Taking place from July 3rd – 14th, this year’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival presents over 30 feature films and documentaries - as well as over 80 short films - in a captivating program that promises to deliver unforgettable moments and thought-provoking narratives that will resonate with audiences long after credits roll.
With special events at the WA Museum Boola Bardip, Scitech, State Library of WA and the Perth Library, as well as the annual Industrial Revelations program designed for both emerging and established practitioners, the festival remains steadfast in its commitment to showcasing innovative storytelling and nurturing a vibrant local film community.
“We’re so pleased with the calibre of this year’s program,” says Revelation Director Richard Sowada. “It’s a bumper year for local films of all shapes and sizes and we’re backing the creatives behind them with our biggest professional development program to date. There’s an undeniable momentum driving this year’s program and we can’t wait to experience it with audiences.”
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 (US) – 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.
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 (US) – 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 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.
Family events
Rev 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, 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.
Special events
In partnership with the WA Museum Boola Bardip, Rev presents screenings of timeless classics like FIRST MEN IN THE MOON (1964) and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), tickets to which include entry To the Moon exhibition. Opening the Festival on Wednesday 3 July is feature drama KID SNOW which was shot in Perth and Kalgoorlie, and is set in the 1970s sweat-drenched world of tent boxing. As always, the Festival closes with the annual celebration of WA’s talented emerging filmmakers at the popular GET YOUR SHORTS ON! with the CITY OF VINCENT FILM PROJECT and LIFE IN PICTURES Special Event on Sunday 14 July.
You can view the whole line-up on the Revelation website.
More from Revelation
In addition to the festival, Revelation brings top-class film and events to Perth year-round.
RevStream
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). All films for rent can be viewed for up to 6 months, from any device, and viewed as many times as you like. Many titles, including all the shorts, are available internationally.
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 film industry.
WA Screen Culture Awards
Celebrating excellence in screen culture, the WA Screen Culture Awards pay tribute to the remarkable talents shaping the captivating world of screen culture in Western Australia. Whether you’re a visionary filmmaker, a brilliant actor, a skilled producer, or a creative force behind the scenes, Revelation celebrates your contributions to this ever-evolving landscape of storytelling. With an awards night hosted in November, accolades are awarded across multiple categories by a nationally- and internationally acclaimed jury.