SCREEN-SPACE'S SWIFF SIX-PASS

“It is the journey north that the Screen-Space team (i.e., me, with my +1) have undertaken six times. The pilgrimage to Coffs Harbour for the Screenwave International Film Festival, the ever-expanding regional film celebration that brings global cinema, old and new, to the N.S.W. F.N.C. If I had to pick only six, on the Festival’s popular ‘Six Pass’, here they are, but it’s academic, as I’ll be in town for two weeks and cramming my days and nights with SWIFF sessions. As should you.” - Simon Foster, Managing Editor. 

THE SPIRAL (Dir: Maria Silvia Esteve | Argentina, 20 mins)  + LUX AETERNA (Dir: Gaspar Noè | starring Beatrice Dalle, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Abbey Lee | France, 55 mins)
Sometimes cinema should be an assault on the senses, and nobody assaults like French agitator Gaspar Noè, whose oeuvre reads like a dictionary entry for ‘uncomfortable cinema’ - Climax (2018); Love (2015); Enter the Void (2009); Irreversible (2002). The pairing of his latest, Lux Aeterna, with Argentinian surrealist auteur Maria Silvia Esteve’s stream-of-subconscious nightmare The Spiral is inspired programming; a daring, disturbing descent into film as an extension of our darkest psyche.
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THE FLY (Dir: David Cronenberg | starring Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis | U.S.A, 96 mins)
As scientist Seth Brundle, whose matter transference device accidentally becomes a high-tech gene-splicer, with horrific results, Jeff Goldblum was a revelation. There was huge industry support for him in the 1986 Best Actor Oscar race, rewarding the humanity he brought to a performance mostly buried deep in prosthetic make-up (like the nomination they gave to John Hurt for The Elephant Man), but that did not eventuate. David Cronenberg’s The Fly is a near-perfect mash-up of nightmarish body-horror and heart-breaking romantic drama. Some argue that John Carpenter’s The Thing is Hollywood’s greatest remake; for me, it comes an admirable second.
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FINAL CUT (Dir: Michel Hazanavicius | starring Romain Duris, Bérénice Bejo | France, 112 mins)
The last time that Michel Hazanavicius paid homage to the wonderful world of cinema, he won the Best Picture Oscar, with 2011’s monochromatic mute musical, The Artist. That’s probably not going to happen again for Final Cut, what with The Academy’s largely poo-pooing all things horror, but the French director’s bloody, hilarious zom-com (which opened Cannes 2022) is no less an insider’s elevated spin on the giddy, ego-driven, tempestuous island that is a modern movie set. Very groovy, very gory; if you love those early Peter Jackson films, you’ll love the latest Michel Hazanavicius one.
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ENNIO: THE MAESTRO (Dir: Giuseppe Tornatore | Italy, 156 mins)
Charting the creative journey and cultural impact of the great film composer is pure cinephile catnip, and Giuseppe Tornatore’s rousing, deeply moving documentary works on that ‘fan service’ level for every second of its 156 minutes. But where it truly soars is in its study of the man’s influences and inspirations; the chords and melodies that captured his imagination then morphed into some of the greatest film soundtracks ever written. Just ask Quentin tarantino, Oliver Stone, Barry Levinson, Clint Eastwood, Terrence Malick, and many more; Tornatore did, and their answers shed a profound light on Ennio Morricone’s musical legacy.
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INFINITY POOL (Dir: Brandon Cronenberg | starring Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth | Canada, 131 mins)
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the Cronenberg household, with son Brandon’s latest, Infinity Pool, plunging into the themes of psycho-sexual, body-horror gender conflict just as his father David did with works like Crash (1996) and Dead Ringers (1988). Cronenberg Jr. is a divisive talent - couldn’t gel with his feature debut, Antiviral (2012) but really dug his follow-up Possessor (2020) - and his latest looks to be more of the intellect-challenging, stomach-churning Canadian creepiness that we’ve come to expect from the Cronenberg clan.
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CORNERS OF THE EARTH: KAMCHATKA (Dirs: Spencer Frost, Guy Williment | Australia, 90 mins)
It’s not enough for directors Spencer Frost and Guy Williment, with surfers Letty Mortenson and Fraser Dovell along for the 3-day plane/helicopter/snowmobile ride, to seek out the most remote surfing conditions in the world. It also has to be on the east coast of Russia, in sub-arctic conditions…um, there was one more thing?...oh yeah! On the very day that their host country declares war on neighbouring Ukraine! The footage of the lads taking on the brutal cold, both on land and at sea, is breathtaking; their interactions with the surfing community of Kamchatka, heartwarming; and, the isolation from western influence as the war escalates and resources are compromised, engrossing.
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Full ticketing and session details can be found at the SWIFF Official Website.

