Fantastic Film Festival Australia is back!

Australia’s wackiest of film festivals is back. 

Somewhere deep behind the plethora of superhero films and animated kids’ movies that reliably rotate our cinema screens every week, lies a catalogue of films so wacky, so weird, so wonderful, that they so rarely make it to the big screen. Whilst lovers of genre-cinema and fans of the most absurdist of films routinely miss out on seeing these flicks on their local silver screen, an Australian film festival is doing what they can to change that.

Fantastic Film Festival Australia (FFFA) is back and a little wackier than ever, serving up a feast of some of the weirdest cult, genre and arthouse cinema from across the globe. With a program filled with films from Europe, Africa and the US, as well as a dash of special events and audience-inclusive games in the mix, FFFA promises to wow. 

Playing at Lido Cinemas in Melbourne and at the Ritz Cinema in Sydney from now until the 6th of May, those that dare to have a little fun at the movies are encouraged to step into this world of strange cinema. Whether a double feature of an absurdist satirical brother-sister-directed couple of films is more your thing, or a venture into the world of fantasy in a session of Dungeons and Dragons is right up your alley, FFFA has a little something for every wacko and weirdo, and all those in between. 

This unique festival, swinging around with its celebration of strangeness only once a year, is as good an opportunity as any to support the little guys. Taking place at two of the coolest independent cinemas in the country, hosting a wide range of events that showcase a selection of innovative artists, musicians, filmmakers and the like, FFFA has fought through two debilitating years of national lockdowns and cinema closures and come out the other side stronger, bringing along a little fun. 

Even if wacky cinema isn’t normally your thing, I’ll hedge all my bets that having a good time is. And FFFA is abound with many of those: good times, good stories, and the greatest that weird cinema has to offer.

You can check out the program for FFFA here.

Article written by Juliette Salom.

Image courtesy of Lido Cinemas.

Catalyst has been the student publication of RMIT University since 1944. We may be older than your parents but we’re still going strong!

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