The Fantastic Film Festival Australia has been playing in Screens across Sydney and Melbourne, showcasing independent cinema from across the world and from right here in Australia.

In Sydney they are playing out from the Ritz in Randwick, and the films have been varied, from an early preview of hit new horror film Obsession about a wish gone wrong and Flush, about a French man stuck in a toilet.

With only a few films left to be shown, here’s a preview of what you can expect this week:

May 11

Her Will Be Done (6:15pm) – A French/Polish psycho drama about a woman working on her family farm of Polish immigrants experiencing strange dreams and what she believes to be an ancestral curse. Director Julia Kalowski is also French of Polish descent and brings her cultural lens to the film. It also has the same cinematographer as the excellent Anatomy of a Fall and is filmed in 16mm.

“An intriguing mix of heady and earthy, in which folk-horror eeriness fuses with provincial narrow-mindedness.” – Variety

Lenore (8:20pm) – Described as an Australian Gothic Cyber Horror, Lenore is the story of an unemployed filmmaker, Max, who becomes obsessed with the disappearance of a controversial artist whose name is the film’s title. Filmed in several different visual formats, (Alexa Mini, iPhone, Hi-8 etc), the film shows his descent into online conspiracy, his past, as well as a presence that seems to inhabit his editing suite. The Debut feature of director David Ward, Lenore promises to be a surreal, creepy experienced that reflects all the horrors of the internet and celebrity culture, Edgar Allan Poe in the age of social media.

“Small but smart and never boring – transgressive psychological cyber-horror…perfect for the Netflix Age.” – The Black List

May 12

100 Nights of Hero (6:20pm) – A British fable based on Isabel Greenberg’s 2016 Graphic Novel. 100 Nights of Hero is about Cherry, a woman on a British baronial estate whose husband leaves and has his friend stay behind to seduce her and test her fidelity. Cherry’s growing relationship with her maid, Hero, begins her journey of independence and female solidarity in the face of her patriarchal surroundings. This is a high fantasy take of female empowerment with an all star cast, Maika Monroe, Emma Corrin, Felicity Jones, Richard E Grant, etc.

“This is a film of rare joy and spirit, and one that deserves to be celebrated as both a feminist fairytale and a manifesto that will inspire a myriad of future stories.” –IndieWire

Wolf Cat Fever (8:20pm) – A B Movie to end all B movies, Wolf Cat Fever is unabashedly Australian fever dream that is all about one thing, Rock and Roll. This is about Furr Fever and Wolf Howl, two lost souls with a haunted guitar facing backstabbing bandmates, meddling politicians and music moguls to ensure that their rock and roll spirit will never be tamed. From director Josh “Sinbad” Collins, this is an utterly unique, lurid and wild film that has to be seen to be believed.

“The Lobotomised Tim Burton.”  – Screen Edge on director Josh ‘Sinbad’ Collins

May 13

Cruel Hands (6:30pm) – This is an Australian survival thriller about a desperate mother fleeing with her child to protect themselves from her abusive husband, the child’s father. Set amidst the devastating bushfires in the Black Summer of 2019, this debut feature by Croatian Australian director Al Kalyk shows a woman pushed by extreme circumstances to do anything she has to to protect her child surrounded by utter environmental devastation.

“I left the theater shaken but in awe. A raw, compelling film that shows both the terror and the resilience of survival. Cruel Hands isn’t easy to watch, but it’s unforgettable.” – True View Reviews

Squids (8:30pm) – A comedy dives into the deeply competitive and cut-throat world of scooter racing. Norah is desperately trying to lead her scooter team to victory in the crash blade cup but after the loss of their coach, they are forced to turn to a washed up former scooter star, Dayton. This film is the 90s brought back with bright colours, a mighty ducks meets Pee Wee’s grand adventure, all with a clear Melbourne comedic identity throughout. Writer-director-star Ryan Zorzut does it all in his feature debut. This will be one of the very first screenings of the film.

May 14

Penny Lane is Dead (7pm) – In another distinctly Australian horror film, follow the titular character Penny Lane as she plans a getaway with her friends to celebrating getting accepted into university. But when her weird cousin shows up with her even weirder boyfriend, things go from happy to violent and disturbing pretty fast. A debut feature from writer-director Mia’Kate Russell, Penny Lane is Dead is a punk satire about toxic masculinity and misogyny in Australian culture.

“a 90-minute blast of toxic masculinity smashing that will have you hooting and hollering along…Russell’s graduation from shorts revs up the crowd and goes full throttle.” – ScreenHub

May 15

The Weed Eaters (7:30pm) – Travel to New Zealand for this stoner horror-comedy where a stash of weed turns a group of friends into enthusiastic cannibals who now have to keep up their habit and hide their crimes. This debut feature from Callum Devin was made on a nothing budget, boasts cameos and appearances from NZ royalty like Paul Kean and Delaney Davidson, and is a comedic insight into how easy it is for friend groups to descend into infighting and cannibalise themselves….this time literally.

“Everyone needs to see The Weed Eaters…the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long time…has cemented itself as my favourite local film in recent memory.” – The Spinoff

The Festival officially ends on May 15th. There seem to be some films still playing after that with the festival banner so check out https://www.ritzcinemas.com.au to have a look at what other independent cinema you can check out right here in Sydney.