PLAN YOUR WEEK
TICKETS
TICKETS ON SALE FROM MARCH 1ST 2010
All screenings take place at DENDY OPERA QUAYS, 9/2 East Circular Quay, Sydney.
Book tickets:
- by phone on 02 9247 3800 ($1 booking fee per tricket)
- online at www.dendy.com.au ($1 booking fee per ticket)
- in person at Dendy Opera Quays Box Office
FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Charlie Chaplin Day
MODERN TIMES G
Dendy Opera Quays - Thursday 25 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Charles Chaplin, USA, 1936, 87 mins
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
Idealistic, wide-eyed and very, very funny, this Little Tramp is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
Charlie Chaplin bid farewell to silent comedy with this poignant, frequently hilarious masterpiece from 1936. Here Chaplin stars as a factory worker fed-up with the job and his tyrannical boss. When he meets and falls in love with an orphaned street waif, the two dream of a nice suburban existence... but the police are never far behind. This slapstick comedy’s skewering of industrialized America still resonates today as do the timeless laughs. Modern Times is guaranteed to put you in a good mood for the rest of the day!
“Time has not changed his genius.” – The New York Times
MODERN TIMES G
Dendy Opera Quays - Thursday 25 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Charles Chaplin, USA, 1936, 87 mins
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
Idealistic, wide-eyed and very, very funny, this Little Tramp is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
Charlie Chaplin bid farewell to silent comedy with this poignant, frequently hilarious masterpiece from 1936. Here Chaplin stars as a factory worker fed-up with the job and his tyrannical boss. When he meets and falls in love with an orphaned street waif, the two dream of a nice suburban existence... but the police are never far behind. This slapstick comedy’s skewering of industrialized America still resonates today as do the timeless laughs. Modern Times is guaranteed to put you in a good mood for the rest of the day!
“Time has not changed his genius.” – The New York Times
Charlie Chaplin Day
THE BOOT CAKE
Dendy Opera Quays - Thursday 25 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Kathryn Millard, Australia, 2008, 74 mins
Charlie Chaplin is alive and well… and living in India!
In the small town of Adipur in north-west India, Charlie Chaplin is treated as a god. In this irresistibly charming Australian documentary, we travel there for Charlie Chaplin’s 116th birthday party. On this journey, we meet some of the people who are keeping Chaplin’s Tramp alive – including some very talented look-alikes - and discover how this timeless character has lived on. The Boot Cake explores how one community, reeling from the tragedy of the Gujarat earthquake that killed 200,000 people, finds hope and inspiration in the comic genius of one of cinema’s true heroes.
“An astonishing testament to the far-reaching influence of silent film” – Chaplin biographer David Robinson
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Kathryn Millard
THE BOOT CAKE
Dendy Opera Quays - Thursday 25 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Kathryn Millard, Australia, 2008, 74 mins
Charlie Chaplin is alive and well… and living in India!
In the small town of Adipur in north-west India, Charlie Chaplin is treated as a god. In this irresistibly charming Australian documentary, we travel there for Charlie Chaplin’s 116th birthday party. On this journey, we meet some of the people who are keeping Chaplin’s Tramp alive – including some very talented look-alikes - and discover how this timeless character has lived on. The Boot Cake explores how one community, reeling from the tragedy of the Gujarat earthquake that killed 200,000 people, finds hope and inspiration in the comic genius of one of cinema’s true heroes.
“An astonishing testament to the far-reaching influence of silent film” – Chaplin biographer David Robinson
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Kathryn Millard
Meet the filmmakers
COCHLEAR YOUNG AT HEART SHORT FILM AWARDS
Dendy Opera Quays - Thursday 25 March – 6:00pm
Short films: The Pessimist, The Last Bottle, Redemption, The Storymaker, The Fire, Death in the Garden, Ink for a New Signature
Watch and vote for your favourite Australian short films with seniors in starring roles.
