: a night of dirty dancefloor catharsis, courtesy of Jack Shit.

COMPLIMENTARY SERENDIPITY

ICE CREAM FOR EVERY GUEST!

6.30pm CINEMA DOORS open

+ Complimentary ice-cream on arrival!

6.45pm Intro

+ Australian Premiere: FUCKTOYS

+ Q&A w/ Annapurna Sriram hosted by Alexei Toliopoulous

9.15pm CLOSING NIGHT AFTER-PARTY at Bootleggers

CLOSING NIGHT | 13

"A rare look at the Cross at the height of its grimy glory."

- TRAVIS JOHNSON, TIME OUT

CO-PRESENTED BY

> DIR. GEORGE AND CHARIS SCHWARZ

> 1973 | AUSTRALIA | 90 mins

> EXPERIMENTAL EROTIC DRAMA

The rarely seen full-length feature by Sydney-based erotic artist George Schwarz (1935–2021), About Love, makes its public debut at SUFF following last year’s showcase of his Lost Sex Films of Kings Cross.

Restored from the original camera negatives, this bold 1973 anthology was originally conceived as five shorts and rejected by cinema owners due to fears of police prosecution. It screened once only to members of the Sydney Graduates Club and was locked away for decades, resurrected and restored by Ex FIlm.

ABOUT LOVE THE LOST SEX FILMS OF KINGS CROSS

Created with lifelong collaborator Charis under their Magma Productions banner, Schwarz set out to make “unique Australian cinema” exploring dream, reality, and archetypal human experiences; following the personal struggles of five women. Shot in and around Sydney and capturing now-vanished landmarks, the film features stark, noir-inspired cinematography by Grant Mudford and a jazz score by John Sangster with a standout lineup of internationally renowned musicians.

An unusual, erotic and emotionally charged work, ABOUT LOVE defied the era’s social conservatism, pushing boundaries through Schwarz' radical cinematic style.

LIVING IN OBLIVION

> DIR. TOM DICILLO

> 1995 | USA | 90 mins | COMEDY

Celebrate 30 years of LIVING IN OBLIVION, Tom DiCillo’s sharp, surreal satire of indie filmmaking gone hilariously off the rails - and play MOVIE BINGO!

A razor-sharp and wildly entertaining satire of indie filmmaking, LIVING IN OBLIVION stars Steve Buscemi as Nick Reve, a director desperately trying to hold his low-budget movie together as everything around him falls apart. On set, egos clash and tensions soar: there's an insecure lead (Catherine Keener), a narcissistic heartthrob (James LeGros), a melodramatic cinematographer (Dermot Mulroney), and a

30th Anniversary

breakout role for a young Peter Dinklage. Told in three dreamlike acts that shift between blackand-white and colour, the film blurs the line between cinema and chaos.

This cult classic is a hilarious, painfully accurate portrait of creative ambition gone sideways. Essential viewing for cinephiles, dreamers, and anyone who's ever yelled “quiet on set!”

“Engaging and bright, witty and smart … a riotous romp through the world of moviemaking." - CHRIS HICKS, MOVIE CRITIC

This special event in SMELL-O-VISION is presented in collaboration with SCENTED STORYTELLING and SNIVURE

UHF [SCENTED CINEMA]

> DIR. JAY LEVEY

> 1989 | USA | 97 mins | COMEDY

A cult classic that’s just as funny (and bizarre) today as it was in 1989 - with added bonus SMELL-O-VISION cards!

UHF is a wacky cult comedy starring “Weird Al” Yankovic as George Newman, a dreamer with a wild imagination and zero direction - until he’s handed the keys to a failing UHF television station. With nothing to lose, George fills the schedule with outrageously weird, low-budget

"A gleefully anarchic satire... UHF plays like a love letter to the golden age of weird TV."

- NOEL MURRAY, THE A.V. CLUB

programming like WHEEL OF FISH, CONAN THE LIBRARIAN, and Raul’s WILD KINGDOM, accidentally turning the station into a surprise ratings smash. But when a rival network tries to shut him down, George and his misfit crew must band together to save their beloved station. Packed with rapid-fire parodies, slapstick chaos, and nonstop absurdity, UHF is a glorious celebration of creativity, underdogs, misfits and the golden age of weird TV.

"A surreal, slapstick gem that found its audience years later - UHF is Weird Al’s comedic fever dream come to life."

- CHRIS NASHAWATY, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

YELLOW HOUSE AFGHANISTAN (DIRECTOR’S

CUT)

> DIR. GEORGE GITTOES

> 2025 | AUSTRALIA | 109 mins | DOCUMENTARY

In the shadows of conflict, a fragile haven blooms - where art becomes a quiet rebellion and the human spirit refuses to be silenced.

In 2010, renowned Australian artists George Gittoes and Hellen Rose established the Yellow House in Jalalabad, Afghanistan - a sanctuary for artistic expression amidst conflict. This documentary chronicles their return to the Yellow House in 2024 under Taliban rule, aiming to demonstrate that "where war fails, art wins."

"A compelling documentary... Gittoes' unflinching lens captures the indomitable spirit of Afghan artists."

George Gittoes & Hellen Rose

This special Director’s Cut deepens the story with additional intimate footage and interviews, capturing the resilience of Afghan artists and the transformative power of creativity in the face of oppression. Gittoes’ directorial approach offers a poignant exploration of the intersection between art and activism in a war-torn society. Filmmakers George Gittoes and Hellen Rose will also be in attendance for a special post-screening Q&A. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear firsthand insights into the making of YELLOW HOUSE AFGHANISTAN.

"A testament to the enduring power of art in the most challenging circumstances."

-SCREENHUB

- THE GUARDIAN Q&A with Filmmakers

pm - 10.30 pm

> DIR. ROBERT GREENWALD | MUSICAL

JOIN US AFTER THE FILM SATURDAY NIGHT AT BOOTLEGGERS (KELLY'S ON KING, NEWTOWN) AS DJ MAYNARD SPINS ALL THE DISCO HITS!