CELEBRATING THE LATE JACQUES HAITKIN, D.O.P.

Cinematographer Jacques Haitkin passed away aged 72 on March 21 2023, leaving behind a legacy of images that helped shape a generation of film fans. Not cinephiles or academics (although they’ve come to appreciate him, too) but film ‘fans’; those that love the visceral thrills, stomach-tightening horrors or giggly chuckles of that unbalanced American cinema that is often ignored or derided as ‘B-movie’ schlock upon release, but which creeps its way to cult status over time. 

Working with masters like Wes Craven, Jack Sholder, Steve de Jarnatt, Larry Cohen, Stewart Raffill and Kevin Connor, the NYC-native Haitkin forged a filmography that provides a wonderful snapshot of ‘80s genre favourites; films that provided repeat-viewing pleasure for the VHS-educated generation of movie watchers. They were often viewed on scratchy rental cassettes, panned-and-scanned to fit square TVs, and only fully appreciated for their skill and craft in restored incarnations. Despite (or perhaps because of) their origins, these are the works that make us love a world seen through the lens of Jacques Haitkin.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE (1985): No one expected Wes Craven’s 1984 high-concept teen-horror pic to be the game-changer it became, but when A Nightmare on Elm Street hit big, the industry asked, ‘How did that happen?’. Many laid the film’s success at the countless iconic images that Haitkin and Craven conjured. The D.O.P. returned for the sequel, under new helmer Jack Sholder; the film would not find immediate favour with audiences or critics, but has grown in stature ever since. (He worked with Craven again on Shocker, in 1989).

THE HIDDEN (1987) and CHERRY 2000 (1987): Haitkin reteamed with Sholder to shoot alien-possession action-thriller The Hidden, one of the late ‘80s most thrilling B-movie experiences. Arguably his most ambitious shoot was alongside Steve de Jarnatt on the dystopian action film Cherry 2000, in which he employed an otherworldly colour palette. These two films, along with his …Elm Street undertakings, are his most popular and enduring works; this professional period also provided such future cult faves as Charlie Loventhal’s My Demon Lover (1987); actor Anthony Perkin’s black comedy/horror, Lucky Stiff (1988); Larry Cohen’s The Ambulance, with Eric Roberts (1990); and, Greg Beeman’s Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), with Teri Garr. 

GALAXY OF TERROR (1981) and THE LOST EMPIRE (1984): There is no avoiding the fact that a couple of Haitkin’s gigs have a ‘bad film’ stink attached to them. But it is also worth pointing out that his ‘so-bad-they’re-good’ projects can’t be faulted for his lensing. Bruce D. Clark’s low-budget Alien riff, Galaxy of Terror, from the production house of the legendary Roger Corman, was rich with BTS talent - Bill Paxton did set decoration; James Cameron, the production designer and 2nd Unit director. Jim Wynorski’s The Lost Empire, an ultra low-budget camp romp made for the booming home video market…well, yeah, it is pretty bad.