Discover new talent and meet guest filmmakers as we screen the finalists in our annual short film competition, presented by Cochlear. Our esteemed jury of film industry professionals will be on hand, watching and rating these new films alongside the audience. It’s your chance to take part in a prestigious gala event and raise a glass to Australia’s up and coming acting talent, young and old!
Two awards will be bestowed on the night. Decided by an illustrious jury, The NSW Seniors Week Award for Best Senior Talent is presented by Ageing, Disability & Home Care, Department of Human Services NSW. The Audience Award will go to the Best Film, as voted for by the audience.
COCHLEAR YOUNG AT HEART SHORT FILM AWARDS
Dendy Opera Quays - Thursday 25 March – 6:00pm
Short films: The Pessimist, The Last Bottle, Redemption, The Storymaker, The Fire, Death in the Garden, Ink for a New Signature
Watch and vote for your favourite Australian short films with seniors in starring roles.
Discover new talent and meet guest filmmakers as we screen the finalists in our annual short film competition, presented by Cochlear. Our esteemed jury of film industry professionals will be on hand, watching and rating these new films alongside the audience. It’s your chance to take part in a prestigious gala event and raise a glass to Australia’s up and coming acting talent, young and old!
Two awards will be bestowed on the night. Decided by an illustrious jury, The NSW Seniors Week Award for Best Senior Talent is presented by Ageing, Disability & Home Care, Department of Human Services NSW. The Audience Award will go to the Best Film, as voted for by the audience.
Free welcome drink on arrival!
Presented by:
Supported by:
Focus on Vincente Minnelli
MEET ME IN ST LOUIS G
Dendy Opera Quays - Friday 26 March – 10:00am
Dir: Vincente Minnelli, USA, 1944, 113 mins
Cast: Judy Garland, Mary Astor, Margaret O’Brien
Judy Garland lights up the screen in Minnelli's classic romantic musical
Judy Garland lights up the screen in Vincente Minnelli's classic romantic musical about a St. Louis family at beginning of the 20th century. The World Fair is coming to St Louis and the excitement is mounting, not least for the Smith sisters looking to spend time with their new boyfriends. Alas, their father reveals the family is relocating to New York City! Captured by Minnelli’s graceful camerawork, Judy Garland blossoms in this nostalgic but uplifting ode to family life, gorgeously shot in joyous Technicolour. The magic of the Trolley Song sequence alone is worth the price of admission.
“Combining some wonderful song and dance routines with a cast of memorable characters, "Meet Me in St Louis" is certainly one the best Hollywood musicals ever.” - BBC
Know the songs? Why not sing along!
MEET ME IN ST LOUIS G
Dendy Opera Quays - Friday 26 March – 10:00am
Dir: Vincente Minnelli, USA, 1944, 113 mins
Cast: Judy Garland, Mary Astor, Margaret O’Brien
Judy Garland lights up the screen in Minnelli's classic romantic musical
Judy Garland lights up the screen in Vincente Minnelli's classic romantic musical about a St. Louis family at beginning of the 20th century. The World Fair is coming to St Louis and the excitement is mounting, not least for the Smith sisters looking to spend time with their new boyfriends. Alas, their father reveals the family is relocating to New York City! Captured by Minnelli’s graceful camerawork, Judy Garland blossoms in this nostalgic but uplifting ode to family life, gorgeously shot in joyous Technicolour. The magic of the Trolley Song sequence alone is worth the price of admission.
“Combining some wonderful song and dance routines with a cast of memorable characters, "Meet Me in St Louis" is certainly one the best Hollywood musicals ever.” - BBC
Know the songs? Why not sing along!
