
Meet the Programmers: Paul Struthers, Program Consultant
Meet Paul, SFF’s Program Consultant. Paul can’t get enough of transformational cinema where once the film has finished the world looks different.
Q: What’s the first film you remember making an impression on you?
A: I remember seeing Super Girl when I was four or five at the local cinema and I was so frightened of the villain I couldn’t stop crying and had to be taken to the foyer by my dad. Luckily, the cinema staff saved the day by taking my dad and I to watch the film from the projection booth and I was soon fine. Perhaps my love of cinema started there.
Q: What’s your favourite thing about the Festival?
A: The films the films the films and of course running into old friends, making new friends and talking about the films!
Q: Are you seeing any trends in films you’ve viewed in the last year?
A: An exciting trend is more creative low budget lo-fi cinema is being made.
Q: Has going to the cinema changed for you since COVID?
A: Since I lived in Oakland, California until the end of Feb 2021, cinemas were not open for over a year. I didn’t think I missed going to the cinema at all until I walked into Dendy Newtown, my first cinema visit in a year, to watch the magnificent Minari in March. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I had to hold back tears of joy!
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Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
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