THE TIM CONWAY COMEDIES: THEY WENT THAT-A-WAY & THAT-A-WAY (1978), THE PRIZE FIGHTER (1979), THE PRIVATE EYES (1980): Haitkin had graduated from NYU Film School and by the mid 1970s, had earned a reputation for being a skilled young cinematographer; his 1972 short, Hot Dogs for Gaugin, shot with director Martin Brest and actor Danny De Vito, earned him a cinematography fellowship at the American Film Institute. Things hit big for Haitkin in 1977-78, when he first shot the ‘blaxploitation’ actioner The Hitter with Ron O’Neal, then scored DOP duties on three old-school comedies starring funnyman, Tim Conway (and TV star thanks to the hit sketch series, The Carol Burnett Show). For co-directors Stuart E. McGowan and Edward Montagne, he lensed the prison-set comedy, They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way. The surprise hit meant Haitkin would be asked to bring his crowd pleasing comedy framing to Conway’s follow-ups, which paired him with fellow ageing clown, Don Knotts - Michael Preece’s boxing pic The Prize Fighter (1979), and Laing Elliott’s UK-set farce, The Private Eyes (1980).

THE T.V. MOVIES: Haitkin moved effortlessly between big- and small-screen work. His TV sector output contains some of his resonant works. His choice of films showed a keen commercial instinct; many reliably sold into the international home video and television markets. Foremost amongst them were The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything (1980), with Robert Hays and Pam Dawber; St. Helens (1981), a large-scale dramatization of America’s volcano disaster; Save the Dog! (1988), starring Cindy Williams; Buried Alive (1990), for young director Frank Darabont and star Jennifer Jason Leigh; the cult horror film Strays! (1991), with Kathleen Quinlan; and, for his old friend Jack Sholder, the chilling true-life shark attack drama, 12 Days of Terror (2004).

2023 OSCAR PREDICTIONS, PART 2: DIRECTOR, ACTRESSES, ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, ANIMATED FILM PLUS LOTS MORE

In Part 2 of our Oscar Predictions piece, we make some big calls (yes, Ana de Armas should win for Blonde!) and hope you're along for the ride.

Read 2023 OSCAR PREDICTIONS, PART 1: FILM, ACTORS, ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, SONG PLUS LOTS MORE here.

BEST DIRECTOR
Splitting the Director and Film honours used to be an anomaly, but that’s on the turn. I think it’ll happen again this year; The Daniels will get their individual trophies in the Original Screenplay category, but get pipped here by Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans. Todd Field can consider himself unlucky that Tar is up against a buzz title in Everything…. And a sentimental fave in Fabelmans, because Tar is masterfully helmed.     
NOMINEES: Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness; Todd Field, Tár; Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin; Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Todd Field for Tár.
WHO WILL WIN: Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans

BEST ACTRESS
The triumphant SAG ceremony for all things Everything Everywhere All at Once was the clearest indication yet that Michelle Yeoh will trump our Cate here. Blanchett is playing the game harder than usual to secure Oscar votes (did you see the, ‘Cate Explains Aussie Slang’ article? Oh, boy…), but the tide has well and truly turned Yeoh’s way at just the right time.
NOMINEES: Cate Blanchett, Tár; Ana de Armas, Blonde; Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie; Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans; Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WHO SHOULD WIN: Ana de Armas for Blonde.
WHO WILL WIN: Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Traditionally a very tough category to pick; remember when Marisa Tomei beat Lauren Bacall? For much of the awards season, Angela Bassett stood tall, but then Jamie Lee Curtis surged and, as we write this, Kerry Condon is emerging as the bolter. This is a real dart-in-the-dark guess, but here goes… 
NOMINEES: Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Hong Chau, The Whale; Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin; Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WHO SHOULD WIN: Kerry Condon for The Banshees of Inisherin
WHO WILL WIN: Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
If the mood is ‘Let’s Spread the Love’, here’s where the hugely respected auteur Sarah Polley picks up her first gong, for the incendiary Best Picture nominee Women Talking. If it goes the way of the most nominations, …Western Front will step up. Or is this where finely-tuned nostalgia of Top Gun: Maverick gets its due?
NOMINEES: Edward Berger, Ian Stokell & Lesley Paterson, All Quiet on the Western Front; Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery; Kazuo Ishiguro, Living; Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie, Peter Craig & Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick; Sarah Polley, Women Talking
WHO SHOULD WIN: Sarah Polley for Women Talking
WHO WILL WIN: Sarah Polley for Women Talking