“Tough Sheilas” program
CADDIE M
Dendy Opera Quays - Friday 26 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Donald Crombie, Australia, 1976, 100 mins
Cast: Helen Morse, Jack Thompson, Jacki Weaver
Depression-era Sydney comes alive in this portrait of a woman struggling against the odds
Sydney, 1925, Caddie (Helen Morse) gets a job as a barmaid, after walking out on an unfaithful husband. She has no money, two children to feed and the working conditions are appalling, but she learns the trade and eventually falls in love. See a new print of this 1976 hit, adapted from an anonymous 1950’s autobiography, which combines great performances, an eye for period detail and an intelligent script. It’s a powerful feminist statement depicting the marginalization of women choosing to exist outside of marriage, not to mention a vivid portrait of working-class life in Sydney during the Great Depression.
“A sensitively-told story of one woman's fight - not a militant, but rather one of the masses; an unsung heroine.” – Variety
Q&A with special guest: director Donald Crombie
Introduction by Susanne Haydon from the National Film & Sound Arhive
CADDIE M
Dendy Opera Quays - Friday 26 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Donald Crombie, Australia, 1976, 100 mins
Cast: Helen Morse, Jack Thompson, Jacki Weaver
Depression-era Sydney comes alive in this portrait of a woman struggling against the odds
Sydney, 1925, Caddie (Helen Morse) gets a job as a barmaid, after walking out on an unfaithful husband. She has no money, two children to feed and the working conditions are appalling, but she learns the trade and eventually falls in love. See a new print of this 1976 hit, adapted from an anonymous 1950’s autobiography, which combines great performances, an eye for period detail and an intelligent script. It’s a powerful feminist statement depicting the marginalization of women choosing to exist outside of marriage, not to mention a vivid portrait of working-class life in Sydney during the Great Depression.
“A sensitively-told story of one woman's fight - not a militant, but rather one of the masses; an unsung heroine.” – Variety
Q&A with special guest: director Donald Crombie
Introduction by Susanne Haydon from the National Film & Sound Arhive
Print courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive’s Deluxe/Kodak Collection
Australian premiere
HATS OFF
Dendy Opera Quays - Friday 26 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Jyll Johnstone, USA, 2009, 94 mins
A force of nature, actress & model Mimi Weddell confirms: 90 is the new 40!
Hats Off profiles the beauty and eccentricities of an extraordinary woman, 93-year-old Mimi Weddell, who began acting and modelling in her mid-60’s. Shot over an entire decade, the documentary was finished just before her death last year. This intimate portrait entertains, uplifts and enlightens in equal measures as we accompany Mimi on auditions in New York, a tour of her hat collection and a stroll through her remarkable career, from The Purple Rose of Cairo to Sex and the City. With the style of Katharine Hepburn, the smoky wit of Dorothy Parker, and her own personal philosophy, "rise above it," Mimi is true American icon.
“There is something to be said for the daily victory against ageism Weddell represents. Because if you're not tickled and stirred by the sight of her 95-pound frame kicking off sheets and leaping out of bed to answer a phone -- a gig, maybe! -- then shame on you”. – LA Times
HATS OFF
Dendy Opera Quays - Friday 26 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Jyll Johnstone, USA, 2009, 94 mins
A force of nature, actress & model Mimi Weddell confirms: 90 is the new 40!
Hats Off profiles the beauty and eccentricities of an extraordinary woman, 93-year-old Mimi Weddell, who began acting and modelling in her mid-60’s. Shot over an entire decade, the documentary was finished just before her death last year. This intimate portrait entertains, uplifts and enlightens in equal measures as we accompany Mimi on auditions in New York, a tour of her hat collection and a stroll through her remarkable career, from The Purple Rose of Cairo to Sex and the City. With the style of Katharine Hepburn, the smoky wit of Dorothy Parker, and her own personal philosophy, "rise above it," Mimi is true American icon.
