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Melbourne Women in Film Festival highlights & Melbourne Cinémathèque’s upcoming noir season
Primal ScreenShow Notes
Incidentally, the theme for Primal Screen this week was volunteer-run organisations that make it possible to watch films on the big screen with an audience, that you otherwise mightn’t. The small but mighty teams behind both Melbourne Women in Film Festival (MWFF) and the Melbourne Cinémathèque do extraordinary work to bring unique films to the cinema. Our guest host Cerise Howard speaks with Sian Mitchell, Artistic Director of MWFF, about the festival’s mission to champion the work of Australian filmmakers and showcase stories about and by women and gender-diverse folk. Cerise and Eloise Ross, both co-curators of the Melbourne Cinémathèque, also discuss the upcoming season “Out of the Past and Into Flares: Neo-Noir in ‘70s America”, which explores how America’s fractured psyche was reflected on screen during this vibrant and chaotic period. If you're wondering what the difference between "noir" and "neo-noir" is, you'd best listen back. MWFF runs 20-24 March. “Out of the Past and Into Flares: Neo-Noir in ‘70s America” runs 26 March-9 April. Thanks to Karl Chapman for working the panel this week.
More from Primal Screen
Flick Ford sits down with Arlo Dean Cook, whose documentary Jebediah: Are We OK? traces the 30 year history of one of Australia's most iconic bands. Coalescening over a period of 11 years, Cook's documentary was created in close collaboration with the band and contains a wealth of home and archival footage. Flick and Arlo speak about the film's path to the screen and Cook's shifting approach to its production. Later in the show, Flick's joined by Sarah Ward, Bec Matthews and Cerise Howard who are each appearing on the Queering the Music Video panel as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. They speak about the evolution of their project The Legend of Queen Kong – a queer, d/Deaf accessible visual album – three videos from which will premiere as part of the panel.
This week, Flick Ford is joined by Will Cox and Kate Fitzpatrick to reflect on the enormously influential Up series. Beginning with 1964's Seven Up, the documentary series has returned to the same group of participants with a new instalment every seven years. Flick revisits her interview with Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy), who has directed what will be the series' final installment 70 Up, taking over from Michael Apted after his passing in 2021. 70 Up, along with all nine of the previous films in the series, will be streaming on SBS on Demand in October.
On this week's episode, Flick Ford chats with Hugo Weaving – a true icon of the Australian screen – about his new series The Airport Chaplain which is now streaming on SBS. Later on, Flick's joined by Emma Westwood and the pair discuss Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo which just screened on the closing day of this year's Melbourne International Film Festival on a 70mm print.
Host Flick Ford is joined by Cerise Howard who had the chance to sit down with the writer/director/star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell, ahead of his in-person commentary for the film at MIFF. Flick, Cerise and Thomas Caldwell also review Jane Schoenbrun's meta-slasher Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.
Host Flick Ford is joined by Cerise Howard and Anthony Carew who each share their top picks from the 74th edition of the Melbourne International Film Festival.