Don’t miss your chance to rediscover this psychedelic fantasy on the big screen - restored and back in dazzling fluorescent glory! Introduced by rollerdisco renegade and Olivia NewtonJohn devotee MAYNARD (Triple J, Foxtel, maynard.com.au)

Bust out your satin sashes, sequins and metaphorical roller skates for an unforgettable night of celestial camp, classic tunes and highoctane drapery.

Starring Australia’s own radiant Olivia NewtonJohn as Kira, the celestial muse who roller-skates down from Olympus to inspire two creatively

“Too jaw -droppingly campy, and too silly not to be enjoyed and celebrated … a guilty pleasure”

- REELVIEWS

blocked blokes – one being none other than Gene Kelly in his final big-screen hurrah, the other Michael Beck, fresh off The Warriors. Together, they dream up a nightclub that’s half disco, half art deco, and 100% what-the-heck-o.

With an electric (light orchestra) soundtrack, a roller-skating finale that defies age, physics and narrative cohesion, and more fog machines than a Kiss concert, XANADU is a neon-lit trip into the fever dream that was 1980.

Come dressed in your disco finest, your museiest robes, or your fiercest Olivia homage for the chance to win lo-fi but heartfelt prizes. Singing along is encouraged. Skating in the aisles is not.

“...a kaleidoscopic fever dream of animated interludes, glowing costumes, and endlessly spinning roller skates."

- MANA POP

11 pm

THE DEGENERATE: THE LIFE AND FILMS OF ANDY MILLIGAN

> DIR. JOSH JOHNSON & GRAYSON TYLER JOHNSON > 2025 | USA | 109 mins | DOCUMENTARY > AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Presented as a double feature with Milligan’s restored 1967 feature: THE DEGENERATES - A riotous resurrection of underground cinema’s most volatile visionary! OFFICIAL SELECTION TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

This vivid documentary dives into the chaotic life and off-beat films of Andy Milligan - the self-taught, gritty auteur behind New York’s 42nd-Street grindhouse. Through interviews with collaborators, biographers, and rare archival footage, including Milligan himself, the film traces his evolution from a promising

OFFICIAL SELECTION FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

TV actor to a prolific yet controversial figure in sexploitation and horror. Equal parts camp, confession, and crisis, THE DEGENERATE charts Milligan’s visceral creativity, and personal torment, to offer a tender but unflinching portrait of a broken artist whose outsider vision still resonates.

“Never sentimental… feels like a story long overdue its time in the mainstream spotlight.” - ALEXANDRA HELLER-NICHOLAS (ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS) “...offers viewers an eye-opening look into one of the weirder and darker corners of cinema history.”

- PETER SOBCZYNSKI ROGEREBERT.COM

THE DEGENERATES

> DIR. ANDY MILLIGAN

> 1967 | USA | 72 mins | CULT/HORROR

Presented as a double feature with the documentary THE DEGENERATE: THE LIFE AND FILMS OF ANDY MILLIGAN

Long buried in the gutters of exploitation cinema history, Andy Milligan’s THE DEGENERATES is a jagged, black-and-white descent into post-war American depravity. Shot on Staten Island in 1967 and long considered lost, this sordid tale marked one of Milligan’s first stabs at the feverish, deeply personal grindhouse style he’d become infamous for.

A warped morality play, the film follows a priest’s spiral into voyeurism, vice, and violent reckoning. Claustrophobic close-ups, unhinged performances, and handheld chaos drive the film’s manic energy - unmistakably Milligan.

“A fever dream of sin and salvation shot with the energy of a back-alley brawl.” - SPECTACLE THEATER (NYC)

A former Off-Off-Broadway playwright and underground queer cinema pioneer, Milligan made movies on the fringes: raw, confrontational, and defiantly DIY.

Newly unearthed and restored by the legends at Severin Films, THE DEGENERATES offers a rare glimpse into the early work of a cult icon who broke every rule, often badly, but always with conviction.

“One of the sleaziest, strangest films of the ’60s… a black-andwhite horror show of guilt, lust, and punishment.”

- THE PSYCHOTRONIC VIDEO GUIDE TO FILM

ANYTHING THAT MOVES

> DIR. ALEX PHILLIPS > 2025 | USA | 81 mins | COMEDY/THRILLER > AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Freaky, fearless, and outrageously fun - don’t miss this filthy masterpiece of modern underground cinema.

From the twisted mind behind ALL JACKED UP and FULL OF WORMS comes ANYTHING THAT MOVES—a wild, psychosexual dark comedy thriller soaked in sex, style, and splatter. Liam is

"Alex Phillips' new film is a gialloflavored erotic thriller that honors its predecessors while carving out its own space."

- FANGORIA

OFFICIAL SELECTION FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

a bike courier by day and sex worker by night, delivering snacks and orgasms across Chicago. But when a serial killer starts targeting his clients, Liam is pulled into a pulse-pounding conspiracy that’s as seductive as it is sinister.

Shot on luscious 16mm and inspired by the tender weirdness of 1970s porn, ANYTHING THAT MOVES is a gooey, gory, genre-bending ride.

"A prime example of a filmmaker beginning to settle into their own voice in his sophomore film. Phillips builds on his visual style and storytelling skills and delivers a film more accessible, more polished and more naked (literally) than before."

- RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE

EBONY AND IVORY

> DIR. JIM HOSKING

> 2024 | UK | 88 mins | COMEDY > AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Two musical legends' collaboration turns into a surreal odyssey of absurdity and chaos in this off-kilter comedy.

From the demented genius behind THE GREASY STRANGLER comes another delirious dive into glorious absurdity. In EBONY AND IVORY, Paul (Sky Elobar) invites the irritable Stevie (Gill Gex) to his remote Scottish cottage for a musical collaboration that spirals into surreal debates about sheep, genius, and the crushing weight of artistic immortality. Very loosely inspired by

“Ebony and Ivory is absolute nonsense and absolute brilliance, and if you don’t start choke-laughing at some stage, get the person next to you to check your pulse."