“There is something to be said for the daily victory against ageism Weddell represents. Because if you're not tickled and stirred by the sight of her 95-pound frame kicking off sheets and leaping out of bed to answer a phone -- a gig, maybe! -- then shame on you”. – LA Times
Classic documentary
ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS G
Dendy Opera Quays - Saturday 27 March – 10:00am
Dir: Denis Sanders, USA, 1970, 94 mins
Cast: Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr, Cary Grant
Put on your blue suede shoes and rediscover the man behind the legend
This fun, engrossing behind-the-scenes portrait of Elvis preparing himself for his quintessential appearance in Las Vegas culminates in a legendary show featuring many of his top tunes (including favourites All Shook Up and Suspicious Minds). From intimate rehearsals to pre-show jitters, to on-stage antics, this documentary captures every thrilling detail. Even non-Elvis fans will find it a winner for its portrayal of a unique phenomenon in the history of music. This seminal documentary was made in 1970 then recut, remastered and restored to its full glory by film archivist Rick Schmidlin in 2000. Catch this special edition on the big screen as we celebrate the magic and the myth of The King!
“What we tried to do was to put together the ultimate Elvis performance.” – Special Edition producer Rick Schmidlin
Know the songs? Why not sing along!
ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS G
Dendy Opera Quays - Saturday 27 March – 10:00am
Dir: Denis Sanders, USA, 1970, 94 mins
Cast: Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr, Cary Grant
Put on your blue suede shoes and rediscover the man behind the legend
This fun, engrossing behind-the-scenes portrait of Elvis preparing himself for his quintessential appearance in Las Vegas culminates in a legendary show featuring many of his top tunes (including favourites All Shook Up and Suspicious Minds). From intimate rehearsals to pre-show jitters, to on-stage antics, this documentary captures every thrilling detail. Even non-Elvis fans will find it a winner for its portrayal of a unique phenomenon in the history of music. This seminal documentary was made in 1970 then recut, remastered and restored to its full glory by film archivist Rick Schmidlin in 2000. Catch this special edition on the big screen as we celebrate the magic and the myth of The King!
“What we tried to do was to put together the ultimate Elvis performance.” – Special Edition producer Rick Schmidlin
Know the songs? Why not sing along!
“Tough Sheilas” program
FRAN M
Dendy Opera Quays - Saturday 27 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Glenda Hambly, Australia, 1985, 98 mins
Cast: Noni Hazelhurst, Annie Byron, Alan Fletcher
A wayward single mom struggles on her own in 1980’s Perth
See a new print of one of the most critically praised Australian features of the 1980’s, featuring an award-winning performance by Noni Hazlehurst. Fran is a feisty single mother living in Perth. She’s devoted to her children but also needy, angry and restless. Her unsuccessful attempts to seek love while coping with three kids on her own throws her life into turmoil. Began as a documentary and based on case studies from the Department of Community Welfare, Fran is deeply rooted in social realist cinemas. The truths it depicts are not pretty, yet it provides an emotionally rewarding experience you’re not likely to forget.
“A key film from the important cycle of 1980s Australian cinema exploring the lives of ordinary women in the wake of ‘new wave’ Feminism.” – Canberra Film Festival
FRAN M
Dendy Opera Quays - Saturday 27 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Glenda Hambly, Australia, 1985, 98 mins
Cast: Noni Hazelhurst, Annie Byron, Alan Fletcher
A wayward single mom struggles on her own in 1980’s Perth
See a new print of one of the most critically praised Australian features of the 1980’s, featuring an award-winning performance by Noni Hazlehurst. Fran is a feisty single mother living in Perth. She’s devoted to her children but also needy, angry and restless. Her unsuccessful attempts to seek love while coping with three kids on her own throws her life into turmoil. Began as a documentary and based on case studies from the Department of Community Welfare, Fran is deeply rooted in social realist cinemas. The truths it depicts are not pretty, yet it provides an emotionally rewarding experience you’re not likely to forget.
“A key film from the important cycle of 1980s Australian cinema exploring the lives of ordinary women in the wake of ‘new wave’ Feminism.” – Canberra Film Festival
Print courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive’s Deluxe/Kodak Collection.
