BIFF Announces the first SIX films for the 2023 lineup!

Brisbane cinephiles – mark the 26^th of October in your calendars, as the Brisbane International Film Festival kicks off with 10 days of films from home and all over the world! With just over 6 weeks to go until opening night, BIFF has started to roll out what movie-fans can expect from the festival!

UPROAR (New Zealand)

Starting with the Opening Night film, all the way from our friends across the ditch in New Zealand and direct from it’s World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival is Uproar. Starring Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) and Academy Award Nominee Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting), Uproar follows 17 year-old Josh (Denninson) in rugby obsessed 1981 New Zealand, the country is divided with the South African Springboks arrive, sparking nationwide protests. Under pressure from his home and school, Josh is inspired by the protests to find his voice and follow his heart too his whakapapa (Maori heritage).

TIGER STRIPES (Malaysia)

The next 3 films on the list have all hailed from critical acclaim at prestigious film festivals such as Cannes and Toronto and are exciting additions to BIFF’s program! Malaysian film Tiger Stripes comes from director Amanda Nell Eu, which chronicles 12-year-old Zaffan’s journey through a more extreme version of puberty. One that sends her school and the local town into mass hysteria.

MONSTER (Japan)

Monster hails from acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreeda (Broker, BIFF 2022), and won Best Screenplay at this year’s Cannes film festival. The drama-thriller follows a mother who demands answers from a teacher when her son begins to act strangely. Like many of Koreeda’s films, the less you know going in, the better. But it’s always guaranteed to be a hell of a film!

ANATOMY OF A FALL (France)

Taking out the prestigious Palme D’or at this years Cannes Film Festival, French film Anatomy of a Fall is an exhilarating courtroom drama that centres around the legal aftermath regarding the suspicious death of a father who fell from a balcony, in which the main suspect is his wife, and the only other person around at the time was their blind son. There has been an immense amount of festival buzz around this film, and it’s absolutely not one to miss during BIFF!

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (Australia/USA)

If you’re looking for a solid dose of horror during BIFF, then Late Night with the Devil, from Aussie directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes is not one to skip! Set on Halloween night in 1977, a live broadcast of a popular late night talk show goes horribly wrong during an attempt to perform an exorcism on air. Starring David Dastmalchain (The Suicide Sqaud), this flick is pulp, cult horror greatness and should be seen with a crowd of horror lovers! You can check out my review for the film here!

THE ENDING GOES ON FOREVER: THE SCREAMFEEDER STORY (Australia)

And BIFF wouldn’t be complete without some homegrown films in the program, and what better way to celebrate Brisbane than with SCREAMFEEDER: The Ending Goes on Forever, a rock-documentary that follows the cultural explosion of a local rock band who overcame all odds in the 1990s. Featuring behind the scenes clips from over the last 3 decades, plus iconic songs and interviews with the band, this celebration of Screamfeeder can’t be missed!

This is just the beginning of what the Brisbane International Film Festival has to offer for 2023, and it’s only getting better from here! Tickets are on sale for these sessions now at www.biff.com.au, and don’t forget to buy a BIFF TIX pack to save!