- NADINE WHITNEY, INSESSION FILM

“A wildly entertaining delight.... A sidesplitting good time." - INDIEWIRE

the mythical first meeting of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, this deranged buddy dramedy plays like THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN meets TIM AND ERIC meets WAITING FOR GODOT, with a splash of vegan ready-meal musical theatre.

A hallucinatory fever dream packed with outrageous mullets, knitted sweaters, sheep suits, and conversations so idiotic they circle back to brilliance. Jim Hosking gives madness free rein—and the result is gloriously unhinged. Whether you're cackling in disbelief or chanting “shit and fuck” with the characters, one thing's certain: EBONY AND IVORY is a cult classic in the making.

OFFICIAL SELECTION GLADSGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2025

OFFICIAL SELECTION CALGARY UNDERGROUND FILM FEST 2025

OFFICIAL SELECTION NIGHT VISIONS 2024

OFFICIAL SELECTION FANTASTIC FEST 2024

OFFICIAL SELECTION

EDINBURGH

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025

WORLD PREMIERE

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

OFFICIAL SELECTION

LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL 2025

I LIVE HERE NOW

> DIR. JULIE PACINO

> 2025 | USA | 96 mins | MYSTERY/THRILLER

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

""Julie Pacino’s debut feature I LIVE HERE NOW is a strange and beguiling psychological and visual Fata Morgana."

- DREAD CENTRAL

"Julie Pacino’s feature film debut I LIVE HERE NOW is one of the most self-assured first features I’ve seen in recent memory."

- DREAD CENTRAL

Australian star Lucy Fry (WOLF LIKE ME, BRIGHT) delivers her most daring performance yet in Julie Pacino’s hypnotic, reality-warping debut feature - a film that feels like stepping into someone else’s dream and realising you might not wake up.

In a remote hotel in California’s Idyllwild, a young actress seeks refuge from the chaos of her life, only to find the boundaries between reality, memory, and performance collapsing in on themselves. Time loops, doubles appear, and the air itself hums with menace. Pacino’s lush, intoxicating visuals pull us deeper into a psychological labyrinth where desire and dread share the same skin.

Influenced by the twisted dreamworld of David Lynch, the saturated palette of Dario Argento, the sensual unease of, and the surreality of Alice In Wonderland, I LIVE HERE NOW is both a mind-bending puzzle and a seductive trap. Fry’s magnetic presence anchors the delirium,

grounding the film’s fractured reality even as it slips further into the uncanny.

The film is also supported by an incredible cast including Madeline Brewer (THE HANDMAID’S TALE, BRAID), Sheryl Lee (TWIN PEAKS), Cara Seymour (ADAPTATION), and an exceptionally slimy Matt Rife, who are all perfectly attuned to the film’s tonal hallucinations.

Shot on 35mm, every frame feels like a halfremembered photograph - beautiful, fragile, and threatening to disappear. This is cinema as hypnosis, where the safest thing to do is surrender.

8.45 pm - 10.15 pm

OFFICIAL SELECTION SITGES FILM FESTIVAL 2024

OFFICIAL SELECTION BEYOND FEST 2024

JIMMY AND STIGGS

> DIR. JOE BEGOS

> 2024 | UK | 80 mins | HORROR/SCI-FI

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

A down-on-his-luck filmmaker and his old friend gear up for an all-out war against aliens in this hallucinatory, grindhouse-inspired splatterfest.

Out-of-work filmmaker Jimmy Lang (Joe Begos) spirals into a drug-fueled bender after a series of personal and professional setbacks. During his chaotic descent, he claims to have been abducted by aliens. Fearing their return, he

“A neon-soaked, cocaine-fueled alien assault that delivers on its promise of chaos and carnage.”

- BLOODY DISGUSTING

enlists his old friend Stiggs (Matt Mercer) to prepare for an impending extraterrestrial war. As night falls, the duo is thrust into a hallucinatory frenzy of alien encounters, psychedelic chaos, and relentless carnage. Shot on 16mm film, JIMMY AND STIGGS channels the anarchic energy of '80s grindhouse cinema, delivering a visceral and visually arresting experience. The film marks the debut feature of Eli Roth’s new label, THE HORROR SECTION, promising a fresh wave of audacious genre filmmaking.

“An absolutely bonkers splatterfest that horror fans won't want to miss.”

- JOBLO.COM

SOUTH CAROLINA UNDERGROUND FILM FEST 2025

CALGARY UNDERGROUND FILM FEST 2025

SELECTION REVELATION PERTH FILM FESTIVAL 2025

PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT

> DIR. CHRISTOPHER BICKEL

> 2024 | USA | 97 mins | GRINDHOUSE/HORROR

> NSW PREMIERE

A must-see for fans of retro exploitation horror, Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is as brain-melting as it is blood-drenched.

From cult filmmaker Christopher Bickel comes a trippy, blood-soaked descent into psychedelic horror. Max, a record store clerk with a passion for rare vinyl, unearths a mysterious LP from a defunct 1970s commune band. Intrigued, she and her friends set out to find the truth - only to be drawn into a secluded cult’s warped world of

“Pater Noster is like The Holy Mountain as a summer camp slasher.”

- GATECRASHERS.FAN

mind control, ritual sacrifice, and supernatural terror. What starts as a music-lover’s curiosity spirals into a waking nightmare, loaded with practical gore, vintage flair, and pure cosmic chaos. Bickel’s film is a love letter to both grindhouse films and vinyl record collecting.

“A must-see for genre fans. It’s bloody and violent with a great cast and story.”

- HORROR SOCIETY

OFFICIAL SELECTION REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025

SKELETON GIRLS: A KIDNAPPED SOCIETY

> DIR. RICHARD EAMES

> 2025 | AUSTRALIA | 107 mins | THRILLER

> NSW PREMIERE

In this audacious debut from Perth filmmaker Richard Eames, Skeleton Girls: A Kidnapped Society plunges into a neon-lit, punk-infused dystopia.