Australian premiere
MS SENIOR SWEETHEART
Dendy Opera Quays - Saturday 27 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Sabine Steyer, Germany-USA, 2009, 80 mins
When it comes to beauty, talent and glamour, why should age be a factor?
Once a year elderly women meet in Fall River, south of Boston, to answer an age old question: Who is the prettiest in the land? Quintessentially American in its outlook on ageing, the Ms. Senior Sweetheart competition is only open to women aged 58 and up. Since 1978 women from all over the country travel to Fall River to take part in rehearsals, performances and the famous "Ladies Ball" when the new queen is crowned. This smart and occasionally very funny film follows three contestants, unpacking their motivation, hopes and ambition. The pageant is less about beauty than about getting older, staying young, facing death and keeping a healthy lust for life (and a good sense of humour).
“Leaves the audience with respectful admiration and sympathy. What an uplifting and fun movie!” – Kino Critics
MS SENIOR SWEETHEART
Dendy Opera Quays - Saturday 27 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Sabine Steyer, Germany-USA, 2009, 80 mins
When it comes to beauty, talent and glamour, why should age be a factor?
Once a year elderly women meet in Fall River, south of Boston, to answer an age old question: Who is the prettiest in the land? Quintessentially American in its outlook on ageing, the Ms. Senior Sweetheart competition is only open to women aged 58 and up. Since 1978 women from all over the country travel to Fall River to take part in rehearsals, performances and the famous "Ladies Ball" when the new queen is crowned. This smart and occasionally very funny film follows three contestants, unpacking their motivation, hopes and ambition. The pageant is less about beauty than about getting older, staying young, facing death and keeping a healthy lust for life (and a good sense of humour).
“Leaves the audience with respectful admiration and sympathy. What an uplifting and fun movie!” – Kino Critics
Focus on Vincente Minnelli
THE BAND WAGON G
Dendy Opera Quays - Sunday 28 March – 10:00am
Dir: Vincente Minnelli, USA, 1953, 119 mins
Cast: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Jack Buchannan
Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse dancing in the dark in Central Park: now that’s entertainment!
Tony hunter (Fred Astaire) is a movie star whose glory has faded. He turns to the Broadway stage, only to get cast in a nightmarish production of “Faust”, complete with tyrannical director (a scene stealing Jack Buchannan) and a ballerina starlet (Cyd Charisse) who thinks Hunter is all wrong for the part. Led by Fred Astaire’s brilliant footwork, this Minnelli musical benefits from brilliant numbers by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz, including "Girl Hunt," "Dancing in the Dark" and "That's Entertainment." On the big screen and in vivid colour, The Band Wagon is a cheerful, stylish and witty musical will have you dancing down the aisles!
Special guest: The screening will be introduced by actress & performer Toni Lamond
THE BAND WAGON G
Dendy Opera Quays - Sunday 28 March – 10:00am
Dir: Vincente Minnelli, USA, 1953, 119 mins
Cast: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Jack Buchannan
Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse dancing in the dark in Central Park: now that’s entertainment!
Tony hunter (Fred Astaire) is a movie star whose glory has faded. He turns to the Broadway stage, only to get cast in a nightmarish production of “Faust”, complete with tyrannical director (a scene stealing Jack Buchannan) and a ballerina starlet (Cyd Charisse) who thinks Hunter is all wrong for the part. Led by Fred Astaire’s brilliant footwork, this Minnelli musical benefits from brilliant numbers by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz, including "Girl Hunt," "Dancing in the Dark" and "That's Entertainment." On the big screen and in vivid colour, The Band Wagon is a cheerful, stylish and witty musical will have you dancing down the aisles!