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE 
NOMINEES: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; Marcel the Shell With Shoes On; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; The Sea Beast; Turning Red
WHO SHOULD WIN: Puss in Boots: the Last Wish
WHO WILL WIN: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
NOMINEES: Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front; Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin; Justin Hurwitz, Babylon; Son Lux, Everything Everywhere All at Once; John Williams, The Fabelmans
WHO SHOULD WIN: Justin Hurwitz for Babylon
WHO WILL WIN: John Williams for The Fabelmans

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOMINEES: James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front; Roger Deakins, Empire of Light; Darius Khondji, Bardo; Mandy Walker, Elvis; Florian Hoffmeister, Tár
WHO SHOULD WIN: Roger Deakins for Empire of Light
WHO WILL WIN: Mandy Walker for Elvis

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
NOMINEES: Christian M. Goldbeck & Ernestine Hipper, All Quiet on the Western Front; Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy & Bev Dunn, Elvis ; Florencia Martin & Anthony Carlino, Babylon ; Dylan Cole, Ben Procter & Vanessa Cole, Avatar: The Way of Water; Rick Carter & Karen O’Hara, The Fabelmans
WHO SHOULD WIN: Florencia Martin & Anthony Carlino for Babylon
WHO WILL WIN: Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy & Bev Dunn for Elvis

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
NOMINEES: All Quiet on the Western Front; The Batman; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Elvis; The Whale
WHO SHOULD WIN: The Whale
WHO WILL WIN: Elvis

BEST SOUND
NOMINEES: All Quiet on the Western Front; Avatar: The Way of Water; The Batman; Elvis; Top Gun: Maverick
WHO SHOULD WIN: Top Gun: Maverick
WHO WILL WIN: All Quiet on the Western Front

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
NOMINEES: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse; The Flying Sailor; Ice Merchants; My Year of Dicks; An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
WHO WILL WIN: An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It

2023 OSCAR PREDICTIONS, PART 1: PICTURE, ACTORS, ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, SONG PLUS MORE

We've got a lot to say about this year's Academy Award contenders. So much, in fact, we've split our annual predictions piece into two. Pick some fights with us on this page, then follow the link to Round 2... 

Check out 2023 OSCAR PREDICTIONS, PART 2: DIRECTOR, ACTRESSES, ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, ANIMATED FILM PLUS LOTS MORE here.

BEST PICTURE: 
The Guild community, which makes up a big chunk of the AMPAS voters, seem pretty united on this front, with Everything Everywhere All at Once taking the award season spoils in recent weeks across a lot of categories. Tough to bet against it at this stage. The other multi-nominated challenger, All Quiet on the Western Front, will get its dues in the International Feature category. 
NOMINEES:All Quiet on the Western Front; Avatar: The Way of Water; The Banshees of Inisherin; Elvis; Everything Everywhere All at Once; The Fabelmans; Tár; Top Gun: Maverick; Triangle of Sadness; Women Talking
WHO SHOULD WIN: Triangle of Sadness
WHO WILL WIN: Everything Everywhere All at Once.

BEST ACTOR: 
Was Fraser’s to lose for much of the campaigning period, but out-of-the-blue wins for Farrell and Butler have tightened the odds. And a lot of people (ie, those who are backing him as the lead in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel) would like to see Paul Mescal’s performance in Aftersun be recognised, too. Still Fraser by my thinking, but expect this to be a close call.
NOMINEES: Austin Butler, Elvis; Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin; Brendan Fraser, The Whale; Paul Mescal, Aftersun; Bill Nighy, Living
WHO SHOULD WIN: Brendan Fraser for The Whale
WHO WILL WIN: Brendan Fraser for The Whale