Following Anna Kaiser, a young woman ensnared in a deadly incident, the film tracks her flight from a relentless media frenzy into the clutches of the notorious all-girl gang, the Skeleton Girls. Seeking refuge in the Rat Nest - a haven

"A punk-fuelled Aussie indie... loud, urgent, and unfiltered."

- VARIETY AUSTRALIA

with Writer/Director/Editor Richard Eames

for society's outcasts - Anna confronts a world teetering on the edge of chaos. Eames crafts a visceral narrative, blending live-action with agitprop animation, set against a backdrop of WA's underground punk scene. Described as the mutant off-spring of genre classics like RUN LOLA RUN, REPO MAN, and GREEN ROOM, the film is "raw, rebellious, and unapologetically local” and a testament to DIY filmmaking, challenging societal norms and media saturation.

"A wild ride through contemporary Australia... truly indie-punk."

- REVELATION FILM FESTIVAL

SNATCHERS

> DIR. CRAIG ALEXANDER & SHELLY HIGGS

> 2025 | AUSTRALIA | 82 mins | HORROR/COMEDY

> AUSTRALIA PREMIERE

Two men and a not-so-dead corpse. What could go wrong?

In an Australian near dystopian future, lifelong friends, Mac (Craig Alexander) and Fettes (Justin Hosking), are undervalued, broke orderlies. They hatch a plan to harvest organs from a freshly deceased Jane Doe but when she unexpectedly

with Filmmakers Craig Alexander & Shelly Higgs

awakens on the operating table, the duo faces a moral and logistical nightmare. Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story ‘The Body Snatcher’ and hot off its RAINDANCE world premiere, this Canberra-made feature is an ambitious and unique dark comedy that offers a fresh take on the genre, delivering both thrills and thought-provoking commentary.

"Alexander’s audacious debut blends morbid comedy with thriller elements, evoking a Shaun of the Dead-like sensibility and genuine Aussie flavour...an entertaining, genre-bending ride, both wickedly funny and unsettling.”

- DIEGO MIGLIORINI

OFFICIAL SELECTION CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

THE PEE PEE POO POO MAN

> DIR. BRADEN SITTER SR. > 2024 | CANADA | 74 mins | COMEDY > NSW PREMIERE

A guerrilla-style odyssey about a paranoid young man who launches a bizarre crime spree against the citizens of Toronto.

Inspired by a strange true story (yes, really), THE PEE PEE POO POO MAN is part grossout farce, part lo-fi city symphony, and part existential scream into the void. Directed by

"THE PEE PEE POO POO MAN has the cleverness of 'Weird Al' Yankovic and the filthiness of GG Allin."

- WYLIE WRITES WYLIEWRITES.COM

Canadian filmmaker Braden Sitter Sr and starring Rishi Rodriguez alongside Canadian comedy legends Spencer Rice (KENNY VS SPENNY) and Paul Bellini (KIDS IN THE HALL), this wet, wild, and weirdly moving film is a bold blend of chaos and contemplation. With a hilarious soundtrack featuring parody versions of songs by Nirvana, Neil Young, and The Pixies - that alone is worth the ticket price.

“...bizarre, experimental, and symptomatic of a new wave of Toronto’s underground film scene that’s shaking traditions by returning a delightful strangeness to the Canadian film canon.”

- EVA SHEAHAN QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

TOKYO EVIL HOTEL

> DIR. YOSHIHIRO NISHIMURA

> 2025 | JAPAN | 90 mins | HORROR

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Welcome to Tokyo Evil Hotel, where check-in is easy… but check-out is eternal.

Dive headfirst into a fever dream of Japan’s darkest urban legend, where a string of eerily similar female suicides haunts the halls - five in a single year. A ghostly woman in a wheelchair roams the corridors, her wrath born of betrayal, heartbreak, and a culture of exploitation. Inspired by chilling real-life rumors, cult legend Yoshihiro Nishimura delivers a savage, surreal descent into the underworld of host clubs, where charm becomes a weapon and seduction a trap. This is J-horror at its most unflinching - merging gore, ghosts, and grotesque social commentary in a neon-lit nightmare that you will not soon forget.

From underground cult director Yoshihiro Nishimura (TOKYO GORE POLICE, MEATBALL MACHINE KODOKU, MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD, HELLDRIVER), this unholy cocktail of latex, slime, and surreal set pieces is both a loving homage to Japan’s splatter legacy and a deranged reinvention of it. Nishimura is a Japanese film director, special effects and makeup effects artist, as well as a screenwriter who works predominantly in the horror genre.

Nishimura has been called “the Tom Savini of Japan.” He has lent his masterful, off-the-wall creativity to many cult classics including: Noboru Iguchi’s ZOMBIE ASS; TOILET OF THE DEAD, PSYCHO GOTHIC LOLITA, YAKUZA HUNTERS, SION SONO’S EXTE; HAIR EXTENSIONS

BUTTHOLE SURFERS: THE HOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUTT

> DIR. TOM STERN

> 2024 | USA | 90 mins

> MUSIC/DOCUMENTARY

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

The hole truth and nothing butt, warts and all: Sex, drugs, rock and roll, the beautiful, the ugly, and the weird.

This electrifying rock documentary delves deep into the psychedelic chaos and emotional rawness of the legendary Texas punk band. Combining gritty archival footage, surreal animation, puppetry, and candid interviews with Gibby Haynes, Paul Leary, King Coffey, Teresa Nervosa, and peers like Dave Grohl and Flea,

“manages to capture the drugged, drunken, sexually outrageous, audience-endangering, close-to-chaotic nature of the band’s legendary live performances”

- JAMES VERNIERE (BOSTON MOVIE NEWS)

OFFICIAL SELECTION SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2025

OFFICIAL SELECTION MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025

it candidly captures their anarchic live energy, drug-fueled descent, creative breakthroughs, and personal clashes. From their Texas punk roots and dawn of shock-rock spectacle to the emotional core of Haynes and Leary’s partnership, the film bares both the outrageous and the intimate. Stern’s irreverent yet sincere narrative weaves humor, heartache, and DIY ethos into a vibrant tribute to these misfit legends.