Special guest: The screening will be introduced by actress & performer Toni Lamond
“Tough Sheilas” program
THE KILLING OF ANGEL STREET M
Dendy Opera Quays - Sunday 28 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Donald Crombie, Australia, 1981, 96 mins
Cast: Liz Alexander, John Hargreaves, Alexander Archdale
A suspenseful, Sydney-set thriller about citizen activism
Jessica Simmonds (Liz Alexander) returns from overseas to find her father (Alexander Archdale), embroiled in a public battle to save the historic Balmain waterfront houses of Angel Street. When he dies in mysterious circumstances, she joins forces with residents and a union leader (John Hargreaves) to fight a corrupt developer with powerful friends. This moving, topical thriller, made in 1981, was inspired by the disappearance of campaigner Juanita Nielsen, last seen alive in Kings Cross in 1975, where she was involved in the fight against the redevelopment of Victoria Street. Liz Alexander’s gutsy performance makes for a riveting portrait of heroic resistance in the face of corporate greed.
“A powerful, hard-hitting and provocative story about corruption permeating the highest levels of society – the more so because it has a strong basis in fact.” – Variety
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Donald Crombie
THE KILLING OF ANGEL STREET M
Dendy Opera Quays - Sunday 28 March – 12:30pm
Dir: Donald Crombie, Australia, 1981, 96 mins
Cast: Liz Alexander, John Hargreaves, Alexander Archdale
A suspenseful, Sydney-set thriller about citizen activism
Jessica Simmonds (Liz Alexander) returns from overseas to find her father (Alexander Archdale), embroiled in a public battle to save the historic Balmain waterfront houses of Angel Street. When he dies in mysterious circumstances, she joins forces with residents and a union leader (John Hargreaves) to fight a corrupt developer with powerful friends. This moving, topical thriller, made in 1981, was inspired by the disappearance of campaigner Juanita Nielsen, last seen alive in Kings Cross in 1975, where she was involved in the fight against the redevelopment of Victoria Street. Liz Alexander’s gutsy performance makes for a riveting portrait of heroic resistance in the face of corporate greed.
“A powerful, hard-hitting and provocative story about corruption permeating the highest levels of society – the more so because it has a strong basis in fact.” – Variety
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Donald Crombie
Print courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive’s Kodak/Atlab Collection
Special Preview
THE LAST STATION M
Dendy Opera Quays – Sunday 28 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Michael Hoffman, UK-Germany, 2009, 112 mins
Cast: Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, James McAvoy, Paul Giamatti
A fun, sexy romp led by some of the best actors working today.
After fifty years of marriage, Countess Sofya, Leo Tolstoy’s devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary, suddenly finds her world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the great Russian novelist has renounced title, property and family in favour of poverty, vegetarianism and abstinence. Enters Tolstoy’s new assistant, the young, gullible Valentin, who’s hopelessly in love with Tolstoy’s new convert, the beautiful Masha. The Last Station is a tale of two romances, one beginning, one near its end, a complex, funny and emotional story about the difficulty of living with love and the impossibility of living without it.
“Like a great night at the theatre - the two performing demons go at each other full tilt and produce scenes of Shakespearean affection, chagrin, and rage.” – The New Yorker
Join us for a free drink after the screening!
THE LAST STATION M
Dendy Opera Quays – Sunday 28 March – 3:00pm
Dir: Michael Hoffman, UK-Germany, 2009, 112 mins
Cast: Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, James McAvoy, Paul Giamatti
A fun, sexy romp led by some of the best actors working today.
After fifty years of marriage, Countess Sofya, Leo Tolstoy’s devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary, suddenly finds her world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the great Russian novelist has renounced title, property and family in favour of poverty, vegetarianism and abstinence. Enters Tolstoy’s new assistant, the young, gullible Valentin, who’s hopelessly in love with Tolstoy’s new convert, the beautiful Masha. The Last Station is a tale of two romances, one beginning, one near its end, a complex, funny and emotional story about the difficulty of living with love and the impossibility of living without it.
“Like a great night at the theatre - the two performing demons go at each other full tilt and produce scenes of Shakespearean affection, chagrin, and rage.” – The New Yorker
Join us for a free drink after the screening!