Keeping it Reel Podcast
The Sydney Film Festival is a world-beating assembly of the creme-de-la-creme in global cinema. From Hollywood to the arthouse, documentaries to experimental animation and leading-edge technology - with so many choices, where do you start?
We made this series as a rough survival guide and companion for the regular Festival-goer who wants to get the most out of their SFF experience.
Listen below, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Read more about each episode below.
Episode 5: Favourite Child
In this session, Program Advisor Melba Proestos rounds up some of the Festival’s leading curators and throws them a Sophie’s Choice dilemma. In addition to revealing their picks from the film line-up, we hear them share their stories, Festival rituals, strategies and booking tactics.
Want to know where to get the best ramen, how to keep out of rain, and how to avoid common film etiquette blunders?
Learn all this and more in our closing episode.
Episode 4: Family and Horror: Something for everyone!
Just to see what would happen, we paired up Richard Kuipers, curator of the SFF horror section Freak Me Out, with Katharine Rodgers, head of our Family section. Listen in as they trade recommendations across the family-friendly divide. Social horror and psychological dramas meet action animations and time-travel adventures.
In the practical tips section, we’ll cover how to keep kids happy, and – crucially – how to avoid the dreaded coffee queues before those late night viewings.
Episode 3: Documentary: We Need Names
With 52 entries from 30 countries, running anywhere from four hours to four minutes, SFF has your documentary needs covered. Sit down with journalist Sandy George and Documentary Programmer Jenny Neighbour as they talk through this year’s line-up – all riveting viewing, and some blurring the lines between documentary and fiction.
As usual, you’ll find helpful Festival tips at the end of the episode on how to stay on top form during your SFF experience!
Episode 2: View from the Top: A Festival Director’s Guide
We listen in on a conversation between film writer and Festival programmer Richard Kuipers and Sydney Film Festival Director, Nashen Moodley. Get a bird’s eye view of the official competition, from the latest Wes Anderson to diverse offerings from Italy, Romania, Austria, Denmark and Iran.
We’ll also hear some pro tips from Nashen about how he deals with his punishing viewing schedule! Don’t miss it.
Episode 1: A Brief Intro to SFF “Keeping it Reel”
Welcome to Keeping it Reel, your bluffer’s guide to all things SFF! As we all head back to the cinema at long last, join our series host Felix Hubbel as he chats with film buff Lisa Kitching. Before we deep-dive into what the Festival has in store in future episodes, they’ll take us on a quick canter through the highlights of SFF 2021 – an unprecedented tour de force of diverse genres, directors, filming techniques and more!