“The seriousness sandwiched amid pure absurdity … makes … a revealing examination of a band who’s seemingly already bared it all."

- VICTORIA WASYLAKON (VANYALAND)

CHEECH & CHONG'S LAST MOVIE

> DIR. DAVID L. BUSHELL

FREE GUMMIES FOR EVERY GUEST!

> 2024 | USA | 123 mins | DOCUMENTARY

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

A candid road trip through the highs and lows of comedy's most iconic duo.

This documentary offers a candid look at the legendary comedy duo Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, tracing their rise from the counterculture of the 1970s to their enduring legacy in comedy. Through a blend of archival footage, personal anecdotes, and new

“An intimate portrait of two icons, blending nostalgia with candid revelations.” - VARIETY

interviews, the film delves into their creative partnership, the tensions that led to their split, and their eventual reunion. The duo embarks on a reflective road trip, revisiting their shared history and the impact they've had on comedy and pop culture. The film captures their unique bond, showcasing their humor, creativity, and the complexities of their relationship.

“A heartfelt and humorous journey through the highs and lows of a comedic partnership that defined a generation.” - THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!

> DIR. AMBER FARES

> 2025 | USA/FRANCE | 95 mins | DOCUMENTARY > AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

This award-winning vibrant, fearless and timely documentary follows Israeli-Persian actorturned-activist-comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi born and raised in the bilingual village of Neve Shalom (an intentional community of Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel dedicated to justice, peace and equality in the country and the region) as she crafts her brave onewoman show COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! amidst a deepening Israeli-Palestinian crisis. From her

“Sharp-witted, sympathetic and illuminating, Coexistence, My Ass! successfully runs the gamut from hilarity to heartbreak.”

- VARIETY (TOMRIS LAFFLY)

Harvard residency to quarantine during COVID and confrontations following the October 7, 2023 attacks, the film blends satirical stand-up, raw vérité moments, and political upheaval.

Sharp-witted humor meets heartbreak in a journey that’s as uproarious as it is sobering.

COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! is a bold, heartpunching portrait of a comedian-activist who refuses to let go of the idea of peace between neighbours.

"Eliassi and Coexistence, My Ass! do the impossible and deliver radical ideas through humour. Rarely has comedy felt this serious and urgent.”

- VARIETY OFFICIAL SELECTION HOT DOCS 2025

WINNER - FILMMAKER AWARD FULL FRAME DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 2025 SPECIAL JURY AWARD FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2025

WINNER - HUMAN RIGHTS IN MOTION THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 2025

EXORCISMO: THE TRANSGRESSIVE LEGACY OF CLASIFICADA ‘S’

> DIR. ALBERTO SEDANO

> 2024 | SPAIN / USA | 122 mins | DOCUMENTARY

> NSW PREMIERE

A wild dive into Spain’s forbidden cinema, where taboo-breaking horror and exploitation films became a rebellious soundtrack to a nation’s rebirth.

This immersive documentary explores Spain’s seismic post-Franco shift through the surgically provocative lens of “Clasificada S” cinemasex-and-violence-fueled horror, thriller, and exploitation films that detonated cultural taboos.

“An excellent new documentary […] digs into Spanish exploitation cinema of the post-Franco transition with the intellectual rigor of a scholar and the bloody, beating heart of a horror buff.”

- PAYTON MCCARTY-SIMAS (FILM INQUIRY)

OFFICIAL SELECTION REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025

OFFICIAL SELECTION CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

SELECTION SITGES FILM FESTIVAL 2024

Narrated by the gravel-voiced Iggy Pop and interwoven with incisive interviews featuring filmmakers like Gaspar Noé, Álex de la Iglesia, Jess Franco, and José Ramón Larraz, Exorcismo dissects how a film movement steeped in scandal became a vehicle for political catharsis and creative rebellion. Pristine archival clips, academic insight, and vivid expert commentary reveal how these once-forbidden movies reshaped Spanish genre cinema and embodied a nation’s reckoning with its authoritarian past.

“Severin Films offers up yet another masterclass on genre cinema […] the doc doesn’t shy away from the fascinating deep dive into Spanish history.”

- DAN TABOR (CINAPSE)

FOOD DELIVERY: FRESH FROM THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

> DIR. BABY RUTH VILLARAMA

> 2025 | PHILIPPINES | 85 mins | DOCUMENTARY

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

In waters claimed by giants, a small boat carries the weight of a nation - one meal, one mission, one act of defiance at a time.

FOOD DELIVERY is a gripping documentary that follows Filipino fishermen, the Philippine Coast Guard, and Navy personnel as they defend the West Philippine Sea. Centered on Arnel Satam, a fisherman pursued by the China Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal, the film reveals the

“A stirring tribute to quiet bravery amid maritime tension.”

- PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

OFFICIAL SELECTION DOC EDGE FESTIVAL NZ 2025

real-life dangers of living at the frontline of geopolitical conflict. With rare access to Coast Guard missions and intimate stories from the sea, Food Delivery highlights quiet heroism, solidarity, and sacrifice. Visually arresting and deeply human, the film offers a timely, urgent portrait of courage and community amidst rising global tensions. After being controversially pulled from a domestic film festival, the film went on to win the prestigious Tides of Change Award at New Zealand’s Doc Edge Festival earlier this year.

** Pulled from release in its home country, this bold documentary has faced censorship - making it all the more urgent to screen. Films that challenge, provoke, and spark conversation deserve to be seen.

| 13

OCCUPY CANNES

> DIR. LILY-HAYES KAUFMAN

> 2025 | USA | 89 mins | DOCUMENTARY

> AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

| 1 pm - 2.30 pm

WORLD PREMIERE FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

Iconic director Lloyd Kaufman, creator of "The Toxic Avenger," and the Troma Team wage a punk-spirited battle championing independent art at Cannes.

