The 27th Revelation Perth International Film Festival starts on July 3, and over 12 days showcases more than 100 feature films and documentaries plus an amazing selection of creative short films.
Regarded as Australia’s leading independent film event, this is a film-lovers’ dream and a chance to enjoy incredible new film and meet the ‘who’s who’ of the local industry while supporting the creative talents of independent film makers.
Scoop is a proud sponsor of the festival because we believe in the vital role that independent film plays in promoting alternative perspectives, social justice and global awareness. And like Revelation, we also started our journey in 1997 and have enjoyed almost 30 years as an independent voice supporting the arts in WA and across Australia.
Get tickets to all Revelation films and events here.
In addition to over 100 movies, this year’s calendar features a series of special events, including the renowned Opening Night screening of KID SNOW at the Luna on July 3, followed by food and drinks at the afterparty. Tickets are still available!
Then on July 12 and 13 you can enjoy the screening of timeless classics at the WA Museum Boola Bardip including FIRST MEN IN THE MOON (1964) and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), plus free entry to the amazing To the Moon exhibition.
Kid Snow
Kinds of Kindness
Hundreds of Beavers
Feature films
International features at this year’s festival span genres from absurdism and avant-garde cinema to dark humour, including highlights such as Yorgos Lanthimos’ KINDS OF KINDNESS (pictured) – from the offbeat and strange world of writer Efthimis Fillippou (Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) a triptych fable starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe and HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS (US) – a Looney-Tunes-esque, genre-defying, slapstick crowd-pleaser about a 19th-century drunken applejack salesman who must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.
Australian features in a similar vein offering fresh perspectives on human relationships and societal norms include BIRDEATER – an absurdly stylish and chaotic psychological drama where a bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback; STUBBORNLY HERE – a fascinating exploration of becoming an adult, shot entirely in black and white, this film sits somewhere between everyday surrealism and deadpan observations of human relationships; and THE LIES WE TELL OURSELVES which is part mockumentary, part experimental film and part comedy.
King Coal
The Herricanes
Documentaries
Additional documentaries include KING COAL (US) – a haunting portrait of the Appalachian communities founded on mining that takes the viewer deep into an unfamiliar world that is rarely seen on the screen; and THE HERRICANES (pictured) – the unknown story of the Houston Herricanes who were part of the first women’s full tackle football league in the 1970s.
Local films
Local creatives are furthermore celebrated via PENCILHEADS – SAFARI SO GOOD (19 min) and THE EPIC OF GIGLAMESH (58 min). Aimed at children aged 3-5 years, PENCILHEADS- SAFARI SO GOOD offers up something for younger audiences and is based on the educational online series and colour books. The Pencilhead gang is a special group of friends featuring the voices of Peter Rowsthorn, Gina Williams and is co-produced by Greg Page, the original Yellow Wiggle.
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH (pictured) follows the concert of cult band Injured Ninja’s take of the Epic of Gilgamesh: Live in the Goldfields – an event that was remarkable in terms of vision, scope and execution as the beloved Perth band took their avant-garde doom rave energy to the outback.
International Family Animation Explosion
Family events
Revelation also welcomes the return of the INTERNATIONAL FAMILY ANIMATION EXPLOSION; a specially curated collection of family-friendly international short animations from all corners of the globe that are perfect for all ages – including those who have never been to the movies before. With two individual sessions running on Sunday 7th and 14th July at the State Library of Western Australia, tickets are free for kids up to 16 and just $10 for adults.
RevStream streaming service
Revelation’s streaming service is one of the most comprehensive catalogues of independent films available online, and includes the largest collection of Western Australian films for public access. There are more than 500 titles for viewing, with many of them free-to-stream (including all short films).
Most titles have screened as part of the Revelation Perth International Film Festival since 1997, and Revelation adds new titles every month. Profits from online streaming are also split evenly with the filmmakers, supporting the future of the industry.
See the full Revelation line-up in our guide