Working its way through to becoming an annual event to look forward to,
Young at Heart - Seniors Film Festival 2016 begins in
Sydney and Canberra from 1 - 7 April, and Melbourne and Brisbane from 11 - 17 April. The non-profit company
The Festivalists is who we need to thank for promoting this special occasion event.
Community screenings of the
Young at Heart Short Films take place in Sydney, Western Sydney, across regional NSW and beyond. The short films are an hour long program of 8 new Australian shorts with seniors in lead roles. A couple of my favourites, Robyn Nevin and Colin Friels are among the many greats starring in these shorts.
In its 11th year, films of this festival are screening at
Palace Cinemas in its respective cities, with tickets starting at just $6. A week long in each city, it caters to the over 60s movie buffs and features film premieres, classics, and social events. Check the
program for details.
Tickets are now on sale at Palace Cinemas
Click Here to receive a free program guide in the mail
Image © Madman Production Company
Among a variety of international submissions,
A Month of Sundays originates from Australia. This 109 minute long movie stars Anthony LaPaglia as an Adelaide real estate agent who is a bit out of sorts. He can't seem to get on with his real estate job, nor connect with his son, and he hasn't got over his divorce. His wife grew apart from him when she achieved sudden fame on a TV drama.
One day he gets a phone call from someone who says she's his mother. The only problem is, his mother is dead. A wrong number though it was, they both seem to find comfort and are persuaded to believe that the call is real. This leads him to getting to know her better and he starts popping in for tea and lunch, much to the annoyance of her son, the one she originally meant to call. This film is about parents, children, regrets, mourning, joy; about ordinary people and doubtful salvation.
Image © Andrea Leone Films, Busted Shark Productions, Fear of God Films & Voltage Pictures
Another film, though listed as a USA/Italian submission, it stars Aussie Russell Crowe in the 1 hour and 56 minute long
Fathers and Daughters.
A marital squabble with devastating results leaves Crowe's character without a wife, and reeling from a critical head injury. Concerned with the ability to take care of his 5 year old daughter, he leaves her in the care of her wealthy aunt and her husband. After checking himself into a mental health facility for 7 months, when he returns, it seems his wife's sister and her husband are keen to adopt their niece, his daughter. Money is on their side.
Fast forward twenty five years and Katie his daughter is now a smart trainee psychologist and social worker. However, she has a whole lot of life issues, lacks emotional stability and has a casual sex habit. Upon meeting Cameron, an aspiring novelist, she finds potential emotional stability in him. His greatest inspiration as luck would have it, is Katie's own novelist father. A moving melodrama about a father-daughter love story, he grapples with his situation while she struggles to make connections of her own.
There are many others that will pique your interest and capture your imagination, so make sure you start going through the program and mapping out your 'must see' films.