This irreverent, heartfelt documentary chronicles legendary cult-filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman (creator of THE TOXIC AVENGER) and the Troma Team’s punk-style campaign at the Cannes Film Festival. Through the lens of Kaufman’s daughters, Lily-Hayes and Charlotte, the film captures their audacious guerrilla marketing stunts - green

“Equally punk as it is heartfelt—the film is a love letter to outsider art and a battle cry against industry conformity.”

- THE D-WORD

slime on the Croisette, protest rallies, cardboard signs - and their defiant fight to champion truly independent cinema amid Hollywood’s corporate spectacle. Equal parts comedy, rebellion, and tender family portrait, it poses a vital question: can outsider art break through when the stakesand the odds - are stacked against you?

“a fond, funny, punk-spirited doc following Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma Team… waging a war against an industry that seems… determined to squeeze them out”

- MICHAEL GINGOLD, FANTASIA FESTIVAL

SELECTION DOC'N ROLL UK 2025

PAULINE BLACK: A 2 - TONE STORY

> DIR. JANE MINGAY & PAULINE BLACK

SELECTION BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2025

> 2024 | UK | 92 mins | MUSIC/DOCUMENTARY > NSW PREMIERE

The electrifying rise of Pauline Black, whose voice and sound shook the UK and redefined the spirit of 2-Tone music.

This intimate music documentary follows Pauline Black from her adoption into a white family in 1960s Essex, through the racism, sexism, and personal trauma that shaped her identity, to her emergence as the powerful lead singer

“a compelling documentary… Black is a brilliantly blunt straight-talker and very funny.” - THE GUARDIAN

PLUS GROOVESCOOTER SKA SHINDIG AFTER THE FILM AT THE HIVE BAR, ERSKINEVILLE OFFICIAL SELECTION REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025

of The Selecter and the figurehead of the 2-Tone movement. Featuring candid interviews, raw archival footage, and insights from contemporaries like Damon Albarn, Don Letts, Rhoda Dakar, and Jools Holland, the film traces Black’s journey of self-discovery, resilience, and cultural impact. Co-written with Black, it balances personal revelation and social history, weaving a moving portrait of a trailblazer who challenged norms and helped redefine British music.

OFFICIAL SELECTION SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2024

OFFICIAL SELECTION VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 SATURDAY | 13 SEPT | 6 pm - 8 pm

OFFICIAL SELECTION MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024

SECRET MALL APARTMENT

> DIR. JEREMY WORKMAN

> 2024 | USA | 91 mins | DOCUMENTARY

> NSW PREMIERE

A secret community thrives in a hidden apartment inside a bustling mall, turning rebellion into an unexpected act of creativity and survival.

In 2003, eight Rhode Island artists covertly constructed a fully functional apartment within a hidden space inside Providence Place Mall. Over four years, they furnished it, tapped into the mall’s electricity, and lived undetected,

“A quirky tale of rebellion... explores themes of creativity, community, and resistance to corporate culture.”

- THE WASHINGTON POST

Q&A with Editor Paul Murphy

documenting their lives with hidden cameras. What began as a rebellious act against gentrification evolved into a profound community experiment and a poignant commentary on urban displacement. This documentary, directed by Jeremy Workman and executive produced by Jesse Eisenberg, combines archival footage with contemporary interviews to explore themes of creativity, resistance, and the human need for belonging.

“A documentary that offers astute commentary on malls and their place in modern society.”

- PASTE MAGAZINE

SATURDAY | 13 SEPT | 6.15 pm - 8 pm

STELARC –SUSPENDING DISBELIEF

> DIR. RICHARD MOORE & JOHN DOGGETT-WILLIAMS

> 2025 | AUSTRALIA | 72 mins | DOC | NSW PREMIERE

Q&A with Directors Richard Moore and John Doggett-Williams

Legendary performance artist Stelarc’s radical 50-year odyssey; where flesh meets steel and the self dissolves.

This provocative documentary charts the extraordinary 50-year odyssey of pioneering performance artist Stelarc, whose mantra “the body is obsolete” has driven audacious experiments - from flesh-hook suspensions and a surgically attached ear to robotic arms and remote-controlled exoskeletons.

“you may well be inclined to watch much of the footage […] through your fingers” - MADELEINE SWAIN, SCREENHUB

“searing, curiously tender, and wonderfully life-enriching documentary”

- ANDREW F. PEIRCE, THE CURB

Interweaving visceral archival footage with contemporary self-reflections filmed during car rides around Melbourne, the film explores how Stelarc’s work interrogates pain, mortality, disability, and the evolving relationship between flesh and machine. Rich, candid interviews, including a compelling exchange with disability activist Liz Carr, reveal both the physical extremity and philosophical depth of his practice. Thought-provoking and unsettling, this is a bold examination of humanity’s potential to transcend its biological limits. Join director Richard Moore for a post-screening Q&A as he delves into the making of STELARC and the provocative questions it raises about the limits of the human body and technology.

OFFICIAL SELECTION REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025

OFFICIAL SELECTION CASTLEMAINE DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 2025

HOMEBAKED-AUSSIE SHORTS

Homebaked serves up the boldest Aussie shorts - provocative, offbeat, and unmissable. From curious kinksters and crime sprees gone wrong to apocalyptic fever dreams, this genre-blurring lineup is local cinema with bite.

AIPOCALYPSE

Following a suspicious, near-miss doomsday event, an amateur astronomer and a stoned conspiracy theorist turn to Banterbot, an AI chatbot, for answers.

DOMME

Dir. Lindsay McDonald | Comedy | AUS | 2024 | 6 mins

Equipped with good intentions and a pair of latex boots, Monique sets out for a romantic night of kink as she navigates the murky depths of her newfound partner's peculiar sexual predilections.

DUSTY

After the death of his best friend, we follow Dustin on a grief-induced bender for one.

NO FEEDBACK

While a team of professional bank robbers wait for the heist to begin, their nerves and egos clash as their penchant for improv and killer impressions threaten to unravel their meticulously laid plans.

