Drive

From paternal catfishing to sickening narcissism, the Sydney Underground Film Festival pulls no punches!

Nathan Senn, long-time Programmer of SUFF, chats to Felix Shannon of Tuesday Drive about this year’s festival including venue changes, program diversity, the TAKE48 challenge, and post-pandemic filmmaking.

Sydney Underground Film Festival – or ‘SUFF’ as it’s commonly known – is a not-for-profit annual celebration of cinema showcasing quality independent and ‘boundary pushing’ films across four days and nights. This year, the festival is set to take place between Thursday 8th – Sunday 11th September at Event Cinemas George Street [Tickets]. However, if you are unable to attend the festival in-person, a virtual festival will be held from Monday 12th – Sunday 25th September via Eventive [Tickets].

‘To date, the festival has screened over 1500 films from across 30 countries in the past 15 years. SUFF is an integral part of Sydney’s film industry and screen culture, providing not only audiences with access to otherwise underrepresented features, documentaries, and shorts, but also providing screen practitioners and the local industry with more screening, networking, and development opportunities. SUFF is more than just a film festival; it’s an artistic and community-driven enterprise with a desire to create memorable screen-based experiences that capture a unique culturally connected audience. It’s for anyone and everyone who want to watch and discuss films and increase their filmmaking skills in an inclusive, welcoming, and fun environment’ – About Sydney Underground Film Festival

First held in September of 2007, this year marks the 16th year of SUFF. More importantly, however, this year see’s the festival return to cinemas and in-person screenings, having taken place online in 2020 and 2021.

Sydney Film Festival Mission Statement: ‘The Sydney Underground Film Festival is dedicated to nurturing an alternative film culture through the promotion of independent and experimental films. The festival seeks to support filmmakers (especially those who operate outside established film industry infrastructures) by providing a platform for exhibition, exposure, and critical discussion.’

About the program: ‘SUFF is pleased to present a wide variety of cinematic offerings in 2022. There’s twisted dark comedies I LOVE MY DAD, SICK OF MYSELF and THE CIVIL DEAD, fantastically wacky docs THE PEZ OUTLAW, A LIFE ON THE FARM and THE PAWNSHOP, sci-fi mind-benders DUAL and SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, exciting Oz cinema with THE LONELY SPIRITS VARIETY HOUR and PUB: THE MOVIE, high body count with BODIES BODIES BODIES and PUSSYCAKE, bugs and body horror with ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS and SWALLOWED, awesome music docs, skater flicks, art docs, found footage films and a whole bunch more! Not to mention, a tonne of incredible short films! Finally, closing the festival with a band is Ana Lily Amirpour’s phantasmagoric fairy-tale MONA LISA AND THE BLOOD MOON.’

MAJOR PARTNER: SYDNEY CITY OF FILM

FESTIVAL VENUE PARTNER: EVENT CINEMAS

PRODUCTION PARTNER: P2 CONTENT CREATORS

PR PARTNER: KABUKU PR

MEDIA PARTNERS: FILMINK AND SCENESTR

SCREENING PARTNERS: GROOVESCOOTER AND MU MESON ARCHIVES

TAKE48 MAJOR PARTNER: INNER WEST

TAKE48 SUPPORTING PARTNERS: DENDY CINEMAS, FINAL DRAFT, RENTACAM, P2 CONTENT CREATORS, DIGITAL PIGEON, RODE, AND MAXON

Featured Image sourced from Sydney Underground Film Festival Facebook Page