The Sydney Underground Film Festival is celebrating it’s 20th edition in 2026!
SUFF is a not-for-profit annual film festival. The first festival was held at the FACTORY THEATRE in Marrickville in September 2007. The festival has run every year since! Not even a pandemic could stop SUFF, as the festival continued online for two years in 2020 and 2021. After finding homes at Event Cinemas – George Street and Dendy Newtown for the last few years, and inn light of the 20th anniversary of SUFF, the festival will be moving back to the FACTORY THEATRE, the original home of SUFF, taking over the entire venue to celebrate 2 decades of cinema rebellion!
To date, the festival has screened over 2,000 films from more than 45 countries, making SUFF 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 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.
As the final preparations for SUFF commence before the festival kicks of on Thursday September 10th, Nick L’Barrow spoke with festival assisstant programmer Mitchell Bozzetto about what special events and films are on offer to celebrate the festival milestone, and what defines an “underground” film.
Nick: Before we jump into the Sydney Underground Film Festival itself, I’m curious to find out what defines an “underground” film for you?
Mitchell Bozzetto: I’ve been attending this festival for 11 years now, and just from what I’ve seen over that time, I think the easiest way to describe it is something that kind of challenges and surprises audiences, you know? Films that are provocative, experimental, independent. They don’t have to exclusively be those things, but those are the things we are looking for. Films that really play by their own rules. It’s alternative cinema that you’re not going to see at your more traditional cinemas. Hence the “underground”.
Nick: What were some of the formative “underground” movies that made you a fan of this subset or genre?
MB: Before I first went to SUFF in 2016, I felt like I had only ever been to traditional cinemas. My cinematic palette was probably safe. My brother and I were invited by a friend to go to the Sydney Underground Film Festival at the Factory Theatre, and as soon as I got there I knew I wasn’t in for a traditional cinema experience. There was music playing, people drinking. And I go into this little shoebox cinema to watch We Are The Flesh by Emiliano Rocha Minter – which I actually have a physical copy of too! And it was like the most intense film I had ever seen. It was so sexually explicit and warped. But I remember my brother and I leaving the cinema, and we didn’t say anything to each other for like 5 or 10 minutes. We were just silent walking home. And I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since! That’s just the type of vibe that SUFF brings. They just show the most bonkers stuff that you’re not going to get anywhere else. Now 11 years later, I have the privilege of being an assistant programmer for the festival, and we’ve actually programmed Emiliano Rocha Minter’s latest film called The Wig, which is such a cool full circle moment for me.
Nick: I feel like the coolest thing about film festivals, and especially one like SUFF, is the sense of discovery audiences get by watching films they normally wouldn’t or haven’t even heard of. Can you speak to the importance of that element of the festival?
MB: What I love about SUFF is that it’s all in one location, right? Like, I love the Sydney Film Festival, don’t get me wrong. But it’s across so many cinemas all over Sydney. SUFF is all at the Factory Theatre. When your film finishes, you can stay for a drink between sessions, talk to everyone about the films you’ve watched. And it creates this cool space for audiences to discover and experience these films together. But what’s even cooler is that filmmakers are often there watching other films as well, and getting inspired by seeing that anything is possible when you see movies like this on the big screen. I think this festival, the venue, and the community it creates is a big part of that discovery process.
Nick: SUFF is returning to the Factory Theatre this year. What has that cinema meant to the festival in the past, and why is it exciting to return there?
MB: I love that it’s not a traditional cinema, you know? When I first went there in 2016, I had this nervous and excited feeling because there was this environment that was like any place I’d seen a movie before. But the energy of everyone there, who are ready to go on whatever this bonkers movie ride is going to be just enhances that experience. You don’t get that feeling at home or at the standard cinema. There is really something about the Factory that makes this festival feel so unique. The fact that SUFF is back here for its 20th anniversary too is very exciting.
Nick: What are some of the special events or films that have been programmed to celebrate this 20th year of SUFF?
MB: Something we tried to do was actually get as many filmmakers back that have featured in the festival throughout the years. Like I said earlier we have The Wig from Minter. We’ve also got Geisha War from Yoshihiro Nishimura, who has sadly passed away now, but we have screened a lot of his movies over the years. So this was a great opportunity to honour his legacy. We’ve also got two Australian retrospective screenings of movies that were both shot in Sydney. Starstruck and Pandemonium. We thought these were great movies to play because they show completely different sides of Sydney, but it’s a great tie-in to showcase this festival’s home for the last 20 years. And then another retro screening we have is Rubber’s Lover, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. And that’s an unhinged, cyberpunk, glorious film that is being presented by New Wave Video, who are an Australian label who have recently restored that. And I don’t want to scare people off by just saying we have crazy bonkers films! There really is something for everyone – we also have Chilli Finger which stars John Goodman and Bryan Cranston, which is an early Coen Brothers-type movie. And Follies which is a French romantic comedy that really plays with sexual taboos.
Nick: The festival is opening with Tura and closing with The Furious. What makes these movies the perfect bookends to SUFF?
MB: We pondered for a while with what we were going to pick for opening and closing night. I think Tura felt like the epitome of the Sydney Underground Film Festival spirit. It’s about Tura Santana and her legacy as a cult burlesque icon who didn’t play by anyone’s rules. And that’s exactly the spirit that SUFF was born from. We also have a burlesque show happening opening night! Then The Furious for closing was really because this movie is not getting an Australian cinema release, and that’s upsetting for film lovers in Sydney. That’s a film you want to experience with a crowd that’s just along for the bonkers ride. Not since The Raid has an action movie has choreography like this. People are going to lose their minds. We’re going out with a bang. We have a DJ playing kung-fu inspired songs. There’ll be drinks. It’s a whole thing! I love the opening and closing nights of festivals because they are such a vibe. Everyone’s coming in ready for a crazy weekend of films. It really is a party of cinema!
Thank you to Mitch for his time, and Kabuku PR and SUFF for organising the interview. The 20th Sydney Underground Film Festival is playing at The Factory Theatre from Thursday September 10 to Sunday September 13. Find out more information and buy tickets here.