HOMEBAKED-AUSSIE SHORTS

PUNCHLINE

The story of an unfortunately named man, Jeffery Dahmer, grappling with bringing honour to the family name as he pursues the love of his life, Kylie Minogue.

SOCIAL MEDIA SLAUGHTERHOUSE

An aspiring influencer leads her friends into a notorious haunted house, chasing viral fame. But as they encounter supernatural horrors, she must confront the dark side of online validation to survive and uncover the chilling truth.

RUBBER DUCKY

Attempting to recover a confiscated rubber ducky, a young mother incites a violent brawl with her daughter’s teacher.

THE ALE

Heartbroken and nursing a pint in a Melbourne bar, Sam just wants to be left alone. Then his three mates show up and throw the place into chaos. It’s a mess… and exactly what he needs.

TOUGH LOVE

A French-Australian story, exploring the impacts of family trauma and vicious cycles of violence; through a complicated triangle relationship between mother, son, and best friend.

LOVE/SICK

Love/Sick dives headfirst into the freaky, filthy side of desire - from threesomes, latex, sex dolls, to some seriously horny puppet play. Taboosmashing and deliciously dirty, it’s the ultimate anti-romcom.

BDSM RORSCHARCH

An abstract AI exploration of the sexual imagination.

BRAD

Reeling from a sudden break-up, Greg returns home to crash with his parents.

COCKROACH

Juliette tries to survive a recent breakup with her longtime girlfriend by chronically masturbating and trying to convince herself to start dating men.

I COULD DOM

A people-pleaser recently back in the dating pool goes on an ill-advised date with a sexually submissive man to prove to her doubtful friends that she could totally be a dom.

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

A dreamy picnic in the park becomes a bloody mess when two lovebirds push their boundaries to the limit.

MAMBO NO. 2

On her way to a promising date, Betti faces an unexpected physical crisis that turns her romantic evening into a comedic struggle for dignity and selfdiscovery.

LOVE/SICK

OPEN WIDE

Phoebe, a pious young woman questioning her faith, matches with a charming couple on a flirty dating app and discovers that her curiosity has lured her into a threesome from hell.

SEX ED FT. SABRINA CARPENTER

Two teenage boys about to have sex for the first time keep breaking the fourth wall to beg the audience for advice, all while trying to enjoy Sabrina's latest music video.

STUCK

A man gets stuck in his sex doll.

YOUR OWN FLAVOR

After being stood up on a date, Renee is grateful to find solace in an unexpected friendship with one of the good guys: a seemingly harmless puppet named Chompers.

LSD FACTORY

LSD Factory unleashes the year’s wildest, weirdest shorts - from a postbox in existential crisis, ski-lift standoffs, acid-fueled freakouts, and conspiracies that cut deep. Surreal, subversive, and profoundly unhinged.

2ND DAY & THE END OF THE WORLD

A hyper-family-drama, hand drawn on paper, about processes of secession, posttraumatic attacks, tempting body conditions & powerless loneliness in a climatecatastrophic universe.

A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS

BULLET TIME

Follows the adventures of Bullet, an emotionally unstable Video Gaming Bull Terrier as he competes in the Battle Blast Online Gaming Tournament; with his close friends Time Traveler Todd and Kat they must defeat all the competition for a chance to meet the reigning champion "The One".

FLOWERS

A backyard experiment with a mind-altering tea made from Flowers results in a whole lot more than expected...

/HAAW/

A typical day at a ski resort takes a bizarre turn when a xenophobic guest shares a gondola with an unusual family.

LSD FACTORY

ILLUMINATUS!

A young reporter is recruited by a mad genius and his anarchist followers aboard a giant yellow submarine headed to the lost city of Atlantis. The crew plans to thwart an Illuminati conspiracy that runs absurdly deep.

INSTAGRAM AUTO SURGERY

The idealized cosmetically augmented bodies and selfies of Instagram are depicted in all their visceral surgical reality.

LE COSMOS

A letterbox searches for the meaning of life.

THE GARDEN SEES FIRE

A mystical tale of cloaked identities, systemic traumas, and insatiable consumption: The ecology burns, reclaiming its environs.

VEGAN MAYO

She is all that: A super empath, a justice warrior and your favourite confidence queen… but then again maybe just a sausage.

YOU ARE THE TRUCK AND I AM THE DEER

An experimental short film that explores emotional pain; the film uses poetic text to express the feelings of loss, helplessness and overwhelm during the process of accepting the hurt inflicted by others.

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Stranger than Fiction delivers bold and deeply human short docs - on art, family secrets, and national myths. Insightful and daring, these true tales turn real life into cinematic revelation.

BITS & COLOURS

Between bits and colours lies the question: how is generative AI impacting art and what does that mean for our future?

HUN TUN

Dir. Magdalena Hejzlarová | Documentary | CZECH

REPUBLIC/FRANCE | 2024 | 15 mins | Australian Premiere

A young woman measures her strength against the king of chaos himself. The more she wants to win, the less she succeeds.

HOW TO UNEARTH: CREATURES FROM YOUR MIND

The Sweet Dood unearths creatures from the depths of his mind, with the help of an omnipotent narrator.

KID WITH A PEARL EARRING

Obsessed with forgiveness, filmmaker Abigail Holland builds a self portrait through two relationships with men and objects they left behind.

UPFIELD

Chronicling a walk to the end of the line on Super 8 film - from the heart of the inner city to the outer suburban station of Upfield in Melbourne’s North.

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Stranger than Fiction delivers bold and deeply human short docs - on art, family secrets, and national myths. Insightful and daring, these true tales turn real life into cinematic revelation.

MAX PAM: THE FREDDIE INCIDENT

Photographer Max Pam recounts an experience from his seminal years traveling Asia in the early 1970s, the impact of which is life changing.

THE LEGEND OF TIBROGARGAN

Blending ancestral legend, personal memory, and the vast Australian landscape, this experimental home movie reimagines identity through music, myth, and the echoes of a grandfather’s voice.