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
There are so many great narratives - Judd Hirsch’s Fabelmans nod, making the 87 years-young actor the oldest nominee ever in this category; Barry Keoghan’s rags-to-riches boyhood, leading to recognition for The Banshees of Inisherin; funnyman-turned-dramatic powerhouse Brian Tyree Henry for Causeway. Of course, none match the resurgent career of forgotten child star Ke Huy Quan, whose got a lock on the trophy in our opinion.
NOMINEES: Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin; Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway; Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans; Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin; Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WHO SHOULD WIN: Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once
WHO WILL WIN: Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 
The Daniels’ moment. Which is a big call amongst a line-up like this, but…well, here we are.
NOMINEES: Todd Field, Tár; Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans; Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin; Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
WHO SHOULD WIN: Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness
WHO WILL WIN: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
NOMINEES: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany); Argentina, 1985 (Argentina); Close (Belgium); EO (Poland); The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
WHO SHOULD WIN: Close
WHO WILL WIN: All Quiet on the Western Front

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 
NOMINEES: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed; All That Breathes; Fire of Love; A House Made of Splinters; Navalny
WHO SHOULD WIN: Fire of Love
WHO WILL WIN: Navalny

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
NOMINEES: Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna & Tems, “Lift Me Up,” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Lady Gaga & BloodPop, “Hold My Hand,” Top Gun: Maverick; M.M. Keeravaani & Chandrabose, “Naatu Naatu,” RRR; Diane Warren, “Applause,” Tell It Like a Woman; Ryan Lott, David Byrne & Mitski, “This Is a Life,” Everything Everywhere All at Once
WHO SHOULD WIN: M.M. Keeravaani & Chandrabose, “Naatu Naatu,” from RRR
WHO WILL WIN: M.M. Keeravaani & Chandrabose, “Naatu Naatu,” from RRR

BEST EDITING 
NOMINEES: Eddie Hamilton, Top Gun: Maverick; Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, The Banshees of Inisherin; Paul Rogers, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Jonathan Redmond & Matt Villa, Elvis; Monika Willi, Tár
WHO SHOULD WIN: Eddie Hamilton for Top Gun: Maverick
WHO WILL WIN: Eddie Hamilton for Top Gun: Maverick

BEST COSTUME DESIGN 
NOMINEES: Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris; Ruth Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Catherine Martin, Elvis; Mary Zophres, Babylon; Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WHO SHOULD WIN: Jenny Beavan for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
WHO WILL WIN: Catherine Martin for Elvis

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

NOMINEES: All Quiet on the Western Front; Avatar: The Way of Water; The Batman; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Top Gun: Maverick
WHO SHOULD WIN: Avatar: The Way of Water
WHO WILL WIN: Avatar: The Way of Water

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
An Irish Goodbye; Ivalu; Le Pupille; Night Ride; The Red Suitcase
WHO WILL WIN: Ivalu

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Elephant Whisperers; Haulout; How Do You Measure a Year?; The Martha Mitchell Effect; Stranger at the Gate.
WHO WILL WIN: How Do You Measure a Year?

WIN DOUBLE PASSES TO THE OSCAR-NOMINATED AFTERSUN

Courtesy of Kismet Films, SCREEN-SPACE has 6 in-season double passes to give away to see Paul Mescal in his Oscar-nominated performance in AFTERSUN, the universally acclaimed debut feature from writer/director Charlotte Wells.

TO WIN, simply tell us in 25 words or less about that special family holiday you remember from your childhood. Provide your answer in the comments section below.  

Set in a fading vacation resort in the mid '90s, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie's tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't, in Wells' superb and searingly emotional debut film.

Critics have been unanimous in their praise...:

"A tremendous film. Something that looks at a hard topic like depression in a very beautiful and human way." - BBC.com

"A triumph of new British filmmaking." - Empire

"Every moment, every snippet of dialogue, every detail down to the smallest role or the tiniest detail in the background feels like a vibrant slice of real life." - Chicago Sun-Times

AFTERSUN is in Australian cinemas from February 23.

T&Cs: 
Australian residents only, sorry; competition closes 11.59pm on Wednesday February 22, 2023. This is a game of skill and entries will be judged by Screen-Space contributors; the judge's decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Double-passes will be emailed to winners and may be used at all participating cinemas, at the venue's discretion. The prize is not transferable for cash or to be used with any other offer on any other film in general release.