LILITH GOES GALACTIC

A surrealist artist grapples with the lure of time travel to salvage her family's artistic legacy, lost in a volcanic eruption on La Palma.

THE MALE GAZE RECIPE

A filmmaker dreams of making a 16mm masturbation film guided by her grandmotherfollowing a tried and tested recipe.

WTF! SHORTS

WTF delivers the year’s most unhinged shorts - patriotic pastrami, vengeful mosquitoes, mad scientists and outlaws on the run. Brazen, bizarre, and gloriously chaotic, WTF is a riotous celebration of chaos, shock, and pure cinematic insanity.

ALL THESE FACES ARE STARTING TO LOOK BIZARRELY FAMILIAR

In a decrepit cinema complex, a young Theo engages with an elderly man who presents upon him visions of disgust and euphoria.

DAD DOLL

In a world without dads, one doll will rise.

I KILLED OSAMA?!

From the makers of RATS! comes an absurd political satire of post-9/11 American ideology.

EVERITT MONTAINE

Fugitive Everitt takes over a dying farm. When he falls for a debt collector foretelling the apocalypse, he must confront his demons to protect the life he’s inadvertently built.

COSMIC CRASH

When an otherworldly being crashes near a lab, chaos is unleashed.

WTF! SHORTS

FRANKENBABES FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

Frankenscience and religious ideology reanimate a cohort of recently deceased fetishists to create the perfectly subservient woman only to unleash hell on the patriarchy.

SKEETER

Every party has a buzz kill.

REJECTED

A short horror parody where three twisted tales of macabre horror unfold, all linked by an antiquated digital camera from 1997. The tales intertwine, creating a narrative that is both terrifying and hilariously absurd.

FULL-TIME LOVE RAT

Heartbroken and newly wealthy, a game developer descends into ratty madness as he pursues the single life in the age of dating applications.

THE SHITTY RIDE

Hoping to impress the girl of his dreams, Cole buys a used car but gets more than he bargained for with his shitty ride.

TO LEARN MORE GO TO TAKE48.COM.AU SATURDAY | 13 SEPT | 3.00 pm - 5.15 pm

Get ready, the TAKE48 48-hour Filmmaking Challenge is back for its 7th consecutive year. This is your shot to create something truly epic in just 48 hours!

The challenge will run from 7pm Friday 15 August to 7pm sharp Sunday 17 August (AEST time zone). All films must be a maximum of 3 minutes including credits.

| TAKE 48 CHALLENGE MAKE A FILM. LOSE YOUR MIND. LOVE EVERY SECOND.

SATURDAY | 13 SEPT | 3.00 pm - 5.15 pm

JOIN FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, THANKS TO OUR ONLINE SUBMISSION PROCESS - GO TO TAKE48.COM.AU TOP 40 FILMS SCREENED AT SUFF 11 AWARDS UP FOR GRABS

Dust off your gear, clear your weekend, and get ready to dive head-first into 48 hours of unfiltered creativity. Whether you're in it for the glory, the chaos, or the copious amounts of caffeine - it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and make some movie magic!

A huge shoutout to Aley Wild for this years’ incredible key-art!

FILM FESTIVAL TEAM

Festival Directors KATHERINE BERGER & NATHAN SENN

Programmers NATHAN SENN & KATHERINE BERGER

Graphic Designer ELIZABETH BERGER

TAKE48 Director CHRIS DAVID

Volunteer Coordinator STEPHANIE GAL

Marketing Assistant JAMES KUNOVSKI

Festival Videographer JESSICA EVANS

Festival MC JAY KATZ

Technical Manager STEFAN POPESCU

Programming Consultants JACK SARGEANT, GEORGIE ZUZAK

SUFF Patrons DEB & IAN

SUFF 2025 Jurors DAVE MICHAEL BROWN, GEOFFREY WRIGHT, ISOBEL PEPPARD

SUFF Key Artist for 2025 @SAJAKLAMO

Thank you to our board members, volunteers, partners, patrons and all our wonderful ACF Campaign supporters.

"Thank you to our board members, volunteers, partners, patrons and all our wonderful ACF supporters for 2025"

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Aiden Casey, Aisha Herbert, Alex Mauch, Aley Wild, Andrew Doyle, Andrew F. Peirce, Andrew Perkin, Ant Timpson, Aspasia Leonarder, Belinda Dyer, Brenda Liebrman, Brett Dayman, Bruce Griffiths, Bryn Tilly, Catherine Johnson, Catherine Zealand, Celia Pouzet, Christine Abernathy, Craig Alexander, Danielle McCarthy, David Michael Brown, Dean Betram, Dov Kornits, Ella Pham, Ellie (producible?), Elliot Collins, Felix Hubble, Geoffrey Wright, Georgie Zuzak, Giamo Timbol, Greg Dolgopolov, Greg Ferris, Immy Staunton, Isabel Peppard, Jaimie Leonarder, Jas Brooks, Jeremy Workman, Josh McEvoy, Kate Fitzpatrick, Katie Loughran, Kiliane Beunard, Kristian Mather, Kriv Stenders, Kyle Greenberg, Lauren Barrett, Léonard Altmann, Marc Collister, Matt Heatrick, Matthew Sherbon, Maxime Duchateau, Maynard, Molly Dominick, Mya Soul, Nadine Whitney, Neil Fellah, Nicole Mikuzis, Parish Malfitano, Paul Murphy, Peter Young, Richard Eames, Richard Moore, Robert Hawkings, Sean Radecki, Shelly Higgs, Tammy Burnstock, The Bergers, The Carters, Timothy Petryni, Tom Stern, Tulah Baker, Valerie Torrest.

IN MEMORY OF PARIS POMPOR - GROOVING FOREVER (GROOVESCOOTER)

CINEMA

SUPPORTING PARTNER

SCREENING PARTNERS THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

VENUE PRODUCTION

HOSPITALITY PARTNERS PUBLICITY